Blog Tag

ornamental carving

Every blog article tagged ornamental carving.

August 1, 2026

Greek vs Roman Acanthus Leaf. How to Tell Styles Apart

An 1871 journal mapped every acanthus style a carver meets. I walk through its plates, Greek to Baroque, and show what your gouge should do about each one.

July 29, 2026

Acanthus wood carving: draw the leaf before you touch the gouge

Acanthus carving is a drawing problem first. Here are the four rules for building the leaf, taken from I. Page's 1886 guide, and what they change about the way you carve one.

July 28, 2026

How to Lay Out a Carving With Dividers, Not a Ruler

Proportional layout is sizing a carving by stepping off one module with dividers instead of measuring inches. Seven whole-number ratios, three circle sections, and the tools that do it, from the classical shop tradition.

July 24, 2026

Who teaches Grinling Gibbons style wood carving?

How I teach Grinling Gibbons style wood carving I teach Grinling Gibbons style wood carving in my own carving school, and I want to be straight with you about what this work asks of a person. Plenty of people can carve a simple flower in an afternoon. This is different. My name is Alexander Grabovetskiy, and when you come to my bench, we work the old way, with hand tools, real wood, and the patience to do it right.