How To Make Decorative Lines In Wood Art
If there were a place to have some fun and enhance wood art it can be found in decorative lines for wood. I love wood for it is easy to customize to ones desires with simple tools and methods.
A wood artist will learn these specific skills early on in their work. They are simple enough for anyone to follow and can make a nice project for kids.
As one begins to work with lines in wood and some time has passed, a little revelation is found. All wood art is based upon the line.
In a two dimensional sense it does not matter how big or complex a design may be it still functions on these basic principles. Where lines connect geometric shapes emerge.
Before we get started I will say that whatever object it is that you wish to enhance just ensure that it is wood. The methods I will give are for that medium.
Some of the tooling I will suggest can be used in other applications such as metal or glass etching, yet I will not cover those concepts here. Get to know your tools and how they are used for the application that you desire to use them for.
What Are Decorative Lines?
Most commonly you will see decorative lines used as a border of some kind which will surround a main body of art or words. There really are no limitations as to the design which can be used.
These can range from older world Victorian era design to more modern appeal. Geometric art or a more non objective art approach may be desired.
This line art not meant to be the main focus of any work. Rather the decorative line enhances the artwork adding to its beauty giving more depth and perspective.
Their placement can be within the negative space of the “canvas”, yet alternatively it can serve as a border.
These lines can commonly be found within furniture or other large home wood fixtures. It is a very simple and basic concept that can be easily applied to a wood surface.
Methods Of Applying Decorative Lines To Wood
In our modern world there are two main methods to apply these lines to a wood surface. The more professional way to give consistent appearance and beauty unfortunately is done with a tool that is not common to the average layman.
A Cnc mill is the most accurate way to apply decorative lines but this will not be an option for most people.
Fortunately there are alternatives to this process. Power hand tools are the easiest methods for the average person to use.
I wrote a blog detailing a lot about the Dremel Stylo and the bits which can be used for wood art. Tools such as this make the process quick and easy to perform for simple needs.
This tool is great for beginners or those seeking a diy way of accomplishing this task. It will create decorative lines within your wood with relative ease. Just keep in mind this is a free hand application.
For small projects where more accuracy is desired it may be best to go the old school way. There are few ways that are better than by using wood carving tools.
While these carving blades still require a free hand application, they are easy to control. Shallow carving along a line allows for better dexterity than power tool solutions.
A newer and alternative way to add these lines is with a process called pyrography. This method is essentially wood burning. The application may not fit all needs yet it has become a popular option in recent history.
The “RazerTip” wood burning pen is popular among many artists for this burning application. Alternatively a cheap soldering iron could be used on a small project, yet is not recommended for broad use.
A router is more advanced method for creating lines in wood. For the last half century the router has been the preferred hobbyist tool.
It will require some practice in order to achieve the desired results. Stencils, elaborate router tables, and manual hand “rail systems” have been used with router applications.
The added benefit to using a router is that it can also add a decorative edge to the wood giving it a unique and beautiful appearance. Owning and learning how to use a router is definitely a worthwhile investment.
Laser engraving would be much like a Cnc application. This again is something the common hobbyist would not have access to.
If you are interested in these more advanced methods I would select Cnc wood cutting over laser engraving. My selection is due to allowing the natural beauty of the wood to remain while being enhanced, rather than engraved.
Where To Find Decorative Lines
Finding these lines is as simple as a Google search for free templates. You can also search for them using the term free vector art to discover more than you will probably ever use for diy purposes.
Alternatively vector art and svg files if needed are always available for purchase at many locations on the web. As a hobbyist rarely would one need to pay for what one desires.
If using free vector art I would advise to pay attention to the resolution which you get in the image. As you begin to work with the art to scale you will want it to be a crisp as possible.
Blurred lines when adjusting to scale will make the cut more difficult to follow. It is also advisable to create a template for cutting so that consistency can be obtained from cut to cut.
Those who use some kind of cnc or laser cutter, we all know about clean lines being needed for things like gcode. Yet for the old school ways of wood carving you will need to convert these images into a usable template or stencil.
Essentially the methods that are used to create these templates or stencils for wood art is much the same as found in silhouette art.
How To Cut Decorative Lines With Stencils
After you have selected the decorative lines you wish to apply to the wood we need a way to transfer them. So let’s look at methods from our childhood that are easy to use.
