Stone carving is one of the art forms. Stone differs from other subjects of this craft in that it is difficult to give it a perfect shape because of its density and unpredictability. But that is precisely the main advantage of this art. You follow the stone – its inner world and listen to it. This amazing collaboration with a natural material requires sensitivity, patience and planning. But the result is a masterpiece. Of course, if you study patiently. Here is verything you need to know about selecting stone and tools for soapstone wolf carving.
Carving even on such a malleable stone as soapstone is not given at once. The simplest level of carving is to hone the figure to the conventional contours. This is the case, for example, in master classes for children – a figure of a wolf looks like this. Let you not be confused by the simplicity of the product – breathing your labor into it you will still get an unusually powerful emotional return. Children understand this.
More complicated works require experience. Here are examples of wolf figures made of different stones – soapstone, obsidian, lapis lazuli (lazurite).
We’re going to try carving a wolf figurine out of soapstone a little more easily.
Why soapstone?
Choose steatite (soapstone) if you are a beginner and don’t have many carving tools. The texture of steatite resembles a dry bar of soap, making it a very malleable material. It is easy to shape with little effort.
- Steatite is so soft that you can carve into it with harder stones found in your backyard, even your fingernails leave marks on it. It can be found in a variety of colors: gray, green, and black. You can carve small sculptures out of steatite, which won’t hurt much if you accidentally scratch or push it.
- Steatite and other soft stones can be found at local stone carving supply stores. For example, there is a store in California called Stone Sculptors Supplies that sells soft types of stones for carving.
- You can, of course, pick up stones from your yard, but keep in mind that such stones are usually used in construction, so they will be harder to work with than stones bought for arts and crafts.
- Be aware that some steatite contains asbestos, which causes lung cancer, asbestos pneumoconiosis and mesothelioma if inhaled for long periods of time.
Reat at first Choosing Soapstone to Carve: Steps and Tips
You can buy the stone, you can easily find the right size blocks on Amazon, for example.
Small Soapstone for Carving, White Blank Cube
Efco Soapstone Blank Rectangular Cube
Item Dimensions LxWxH: 1.97 x 0.79 x 0.79 inches
Middle Soapstone for Carving, Grey Blank Cube
Soapstone for Carving Block – 3” x 3” x 5”
Item Dimensions LxWxH: 3 x 3 x 5 inches
Big Soapstone for Carving, Ocean Green Blank Cube
Sculpture House – CS904-2BX Soapstone, Deep Ocean Green, Pack of 5
Item Weight: 10 Pounds
Making wolf figurine: soapstone wolf carving guide
Materials and tools: stone, rasp, chisels, bormashinka, machine tools. In general, I have already written a lot about a set of tools for carving on soapstone, read my blog.
1.Take a soapstone suitable in size.
Tip on how to choose a stone. Choose a bar of stone that is much larger than the size of the piece you have in mind. Carving involves decreasing in size, not increasing. When you paint a picture, you add paint to it, and when you carve in stone, you take off the excess from the stone to give it the shape you want. Limit yourself to a small bar so that you can finish your work relatively quickly. This is especially important if you are trying your hand at carving for the first time and are unsure if you will enjoy the process.
2. I don’t have a finished sketch of the wolf. Initially it is only known that it will be a wolf. Looking at the stone, looking for the wolf:)
How to see the image of the sculpture in the stone. Look at the stone to determine the direction of the layer or grain. As with wood, the grain and layers indicate the direction in which the stone was formed. This will make it easier for you to determine the shape and pose of your future figurine. Wet the stone to get a better look at the curve lines that often form an expressive pattern. If you carve along these lines, the integrity of the stone will be better preserved. Try to maintain the grain along the length of the piece. Avoid chipping the stone across the ply line, it is likely to be very difficult to chisel the stone there, and the break line can be unpredictable.
3. As soon as you have an idea – sketch the animal with a pencil directly on the stone.
Tip. Use a crayon to draw the contours of the product on the stone itself. This will be a drawing for carving. You can, of course, use a pencil or marker, but the graphite lines will disappear almost immediately. Marker ink can soak into the stone and leave indelible stains. Crayons will allow you to erase what you’ve drawn, plus you can use different colors for the different shapes your sculpture will take on. Mark the lines of your design on all sides of the stone. Observe the length and width measurements on each side. Remember, the piece will be three dimensional and should be carved evenly.
4. Now a soapstone wolf carving. Trim off the excess. The shape begins to emerge.
5. On the resulting blank wolf again draw its contours. Correct it if you suddenly discovered hidden features of the stone.
6. Further processing spheroid, rasp and file
7. Further rasping.
8. With the help of milling machine we define the face, eyes, small details.
9. The lines are equalized with a chisel or a chisel
10. Define the pupil
11. After sanding with different sandpaper
12. Cover with hot wax or oil
13. After sanding and oiling we draw lines on the face with a file.
14. You can use soot (powdered charcoal) to emphasize the reliefs and shade the face.
15. The final result can be fixed with stone varnish, but it is not necessary.
Good luck with your stone carving skills!
