The facades made in the ethnic style are distinguished by a bright folk craft - house carving, or wood carving. The decor of the front of the house are geometric, animal and floral ornaments, intricate plots. The artistic composition is cut out on wood with a special carpentry tool. All thread elements are most often removable. Carved parts are superimposed on the roofing shares and platbands after cutting the ornament. The exception is the columns and doors of the house, in the case of which the thread is applied directly to the building.
Craft history
One of the oldest ways of woodcarving - house carving - originated on the banks of the Volga under the hands of architects who adorned the bow of ships. Patterns depicted flora and fauna, symbols associated with the water element. Because of its origin, house carving is often referred to as ship carving.
The simple texture of wood, easily processed, allowed even simple peasants to decorate their homes. The financial situation and status of the family were reflected in the size and complexity of the ornament and wooden lace.
Residents of the Middle Volga at the beginning of the 19th century took over the experience from shipbuilders, starting to decorate the skates and roofs of houses with patterns. The type of creativity gained popularity over time, and the masters began to decorate the remaining elements of the buildings.
At that time, house carving and wood carving were a laborious and complex process. Which was done entirely by hand. The work was complicated on a large scale; the material for the work was solid and durable wood — spruce, pine — capable of withstanding the sultry heat and harsh winter for a long time.
Craft development
As art developed, “art” was applied not only to shutters and platbands, but also to gates, gates, railings and cornices. House carving was not only a decorative finish, but also a kind of a talisman for the family, designed to protect people from evil spirits. Now some residents of country houses also adhere to this opinion.
By the middle of the 19th century, the popularity of ship carving had reached such heights that drawings began to be applied to watch cases, furniture, and mirror frames. Masters carved plant and animal ornaments intertwined. And also fantastic animals and mythical characters, openwork abstractions, not burdened with specific plots. House carving stencils were handed down in the families of joiners from generation to generation. This craft was greatly appreciated.
Over time, house carving has become an integral part of the decorative decoration of houses in Russia. The modern version of creativity has lost its mythical meaning, preserving only the beauty of the ornament.
Wood species for work
Household carpenters often choose oak, birch, linden, walnut, alder or pear wood. These breeds are distinguished by excellent qualities:
- Of the linden blanks, small carved decorative elements are made. The soft structure of the wood does not allow it to perform large trim parts. However, the flexibility of the structure makes linden an ideal material for beginners in the carpentry.
- Oak wood has been used to create artistic compositions that can be stored outdoors for many years. Due to its high strength, massive decorative elements can be created from oak without fear of cracking and deformation.
- The structure of birch wood is distinguished by clear lines; small compositions are made from this breed, combined into a single whole.
- Lightweight lacy lining is not made of walnut - this wood is too heavy for them. Polishing gives the walnut tree a spectacular look, because it is used to create massive elements - gates, doors, columns.
- Resistance to cracking and deformation makes the pear a universal breed of wood. Billets from it are easily covered with complex carvings with a large number of small parts.
- Alder is quite rare in building decor, since it is mainly used to create furniture. This is explained by the possibility of simulating valuable wood species.
- Coniferous wood is extremely rarely used for house carving. Despite the tendency to crack and the fibrous structure, they are popular because of their ductility and affordable price. Properly executed house carving and woodcarving of coniferous species retains its integrity for many years.
Types of Technician
A distinctive feature of home woodcarving patterns is the frequent repetition of the ornament and plot on different elements of the building. To decorate, craftsmen use several different techniques:
- Deaf embossed. An endless relief is applied to a uniform background surface. In this technique, floral ornaments, mythical creatures and plot paintings are cut out on platbands, gates and pediments.
- Flat top. Sketches of house woodcarving in this technique involve knocking out the background, not the pattern - it remains flat.
- Openwork welt. The method of applying a through pattern, characteristic for the implementation of overhead elements. In the photographs, house woodcarving is similar to weightless, light lace.
- Contouring technique. Often used by beginner joiners due to ease of execution. Complex sketches in this technique are not performed; the drawings are neatly circled with a slight pressure with tools.
The basics of wood carving
Work in the technique of home thread always starts with a contour thread. The simplest form does not require experience and professional skills. Wood is selected on the basis of quality and cost: material of the middle price category is suitable for training. Using valuable wood species for the first attempts at home carving is irrational, and poor-quality raw materials can discourage the desire to develop in the chosen direction.
Preparation for work
Joinery requires not only competent preparation of tools and materials, but also compliance with safety precautions. The protection of the health and life of the master depends on it. Safety rules for carpentry are as follows:
- All work is carried out indoors with good ventilation or in the open air.
- A mandatory requirement is protective gloves, a respirator and goggles. When working with the instrument, the organs of vision and respiration must be protected from the ingress of foreign bodies.
- All work is preferably carried out in the daytime or in good light.
Tools and materials are prepared in advance. The main equipment includes a milling cutter or a jigsaw with a set of files, a hand or electric drill, a set of sandpaper of different grain sizes. Wood carving is performed using varnish, brushes of different thicknesses and shapes, a set of paints for wood.
Sketching
The architectural elements on which the decorative carving will be located are carefully measured. It is permissible to create a house project in compliance with the proportions and scale. The purchase of wood is carried out after: it is advisable to purchase completely dried materials directly from the warehouse. There should be no visible defects on the tree. Overhead elements are made of boards with a thickness of 2.5 centimeters.
Ready-made templates for "art" are offered in specialized literature, which facilitates the work of joiners who do not have artistic skills. Schemes and photos of house carving on wood are easily transferred to paper at the required scale. Sketches are also developed in various graphic programs; manually they are drawn with a pencil or a special pen on lined paper in full size.
The contours of the finished drawing are transferred to thick cardboard in order to cut the stencil. The template is transferred to a wood blank with a simple pencil. The complex ornament is redrawn several times with a gradual shift of the stencil. Wood carving is started after drawing.
Installation of decorative elements
Before installation, wooden carvings are covered with paint and varnish, preventing their premature destruction. Details are attached to the facade of the building in the simplest way - with nails. Hats are disguised, painted in the color of wood. Decorative elements fixed with special furniture nails without hats or dowels look more aesthetically pleasing: fasteners are not visible from the side, making the connection durable.
It is not recommended to use glue in house carving. The compositions do not guarantee the necessary bond strength and can lead to the destruction of wood.
The golden rule of house carving is symmetry and the principle of mirroring. Before the final installation, the identity of the ornament and products must be checked.
Summary
The unique art of house carving has undergone significant changes over the centuries that have passed since its inception. Spectacular and unique decorative elements, previously used to decorate houses, today play the role of aesthetic architectural delights, attracting attention.