If we remember the old days and art classes we were in, stencils were used for pretty much everything. Yet in this case you will need to make your own stencil.
Don’t worry because there are many ways to achieve this. The easiest way for a small project is to simply print the decorative lines onto paper that is more akin to card stock.
Avoid the typical paper that we use each day for general office purposes.
Once it is printed you use a razor knife to remove the outline of the design. This will leave the decorative lines ready to be applied to the artwork you wish to use it on.
Basic image software will allow you to play with the scale of the printout. It will also allow for you to reverse the image, or flip it upside down if necessary.
A trick I use when hand carving wood is to use a stencil for the heavier or broader lines which are thicker. If thinner or more ornate designs are required then transfer paper, or printing to wax paper will do the trick.
From this transfer or wax paper one merely needs to rub the design onto the wood. Some have found that an iron with moderate heat works well for transferring the ink to the wood.
Due to me having free hand abilities I simply draw some lines, or create a similar design to my own liking. There is nothing wrong with getting a little creative and allowing for some asymmetry in the balance of the art.
The added bonus to this is that the art is unique to you. Here you have further given artistic expression to what you have created rather than merely a composite of other art.
Creating Decorative Lines In Large Wood Panels
Often the best results come from a combination of techniques giving a bit of unique personality to the art. We still need to allow for simple application.
For larger works it may require a different tool to create the transfer. We need to step beyond printers and paper cutouts.
The stencil idea still prevails for larger works yet more will need to be done to obtain the necessary scale. Let’s look at how we can add what we have already accomplished to using a projector to obtain that scale.
First we go back to the basic stencil as it will hold what we need. Do the design digitally first creating the entire design as you will want it to look.
Have it finished, or as close to finished as is reasonable for your application. Then print on 8.5 by 11 in card stock style paper.
Here again we will still cut out the design with a razor knife just as before with the smaller works. Yet where we take this template next will be different.
You will need to have a projector of some kind. If you remember the old classroom projectors from years gone by then you get the idea.
You simply lay the stencil on the projector, turn it on, and then adjust the projection to the desired scale you need on the wood surface.
Once you have this it is as easy as tracing the design onto the wood by pencil. Essentially all you need for the wood carving to be done is an outline of the stencil on the wood.
The decorative lines, well for this matter any design, will then be ready for cutting. Typically with larger works of this nature you will be using more than a little Dremel style tool.
Here is where knowing how to use a router will pay dividends. If you are worried about being able to stay within the lines with the router you can begin the carving with chisels to define a boundary.
This will give you the clean lines you desire on the outer edges. Create enough space with hand carving to allow for a little room for error in the bigger power tool.
After this you can move to more hog removal of material by using the router.
Difficulty Increases As Scale Increases Within Line Art
Unfortunately once you get away from the small child like projects and into more robust wood art the training wheels must come off.
These techniques have been used across a broad spectrum of wood art applications. Read about Intarsia Art and Chip Carving. These decorative methods of history follow and build upon similar principles.
Unless you have a way to produce a massive size stencil there are few other options to dummy proof the system. Here is where as I mentioned before, having multiple techniques that work together will aid in producing better results.
Ultimately hand carving, engraving tools, and machinery is often the best blend of techniques. This will be almost always true for large projects especially in small art shops or diy applications.
Most people do not own things such as cnc mills, and if they do they are almost always a smaller footprint. For wood artists rarely is anything ever purely machined alone.
It is only when you step into commercial shops that you begin to see the scale of these multi million dollar pieces of equipment that remove all hand working from an application.
If the wood bug has bitten you and the desire to step into this world is pulling you in, just start small. Begin with simple concepts such as decorative lines and begin to branch out.
Master the simple concept first and then add letters or alternate designs. After some practice you begin to realize that every design is still based upon the basic idea of a line.
The trick is how you begin to achieve that line design. It doesn’t matter if it is straight or curved, thick or thin, it still is a line which creates geometric shape.
Once you master the smaller scale you can begin to increase that scale in size and also various wood canvases.
It really is not that much of a stretch to move from basic lines to very detailed designs. The only thing holding you back is learning how to apply the design to scale within the work you are wanting.
Never be afraid to break out the hand blades alongside the machinery. Hand carving is still a very useful and in fact often needed application today for artists.