Carved wood bear
The large statue is considered the most complex view artistic woodcarving. You should start making large figures with your own hands only after familiarizing yourself with the rest of the methods and techniques of carving. A particularly popular theme for the creation of wood sculptures is the image of a bear.
Wooden carved bear statue design
This mighty owner of the forest from time immemorial encouraged the craftsmen to be creative. It can be said that no animal so often appears in carved art as a bear.
Material and tools
The choice of wood for work in almost everything depends on the size of the carved figure. So, for the production of a small figure of a bear, large branches and small logs may be needed. The main thing is that the material should be free of damage, cracks and traces of smoldering. For huge sculptures, thick powerful logs are chosen.
Experienced wood carvers advise newcomers to use rectangular bars for sculptural carving. It is easier to transfer the image onto the bar and the spatial perception of the future statue will be better. As for tree species, the most common are:
The structure of the linden is light and unstained, without a pronounced pattern. The wood species does not warp a lot and does not actually crack.
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Wood for carving must be perfectly dried - less than 15% moisture. Products made from material of the highest humidity, when dried, will begin to burst and warp. Dry blanks better at home, in a warm place, wrapped in polyethylene.
Although beginners are advised to start with soft woods, its structure is much easier to cut through with an inaccurate movement than harder varieties. Therefore, in some cases it is more convenient to use wood of harder species. More important in carving is a successful, high-quality and well-sharpened tool. How to carve a bear out of wood with your own hands. In the photo: only an experienced craftsman can make such woodwork with a chainsaw with his own hands. You will need the following set of carving tools:
- Hacksaw, hatchet, and for huge sculptures you may need chainsaw. These tools are needed for rough initial trimming of the workpiece.
The process of carving a bear from a log
Various types of chisels for woodcarving
Sculpture from wood chainsaw. It's gorgeous!
You will be amazed! A man makes a sculpture DIY chainsaw tree. Great video.
Chainsaw carving
small, unpretentious sculpture. cut out to start chainsaw, then I’ll work a little with chisels
Carved sculpture of a bear with your own hands
So, inspiration and a suitable image of the future sculpture have been found, and the tools have been sharpened, which means that you can start making hand carved bear.
The main stages of creating a sculpture from wood
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To make a sculpture of a bear or any other three-dimensional figure, the following steps are performed:
An output is made on four faces when the sculpture consists of rectangular parts.
How to carve a bear's head
Since the head and muzzle of a bear is the most difficult part to carve, before creating a full-fledged sculpture, it is better to practice a little and carve the head of the beast separately.
An example of a phased carving of a bear
The details are rounded with a Bogorodsk knife, thin chips are removed with soft movements. Small elements, cutouts of eyes, ears, mouths and wool are processed with small chisels.
The head is wiped from chips and dust and you can start decorative processing.
Sculpture of a bear
The principles of creating a carved sculpture of a bear will not differ much from the main recommendations for creating three-dimensional compositions. The sketch is transferred to the wood, and the bear is carved in several stages - from the rough finish to the detailing of small features. 
Rough finishing of a large sculpture can be done with a chainsaw. Work on creating a sculpture from wood of a figure consisting of wood with your own hands;. The space between the legs must be cut with an adze. Sometimes it makes sense not to cut the bear's legs until the detailed work on the top of the animal has been done. How to make a circular grinder with your own hands. So, the emphasis will be more reliable and there is no risk of breaking the legs of the workpiece.
You should start making volumetric figures with your own hands only after familiarizing yourself with the rest of the methods and techniques of carving. A particularly popular theme for creating wood sculptures is the image of a bear.
Carved Bear Wood Sculpture Design
This mighty owner of the forest has been inspiring craftsmen since ancient times. It can be said that no animal appears so often in carving art as the bear.
The choice of wood for work largely depends on the size of the carved figure. So, for the manufacture of a small figurine of a bear, large branches and small logs can be useful. The main thing is that the material is free of damage, cracks and signs of decay. For large sculptures, thick massive logs are chosen.
