Fundamentals of Figure Carving

Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: Lots of pictures and very detailed descriptions of the process. He spends a lot of time on the technique. It's a very hard thing to do, but if you want to carve people, you must own this book.

Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: Lots of pictures and very detailed descriptions of the process. He spends a lot of time on the technique. It's a very hard thing to do, but if you want to carve people, you must own this book.

Rating:
Summary: Fine how to and esthetic guide to carving the figure in wood
Review: Mr. Bradbury has written the best book I've seen for the woodworker that would like to do realistic full relief carving of the human figure. Having started out to do this myself (without the aid of his book) the very practical way that he approaches carving picked up for me right where I was stuck: I found that it was one thing to carve an abstract figure but quite another to carve one with a high degree of realism.

In multiple cases, for both full figure and busts and for both male and female subjects, he shows the process from initial photos or sketches through outlining, blanking, and all of the succeeding carving, sanding, and finishing steps. All of the steps are well and amply illustrated. There is no hiding on his part, either, with each step described along with his intended purpose for it. Comparing his finished product with the photos of the original subject shows that you are being taught by a master who makes you understand the objective of each step and how to do it.