Crafts & Hobbies

Creating Wood Art

Wood is a versatile medium for many uses, and artisans looking for a new way to express their vision could find it is the right fit for a new project. They can create a beautiful piece of furniture that will grace a home for decades, or they could fashion a piece of art to hang upon a wall. Adding in paint, stain, string or rope can also enhance their piece. Creating wood art is one art or craft that can be practiced by many, yet all the creations can be very different from each other.

There are many different types of wood available to modern man, and they each have their own beauty to contribute to a project. Softwoods are easy to carve, but they can be dented in normal use around a home. Hardwoods take more work because they are hard as their name suggests, but their beauty flourishes even with daily usage. Some woods come in different shades of brown, and others have a yellow, orange, red, or purple colour naturally. Combining different woods together can create a masterpiece before the cutting begins.

Tools for working with wood include knives, chisels, saws, and power tools. It is not recommended for newcomers to begin with power tools, but learning from an experienced craftmaster can help them learn to use them safely. Many are taught to begin with a rough sketch of what they want to create, and they then decide which woods will suit their purpose. Learning how to use each tool is an exercise that will begin teaching the student the best methods for achieving their artistic goals.

Wood can be combined with other art supplies to create new and different pieces. A person might want to try painting a flat piece of wood to create a landscape scene, or they could use a small knife to do a wood cut. Gluing together several pieces of wood and using a lathe to shape the piece could create a unique bowl or platter for home display, and even filling in knot holds with dyed epoxies can create a piece of art to hang upon the wall.