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'Backcutting' and 'Undercutting': there is a difference.
Undercutting is when we remove wood from beneath the edges of the carving to create more shadows and thus more drama, working from the front of the carving. This can be quite awkward and we need to keep the background tidy as we create neat junctions.
Backcutting (also called 'backing off') is literally that: turning the carving over and chamfering the edges from the back side of the wood. It's mainly found in pierced carving and, of course wherever there are free edges. We don't have background and junctions to worry about. You can also see it here in the Brunley Green Man lesson.
We do both here in this lesson, though because of the way I planned the carving, there's not too much undercutting to a background.
| 28 April 2014 08:58
Ann - I can work from the back towards the edge here, backing off the Green an, because mostly it's 'downhill', like sharpening a pencil. In this video I'm still working downhill but from the side. When you back cut, it's soon obvious how you need to work to be most sympathetic with the lie of the grain, and you'll just do it.
| 26 April 2014 16:19
Chris - you answered here my "Green Man" question: where there it seemed you always worked from the back towards the edge, it didn't always seem or feel right to me. Instead here I see you varying the approach to the backcutting. Thanks - the possibilities are much clearer now.