Experienced wood carvers recommend that beginners use rectangular bars for carving. It is easier to transfer the image to the bar and the spatial perception of the future sculpture will be better. As for wood species, the most common are:
Wood for carving should be well dried - no more than 15% moisture. Products made from high-moisture material will begin to crack and warp when dried. It is better to dry the blanks at home, in a warm place, wrapped in polyethylene.
Although beginners are advised to start with soft woods, the structure is much easier to cut through with a fuzzy motion than harder woods. Therefore, in some cases it is more convenient to use wood of harder species. No less important in carving is a convenient, high-quality and well-sharpened tool. You will need the following set:
Carved sculpture of a bear with your own hands
So, inspiration and a suitable image of the future sculpture have been found, and the tools have been sharpened, which means that you can start making a carved bear with your own hands.
The main stages of creating a sculpture from wood
To make a sculpture of a bear or any other three-dimensional figure, the following steps are performed:
How to carve a bear's head
Since the head and muzzle of a bear is the most difficult part to carve, before creating a full-fledged sculpture, it is better to practice a little and carve the head of the beast separately.
An example of a phased carving of a bear 
Sculpture of a bear
The principles of creating a carved sculpture of a bear will not differ much from the main recommendations for creating three-dimensional compositions. The sketch is transferred to the wood, and the bear is carved in several stages - from the rough finish to the detailing of small features. 
Rough finishing of a large sculpture can be done with a chainsaw. The space between the legs must be cut with an adze. Sometimes it makes sense not to cut the bear's legs until the detailed work on the top of the animal has been done. So, the emphasis will be more reliable and there is no risk of breaking the legs of the workpiece.
Some masters polish the figurine before detailed work, and only after that the wool and small parts of the sculpture are formed.
This method is faster than the long rounding of parts with chisels and chisels. The only drawback is that the tool becomes dull faster on a polished surface.
Making carved products with your own hands requires experience. In this kind of applied art, mastery and a complete understanding of the process can only come with time. Although, having mastered the basic techniques of carving, it will not be difficult to cut a decorative sculpture of a bear for a garden or interior.
One of the most popular characters that woodcarving offers is a bear. The traditional hero of Russian fairy tales could not but find a visual embodiment in such an artistic direction as woodcarving. You will learn how to cut a cute bear yourself, what tools you will need to work on the sculpture and how it needs to be processed afterwards, from this article.
Choice of wood
To make a bear, you will need soft woods. What kind of material to choose, each master decides for himself. Focus on the description of the wood.
Optimal wood species for carving:
- Linden. Deservedly ranked first on this list, as it is a light and soft material. It is not afraid of drying out and cracking, it is perfectly cut and, in general, is considered a convenient tree for processing.
- Willow. This wood can also be called light, viscous, elastic. Willow is simple and convenient in cutting, grinding and polishing. Ripe wood is perfect for sculptural work, and for a voluminous bear as well.
- Aspen. And even a beginner will be comfortable working with this material. Wood is resistant to low temperatures, light, moisture and even acid. Master carvers highly value aspen, as this wood allows you to make cuts in any direction, the tree will not chip or crumple.
You can also consider options for poplar, alder, walnut, birch and chestnut. If the sculpture is garden, you can take a closer look at the larch. Without processing, it will crack, but this issue can be resolved.
Required Tools
If you're just starting out, don't put off collecting carving tools. Each master has his own set, although there are universal options.
Of the tools you will definitely need:
- Hacksaw, hatchet. If the sculpture is large, you may need a chainsaw. These tools are required for the rough primary trimming of the figure.
- Adze. It is used for rough cutting of parts of the figure, those that are smaller.
- Cutters. So called knives with a beveled short blade.
- Knives-jambs. Required for a variety of small tasks.
- Chisels. Useful for rough notches, background sampling, as well as detail work. They differ in the width of the cutting edge. They can be curved, as well as flat, oblique, etc.
- Bogorodsky knife. Equipped with a straight short blade, almost indispensable in the creation of wooden products.
- Sander, rasps, sandpaper- needed in the finishing of carved figures.
If the product includes through holes, you will need a drill.
