The Art of Letter Carving in Wood

The Art of Letter Carving in Wood
Hardcover

By: Martin Wenham

From the back of the book: 

"The Art of Letter Carving in Wood is a thorough guide to this beautiful craft. Based on the v-cut method, it explains how to carve letters in a range of sizes, styles and different kinds of wood. The book progresses from the basic to the difficult, and from simply designing and carving letters to using them in a wide range of situations, from the purely practical and informative to the expressive and interpretative. With over 500 illustrations, it is the definitive text for all letter carvers in wood.

SUITABLE WOODS - looks at hardness, durability, colour and surface texture of different woods.

CUTTING THE LETTERS - explains how to cut the upper-case alphabet, starting with the simplest letter and advancing to the complex and demanding, and then the roman lower case alphabet.

CARVING VARIATIONS - instructs on cutting sloped and italic letters to give a sense of movement and fluidity to the work

DESIGNING YOUR PIECE - covers spacing, how to use letters so they combine harmoniously into words that can be read more easily, and transferring he letters onto wood.

WORKING WITH WOOD - advises on how to use wood so it enhances the forma and texture of the inscription to emphasize meaning

COMPLETING THE WORK - explain show to convey a message more poignantly with colour, layout and finish"

From the jacket flap:

"There is no long tradition of hand-carved lettering in wood and so there is no standard technique. This practical book explains the classic v-section letter form which, with an appropriate range of tools, makes it possible to carve letters in a wide range of woods and styles, in sizes from 10 to 100mm high, or even larger. It goes on to cover the skills of designing and drawing letters, and grouping them into words and inscriptions, and introduces two alternative ways of carving. 

Written by one of the UK's leading and most respected lettering artists, this book not only covers the process of letter carving in wood but also does much more by explaining how to convey a message effectively. It looks at every aspect of designing the piece - be that using italics, spacing the letters, using the grain or adding colour.

Packed with advice and illustrations, The Art of Letter Carving in Wood draws on five decades of Marin's experience, and gives a thorough account of this exquisite art."

About the author:

"Martin Wenham first learnt the technique of letter-cutting from a professional carver in 1967. Since then, he has developed his own techniques and approach and, after a career of teaching, establishing himself as a full-time carver. He likes to carve with many kinds of wood, and his designs draw on his immense bank of quotes and words that he has collected over several decades. He first exhibited in 1982 and since then his work has been included in most major British exhibitions of lettering arts. His work is held in collections across the world and is sold by the Goldmark Gallery, Uppingham. Martin also regularly taught letter carving for twenty years at West Dean College.

This is the book he wished had been written when he first started his letter-cutting career over fifty-five years ago."

ISBN: 978-0-71984-003-6