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| [EDITOR'S PREFACE] | |
| [AUTHOR'S PREFACE] | 15 |
| [LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS] | |
| [CHAPTER I] | 25 |
PREAMBLE |
Student and Apprentice, their Aims and Conditions ofWork—Necessity for Some Equality between Theory andPractise—The Student's Opportunity lies on the Side of Design
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| [CHAPTER II] | 31 |
TOOLS |
Average Number of Tools required byCarvers—Selection for Beginners—Description of Tools—Positionwhen in Use—Acquisition by Degrees
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| [CHAPTER III] | 42 |
SHARPENING-STONES—MALLET AND BENCH |
Different Stones in Use—Case for Stones—Slips—RoundMallet Best—A Home-Made Bench—A MakeshiftBench—Cramps and Clips
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| [CHAPTER IV] | 48 |
WOODS USED FOR CARVING |
Hard Wood and Soft Wood—Closeness of GrainDesirable—Advantages of Pine and English Oak
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| [CHAPTER V] | 52 |
SHARPENING THE TOOLS |
The Proper Bevel—Position of Tools on Oilstone—Good and BadEdge—Stropping—Paste and Leather—CarelessSharpening—Rubbing Out the Inside—Stropping FineTools—Importance of Sharp Tools
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| [CHAPTER VI] | 63 |
"CHIP" CARVING |
Its Savage Origin—A Clue to its only Claim to ArtisticImportance—Monotony better than Variety—An Exercise inPatience and Precision—Technical Methods
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| [CHAPTER VII] | 69 |
THE GRAIN OF THE WOOD |
Obstinacy of the Woody Fiber—First Exercise inGrounding—Description of Method—Cutting theMiters—Handling of Tools, Danger of Carelessness—Importanceof Clean Cutting
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| [CHAPTER VIII] | 82 |
IMITATION OF NATURAL FORMS |
Difficulties of Selection and Arrangement—Limits of an ImitativeTreatment—Light and Distance Factors in the Arrangement of aDesign—Economy of Detail Necessary—The Word "Conventional"
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| [CHAPTER IX] | 88 |
ROUNDED FORMS |
Necessity for every Carver Making his own Designs—Method ofCarving Rounded Forms on a Sunk Ground
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| [CHAPTER X] | 96 |
THE PATTERNED BACKGROUND |
Importance of Formal Pattern as an Aid to Visibility—Pattern andFree Rendering Compared—First Impressions Lasting—MedievalChoice of Natural Forms Governed by a Question of Pattern
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| [CHAPTER XI] | 103 |
CONTOURS OF SURFACE |
Adaptation of Old Designs to Modern Purposes—"ThrowingAbout"—Critical Inspection of Work from a Distance as it Proceeds
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| [CHAPTER XII] | 108 |
ORIGINALITY |
Dangers of Imposing Words—Novelty more Common thanOriginality—An Unwholesome Kind of "Originality"
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| [CHAPTER XIII] | 110 |
PIERCED PATTERNS |
Exercise in Background Pattern—Care as to Stability—Drillingand Sawing out the Spaces—Some Uses for Pierced Patterns
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| [CHAPTER XIV] | 115 |
HARDWOOD CARVING |
Carvings can not be Independent Ornaments—Carving Impossible onCommercial Productions—The Amateur Joiner—CornerCupboards—Introduction of Foliage Definite in Form, and Simple inCharacter—Methods of Carving Grapes
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| [CHAPTER XV] | 137 |
THE SKETCH-BOOK |
Old Work Best Seen in its Original Place—Museums to be approachedwith Caution.—Methodical Memoranda—SomeExamples—Assimilation of Ideas Better than Making Exact Copies
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| [CHAPTER XVI] | 149 |
MUSEUMS |
False Impressions Fostered by Fragmentary Exhibits—Environment asImportant as Handicraft—Works Viewed as Records ofCharacter—Carvers the Historians of their Time
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| [CHAPTER XVII] | 153 |
STUDIES FROM NATURE—FOLIAGE |
Medieval and Modern Choice of Form Compared—A CompromiseAdopted—A List of Plant Forms of Adaptable Character
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| [CHAPTER XVIII] | 161 |
CARVING ON FURNITURE |
Furniture Constructed with a View to Carving—Reciprocal Aims ofJoiner and Carver—Smoothness Desirable where Carving isHandled—The Introduction of Animals or Figures
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| [CHAPTER XIX] | 180 |
THE GROTESQUE IN CARVING |
Misproportion Not Essential to the Expression of Humor—The ShamGrotesque Contemptible—A True Sense of Humor Helpful to the Carver
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| [CHAPTER XX] | 191 |
STUDIES FROM NATURE—BIRDS AND BEASTS |
The Introduction of Animal Forms—Rude Vitality better than Dull"Natural History"—"Action"—Difficulties of the Study forTown-Bred Students—The Aid of Books and Photographs—OutlineDrawing and Suggestion of Main Masses—Sketch-Book Studies,Sections, and Notes—Swiss Animal Carving—The Clay Model: itsUse and Abuse
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| [CHAPTER XXI] | 205 |
FORESHORTENING AS APPLIED TO WORK IN RELIEF |
Intelligible Background Outline Better than ConfusedForeshortening—Superposition of Masses
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| [CHAPTER XXII] | 214 |
UNDERCUTTING AND "BUILT-UP" WORK |
Undercutting as a Means and as an End; its Use andAbuse—"Built-up" Work—"Planted" Work—"Pierced" Work
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| [CHAPTER XXIII] | 219 |
PICTURE SUBJECTS AND PERSPECTIVE |
The Limitations of an Art not Safely Transgressed—AerialPerspective Impossible in Relief—Linear Perspective only Possiblein a Limited Way
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| [CHAPTER XXIV] | 223 |
ARCHITECTURAL CARVING |
The Necessity for Variety in Study—A Carver's View of the Study ofArchitecture; Inseparable from a Study of his own Craft—Importanceof the Carpenter's Stimulating Influence upon theCarver—Carpenters' Imitation of Stone Construction Carried too Far
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| [CHAPTER XXV] | 234 |
SURFACE FINISH—TEXTURE |
Tool Marks, the Importance of their Direction—The Woody TextureDependent upon Clearness of Cutting and Sympathetic Handling
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| [CHAPTER XXVI] | 240 |
CRAFT SCHOOLS, PAST AND PRESENT |
The Country Craftsman of Old Times—A Colony of Craftsmen in BusyIntercourse—The Modern Craftsman's Difficulties: EmbarrassingVariety of Choice
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| [CHAPTER XXVII] | 249 |
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF COOPERATION BETWEENBUILDER AND CARVER |
The Infinite Multiplicity of Styles—The "Gothic" Influence:Sculpture an Integral Element in its Designs—The Approach of theso-called "Renaissance" Period—Disturbed Convictions—TheRevival of the Classical Style—The Two Styles in Conflict for aTime; their Respective Characteristics Reviewed—Carvers BecomeDependent upon Architects and Painters—The "Revival" Separates"Designer" and "Executant"
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| [Notes onthe Collotype Plates] | 265 |
| [The Collotype Plates] | 271 |
| [Index] | 305 |