Stages of creating a carved bear
Before starting work, make sure that the tools are in good condition and sufficiently sharpened. You should start carving a bear from wood by creating a sketch. This means that the bear must first appear on paper. Well, if you can depict it in several projections - front, rear, side view.
Sculpture made of wood - a bear in stages:
- Sketch to be transferred to the workpiece. The contours of the image will be more convenient to transfer to a rectangular bar. And if you have a sketch drawn up in a number of projections, then try to work with a rectangular blank.
- Model making. And this step should not be skipped either. The sculptor must first embody the conceived figure of a bear in plasticine (or clay). This will be a guide for the work of the sculptor - in front of him there will be a three-dimensional figure, the contour of which he will repeat on the tree.
- Rough cutting. Next, from the wooden block, you should remove all unnecessary that remains behind the contour, hatchet or saw. Small details need to be cut down with an adze. The sculpture, which includes rectangular parts, involves drawing on 4 faces.
For bears big size primary processing of wood is often carried out with a chainsaw - Relief work. The carver must remove the corners of the figure with cutters and chisels. After that, the silhouette will already begin to be seen. But before the rounding of crafts is still early.
- Detailing. It's time for the filigree elaboration of details. The master proceeds to the formation of such small elements as wool with all the features of its texture. At this stage, the carver works with a chisel, jambs and a Bogorodsk knife.
- Grinding. Next, the master takes sandpaper or a grinder.
The processing of the figure with varnish, wax or stain will complete the work, i.e. those means that will protect the bear from external influences. 
The most difficult stage for the carver can be the manufacture of the head. It’s great if even before work you have decided on a drawing or photo, a ready-made sketch of a bear’s head. Beginning carvers make a stencil for carving, working in three projections - front, rear view and profile. Then the master takes a suitable bar and transfers the contours of the animal's head without detailing.
After that, the extra pieces of wood are chopped off (with the exception of the bottom). It is not necessary to chop off the lower base, as the master must comfortably hold on to the workpiece, because then small details will be cut out. The bottom base is removed last.
Next, the master will apply additional pictorial lines to the angular blank - the nose, ears, forehead and brow ridges. The carver grinds the head with semicircular chisels, jambs. Then he works out the little things and rounds them off with a Bogorodsk knife.
How to process the finished sculpture?
If the sculpture is outdoors, no matter what height and size it is in general, such a figure is located in a deliberately aggressive environment. And its state is more difficult to control than the state of the figure that will be in the house.
For processing garden sculptures, you can use:
Synthetic compounds can also increase the weather resistance of wood, but a mixture of beeswax with linseed drying oil is considered a universal, time-tested product. You can make it easier: cover the bear with stain of the desired shade, and after it dries, apply a couple of layers of varnish to the figure.
The presented video tells how to make a sculpture of a little teddy bear out of wood.
If you do not have such experience in woodcarving, and the bear will be the first such work, do not take on complex sketches with laborious detailing. You can start with a small figure or even a separately carved bear head. A skill is reinforced by experience, and the path to the top (in this case, mastery) always begins with the first step.
Happy creativity!
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To begin with, we will make a figure from plasticine - it is easier to work with it, change shapes, sizes and proportions.
Also, drawings from different angles can be reference points. And the simplest - real photos of the necessary forms.
Scale the figure of the bear onto the log. Selected material - linden.
For roughing, an ax and percussion chisels are used - straight and semicircular.
In our case, the diameter of the log is not enough - for the front paws we build up the material.
we adjust the board (also linden or similar in density - important!) And glue it together using clamps and self-tapping screws.
For the claws, we also glue the face, given that there will be fish in the paws.
We apply wool, adjust the fish under the paws and claws.
We cover the first layer with stain. This prevents the material from cracking (our log closer to the core is not partially dry - about 14% moisture).
Working on small details.
After careful grinding of the first layer, taking into account the natural color, we apply the second layer of stain.
Once again we grind with coarse-grained, then fine-grained sandpaper.
Salmon
In our composition, another character is a fish. It’s a little easier here, guided by the plasticine sketch, we prepare the workpiece. Material - linden
