Sculpture in Wood

1968
Author:

John Rood

In simple every-day language and with lavish use of photographs, a noted sculptor takes you, step-by-step, through the process of wood sculpture and explains how to appreciate and use this kind of art in your own home. The how-to-do-it section contains information on the tools needed, the various woods and their qualities, and finishes. Photographs showing examples of the author’s work and that of other contemporary sculptors illustrate his points clearly. The beginner will find this book opens the way to a rewarding hobby; the serious artist will be challenged by Mr. Rood’s forceful ideas on art.

John Rood was a professor of art at the University of Minnesota.

Contents

WOOD AS MATERIAL FOR THE SCULPTOR
IDEAS AND SUBJECT MATTER
TOOLS AND THEIR CARE
RASPS FOR CARVING IN THE ROUND
CARVING IN THE ROUND
CARVING A HEAD
CARVING IN LOW RELIEF
FINISHING
HOW TO USE SCULPTURE
APPENDIX page 175 INDEX
ART IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT
PLATES
PLATE PAGE

1 The Return of John Brown. Oak, 1945
2 The Accused. Oak, 1939
3 Eroica or Waiting Mother. Walnut, 1942
4 John Brown. Oak, 1941
5 Mountaineer's Wife. Hickory, 1940
6 Casey Jones. Walnut, 1941
7 Ossip Zadkine at work on his Christ
8 Floating Figure, by William Zorach. Mahogany
9 Miners, by Maria Nunez del Prado. Walnut
10 Proud Mother. Walnut, 1941
11 Johnny Appleseed as a Young Man. Apple, 1941
12 The Smasher. Oak, 1943
13 Athlete's Head. Ebony, 1941
14 American Youth. Pear, 1943
15 Boogie-Woogie Boys. Laminated cherry, 1942
16 Coin' Home. Oak, 1940
17 The studio
18 The work bench
19 Sharpening a chisel
20 Removing the burr from sharpened chisel
21 Proper angle for V tool
22 An old V and a new one
23 How to hold a gouge when sharpening
24 Removing burr from gouge with slip-stone
25 Riffler files, bastard and rough-toothed rasps
26 Torso. Snakewood, 1941
27 Big Boss, detail. Walnut, 1936
28 Drawing of the design on the wood
29 Using the round side of the rasp
30 Aaron Goodelman's The Rope. Mahogany

PLATE PAGE

31 Baroque Form. Apple, 1943
32 Night Flower. Ebony, 1941
33 The Cat. Mahogany, 1938
34 The basic shapes beginning to emerge
35 A first carving in wood using rasp only
36 Bird. Mahogany, 1937
37 Horse. Mahogany, 1936
38 Salome, by C. Ludwig Brumme. Ebony
39 Resignation, by Warren Wheelock. Mahogany
40 Defiance, by Blanche Dombek. Walnut
41 Drawing, front view, of Sky Gazer
42 Jacob Wrestling with the Angel. Mahogany, 1941
43 Man with a Rake. Mahogany, 1940
44 The drawing of Sky Gazer in reverse
45 The drawing, front, traced on block
46 The drawing, back, traced on block
47 The silhouette cut out
48 The figure blocked in, front
49 Blocking in carried a step farther
50 The back beginning to take shape
51 The set of the head, roughly determined
52 Revenge, by Ernst Barlach
53 Expression of physical tension
54 Relationship of forms
55 Salammbo, by Jose de Creeft
56 Tumblers, by Chaim Gross
57 Acrobatic Dance, by Chaim Gross
58 Peasant Girl, by Ernst Barlach
59 The Sky Gazer completed, front view. Walnut, 1946
60 Back view of the completed Sky Gazer
61 The log that Max sent me
62 Beginning to carve
63 Difference of expression between two sides
64 One of the first faces I ever carved. Walnut, 1934
65 Race. Walnut, 1943
66 Classical Head
67 The same head in terra cotta
68 The left side of the head near completion
69 Arrogance. Kelobra, 1941
70 Side view of the head, same stage as Plate 68
71 The features taking form
72 Fibrous quality of wood in the head
73 View of the head from below
74 The Patriarch. Mahogany, 1937
75 View of the head from above
76 The left eye carved
77 Woman with Bare Feet. Mahogany, 1940
78 Empty Plate, by Aaron Goodelman
79 Closed eyes carved
80 The Novice. Tengrung, 1946
81 Tiger, Tiger, by William Zorach. Oak
82 Mandolin Player. Mahogany, 1937
83 Altar piece, Nativity. Mahogany, 1937
84 Triptych, The Queen of Heaven. Mahogany, 1937
85 Drawing for the Pieta on mahogany block
86 Incising lines with the V
87 The Pieta, by Peter John Lupori. Mahogany
88 Elephant Form. Walnut, 1942
89 Camel. Walnut, 1947
90 Tumblers. Walnut, 1947
91 Drawing of Tumblers showing movement in space
92 The Embrace. Mahogany, 1947
93 Homage to Mae West. Walnut, 1947
94 Girl with Birds, by Milton Hebald. Teak, 1947

PLATE PAGE

95 The Preacher. Oak, 1939
96 Torch Singer. Lignum vitae, 1941
97 My Kin, by Aaron Goodelman. Wild cherry
98 Nigeria, by Jose de Creeft. Snakewood
99 The Silent People. Pine, 1942
100 Laughing Man. Mahogany, 1945
101 John Henry as a Boy. Mahogany, 1940
102 Cockfighter. Mahogany, 1941
103 Accordion Player. Myrtle, 1945
104 Slow Dancer. Ebony, 1940
105 Young Girl. Apple, 1941
106 Caryatid. Walnut, 1942
107 Young Brunnehilde. Cherry, 1942
108 The Grandmother. Oak, 1940
109 II Pensoroso, by Ossip Zadkine
110 Temptation of St. Anthony. Myrtle, 1949
111 Leaping Horses. Mahogany, 1949
112 The Harp. Myrtle, 1949
113 The Burning Bush. Apple, 1945
114 Resurrection. Elm, 1944
115 Adam and Eve, by Ann Wolfe
116 Visitation, by Peter Lupori
117 David, by Dorothea Greenbaum
118 Flying Figure, by Gwen Lux
119 Woman with Hen
120 Woman with Bowl, by Evelyn Raymond
121 Figure of Child, by William Zorach
122 Choir Singer by fireplace
123 Choir Singer on hall table
124 Choir Singer on bedside table
125 Choir Singer in bookcase
126 Choir Singer in Italian cabinet

PLATE PAGE

127 Class of '47. Oak, 1947
128 Creche. Linden, 1947
129 Our Lady of Grace. Linden, 1949
130 St. Joseph. Linden, 1949
131 Mother Cabrini, by Alonzo Hauser
132 Fish. Walnut, 1947
133 Sven and Helga. Birch, 1948