Step by step creation of timber carving, by a wooden sculpture artist to produce an exquisite finished figurine

Wooden sculpture rivets wood carving by means of a cutting tool, ideally a knife or a chisel. The making of these sculptures is exceedingly practiced, however, very few wooden sculpture artists endow with finished products to the best of its perfection. Even though in comparison to stone and metal sculptures, this art form is less popular due to factors such as decay, insect damage and fire; stilted sculptures is yet a very popular and much appreciated form of sculpturing. Many of the important sculptures of Chinese and Japanese tradition are made in wood, owing to the lightness of wood that enables fine detailing as compared to stone. Some of the finest examples of early European wood carving comprise the forms of the Middle Ages in Germany, Russia, Italy and France where Christian iconography was expressed through sculptures. India too, has produced fine artists in this field. One of the best examples is the present day wood form artist, Mr. Neeraj Gupta representing Incredible Sculptures.

Wooden carving typically begins by selection of the finest quality of a single wooden slab or several pieces laminated together to create the required size, followed by a general shaping process by means of gouges of different sizes. Once the general shape is made, the carver uses a multiplicity of tools for creating details and finally giving the finished surface. The chosen technique depends on the required quality of surface finish. The texture through shallow gouges provides ‘life’ to the carving's surface. For this reason, many carvers prefer this 'tooled' finish. The finer polishing is done with abrasive paper where in the large grained paper with a rougher surface is used first, followed by the finer grained paper that offers a slick touch to the piece.  After the carving and finishing is completed, the artist seals the colour using natural oils, such as walnut or linseed oil that protects the wood from muck and moisture. Oil too imparts sheen to the wood which, by reflection of light. Objects made of wood are frequently finished with a layer of wax, which protects the wood and gives a soft lustrous sheen.

Why wooden sculpture art is famous in Assam??

Traditionally the people of Assam have been craftsmen and those who are engaged in wood carving and have passed the skills from generation to generation are known as khanikars. Assam is a thickly forested area which has a wide range of wood and timber available in them, which contributes to this rich tradition of wood sculpture art. It is often said that the artisans in Assam are so specialized in their skills that by mere touch even in the dark, they can not only recognize the type of timber but can make a series of items from it.

The sacred worship places of people in their houses known as namghars or kirtanghar are built from wood and contains a peacock shaped throne-like seat. On the doors, beams, walls, ceilings and on simhasanas (lion’s seat) of prayer houses, deities and flowers are elaborately carved in wood. In wooden sculpture, carvings of animal figures having mythical context such as the monkey god the Hanuman, the vahana of Vishnu half-man and half-eagle garuda, vahana of ganga, vahana of devi the simha or lion, and crocodile has gained place. Elaborately carved decorative wooden panels can be seen in Royal palaces and old monasteries.

Modern time wooden sculpture artist are more interested in producing commercial value articles such as stools, chests, hukkas, etc. and Incredible Sculpture is one company that offers these articles in addition to other carving works.

Wooden sculpture Artist in India

Graceful wooden sculptures by artists in India add that extra rich look to your interiors- be it your home or office as it is this unique quality of wood to blend well with all kinds of materials.

Sculptures artists bring out the best of the beauty in the grain of wood

Sculpture making is an art form where artists give form and shape to their imagination- depict things sometimes tangible and sometimes intangible. It is a medium where Artists communicate their feelings or thought process to the outside world. The viewer either understands the art work or not, depends on which dimension he is thinking on. It is difficult to categorize these pieces of art but sometimes it is done on The basis of materials used for sculpting e.g. stone, bronze, wood etc.

Though each material has its own beauty and set of challenges, wooden sculptures sets themselves apart with their beauty and grace. Wood as a material for art has been highly appreciated by sculpture artists time and again as the material is easily available and is relatively inexpensive. Plus it is one of the most graceful materials used for the indoor decoration of homes in India like wooden furniture, wall panelling etc. and in such background the sculpture too looks blended and not out of place. Popularity of wood is evergreen and it is one material who never gets out of fashion.

Sculpture Artists who work with wood need special skills to do so as the material’s fibre and grain have unique properties. Though it is considered easier to shape as compared to some other material like stone, the cuts need to careful as even the direction in which the cut is made affects the end finish. The texture finish of wooden surface is something artists keep playing with as it varies with different techniques like sanding, weathering, scraping etc. Further if the tool is sharpened or blunt, it gives a variety of texture. For aesthetics, some artists like to leave the surface raw while some will even do away with tool marks with the help of sandpaper etc.  Thus there is a huge scope of playing around with tools, textures and paints.

Wooden Sculptures have a huge market not only in India but also international markets. Wood is used as a construction material in a lot of cold countries and is quite popular there. Those consumers also prefer interiors done with warm colours like that of wood, hues of red and orange and thus wooden sculptures fit very well there.

Though every material has its own beauty, Wooden Sculptures have a special attractiveness and therefore a market. These sculptures are evergreen and usually blend well with most of the interiors very well.