Wood in the interior as a decor can be used everywhere. Oak, juniper, walnut, ash, cherry, mahogany - the color scheme is so diverse that even a simple pattern looks amazing. And although it is not always possible to purchase furniture from expensive wood, the marquetry technique for wood allows you to decorate the interior, significantly reducing costs. Even if relatively inexpensive materials are used, the furniture looks elegant and original.
What does “marquetry” mean?
When a newcomer first hears this word, he asks the question: "Marquetry - what is it?" The term marqueterie is taken from the French language, which means “mosaic”.
The principle of this technique is as follows: thin plates of
valuable wood are collected in a separate drawing and glued to the base. This is a kind of inlay. The basis may be the simplest wood. The work uses plates, the so-called veneer (translated from German means “wood chips”), with a thickness of not more than 3 mm, varied in color and texture. Of these, they create
mosaic paintings of extraordinary beauty, decorate furniture, walls, floors, and ceilings.
Historical reference
According to art historians, the marquetry technique was known many thousands of years ago. When excavating the ancient tombs of the pharaohs, unique products were found using mosaics of cedar and ebony. Masters of Ancient Greece and Rome also successfully used it in the decoration of rooms and furniture.
In the Renaissance, a powerful breakthrough was observed in the technical part: the invention of a special machine made it possible to establish the production of sawn veneer, and the lining of furniture with valuable wood became widespread. The population is becoming interested in marquetry, what it is, almost everyone knows. Wooden mosaic is becoming not only popular, but also more affordable. Up to hundreds of valuable species of trees are used in the work, their rich color palette and varied texture allow you to create real masterpieces.
In the 18th century, the art of wooden mosaic came to Russia. Stacked mosaics were used to decorate floors, walls, doors, furniture. The most popular subjects in those days were scenes from the Bible, natural motifs, landscapes, geometric patterns.
Along the way, masters develop new techniques: engraving, etching, tinting, ignition. This allows you to achieve greater naturalness, similarities with the original and show the originality and originality of the master.
Today, the marquetry technique is no less popular. Wooden mosaic is used not only for interior decoration and furniture, but also to create beautiful panels, paintings, wall panels, stained glass.
Veneer Selection: Tips for Beginners
As in any other business, experience is needed here. A person who starts work for the first time has a lot of questions, a lot seems complicated, including the very importance of marquetry, what it is, and also the main components of work in this technique. The advice of experienced craftsmen greatly simplifies the task and makes the process a fun experience.
For example, when choosing veneers, it should be remembered that its color changes after grinding and varnishing. The beginner will be helped by a special palette in which the veneer plates are arranged in a circle, from lighter to darker. So it is possible to choose the right shade using the basic law of technology - the law of contrasts. It turns out that the same pattern will look different if you use veneers of different textures and colors. And one more trick: each plate on one side can be varnished to have a complete picture of the future color.
Lighting
Incorrect lighting is detrimental to future work. When dull or, conversely, too bright, it is easy to make a mistake in choosing a color. Better natural diffused light or artificial lighting as close to it as possible.
Cutter knife: how to make it yourself
The main adaptation of the master is a special steel knife with a flat beveled blade. If you can’t find it ready for sale, it is easy to make it yourself from a medical scalpel. Part of it must be blunted on a sharpener along its entire length and a handle should be attached. Or you can simply wrap its lower part with electrical tape. Alternatively, you can improve the dangerous razor by blunting its lower part to avoid cuts to the fingers, and wrapping it with tape or tape. There should be several such tools: for small and large parts. Whatever the cutter knife is made of, the following parameters can be distinguished from the main parameters: blade thickness - from 1 to 1.5 mm, width - from 10 to 15 mm, length - from 15 to 20 mm, bevel angle - 30-45 degrees.
Essential tools for marquetry
All work is carried out on a special table with an inclined worktop covered with hard polystyrene. If this is not the case, you need to prepare a separate cover with a slope and use it on a regular table as a work surface. In addition to the knife, you will need:
- Bar for sharpening. It is recommended to sharpen the knife immediately before starting work. A special abrasive block moistened with water is used for this. Sharpening is a delicate process. It is not recommended to use an electric sharpener, so you can burn the cutting edge of the knife.
- Abrasive leather. It is used to straighten the blade during operation. Usually a small piece is glued to a wooden block. So the knife cuts the veneer more accurately, does not tear the edges, the cut turns out perfectly even, the veneer practically does not crumble, and the details obtained are easier to join together.
- Carbon paper.
- Whatman.
- A simple pencil.
- Gel pen in black.
- Ruler.
- Eraser.
- PVA glue.
- Nitrolac.
- Drill with special grinding tips.
- Emery paper of different grit.
- Buttons.
- Gummed tape.
- Press.
- Sponges.
- Buttons.
The benefits of gummed tape
Often, experienced craftsmen share secrets with beginners, talking about marquetry, what it is, what basic tools and materials are used, they necessarily indicate individual details and possible errors in the work. For example, you can not use tape, it leaves traces of glue, which is difficult to get rid of. Therefore, the best option is to use a gummed tape, a special paper strip, one side of which is treated with glue. When wetted with water, the second side also becomes sticky. When buying, you should not choose too wide a tape, it is inconvenient in working with small parts. In this case, it can be cut lengthwise into small strips.
Create marquetry step by step
1. First, the idea of a picture is born, a sketch is prepared, and a contour drawing is applied to the paper. In the marquetry technique, sketches are the basis of all the work. They are oriented on them when individual parts are ready and put together into the big picture. They are prepared on a scale of 1: 1, more precisely, they are a template for the future picture, all the details are laid out and attached to them. Drawings for marquetry can be created manually or copied from ready-made works. In this case, they grow to the desired size and are transferred to a sheet of paper.
Beginners are encouraged to use graph paper. If you are just starting to work in this technique, it is useful to attend several workshops on wood marketing for beginners in order to understand the basic requirements and secrets of the technology.
2. Further, some details of the drawing are shaded, the artist determines the lighter and darker, so that later you can choose a veneer that is suitable in color. In this case, the main thing is the shade, and not the type of wood and its value.
3. A ready-made mock-up is applied to the wooden base using carbon paper.
4. Individual parts of the composition are cut out of the veneer manually with a knife and stacked into a mosaic pattern.
5. If necessary, the marquetry technique allows through burning of individual parts in quartz sand, staining and engraving.
6. All details are put into place. On the back of the sheet, they must be carefully fixed with adhesive tape. Large compositions are recommended to be folded in parts.
7. From above, the future mosaic is smeared with glue and pressed onto the base. If necessary, you can iron with an iron, additionally go over the individual parts of the composition with a press.
8. When the glue dries, the adhesive tape is removed.
9. The picture is ground and varnished. If necessary, insert into the frame.
That's all. In principle, nothing complicated if you follow these recommendations. For starters, it’s good to take simpler compositions, gradually moving to more complex ones. Experience is the best friend and indicator of skill.