CHAPTER I - PREAMBLE |
| Student and Apprentice, their Aims and Conditions of Work—Necessity for Some Equality between Theory and Practise—The Student's Opportunity lies on the Side of Design |
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CHAPTER II - TOOLS |
| Average Number of Tools required by Carvers—Selection for Beginners—Description of Tools—Position when in Use—Acquisition by Degrees |
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CHAPTER III - SHARPENING-STONES—MALLET AND BENCH |
| Different Stones in Use—Case for Stones—Slips—Round Mallet Best—A Home-Made Bench—A Makeshift Bench—Cramps and Clips |
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CHAPTER IV - WOODS USED FOR CARVING |
| Hard Wood and Soft Wood—Closeness of Grain Desirable—Advantages of Pine and English Oak |
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CHAPTER V - SHARPENING THE TOOLS |
| The Proper Bevel—Position of Tools on Oilstone—Good and Bad Edge—Stropping—Paste and Leather—Careless Sharpening—Rubbing Out the Inside—Stropping Fine Tools—Importance of Sharp Tools |
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CHAPTER VI - "CHIP" CARVING |
| Its Savage Origin—A Clue to its only Claim to Artistic Importance—Monotony better than Variety—An Exercise in Patience and Precision—Technical Methods |
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CHAPTER VII - THE GRAIN OF THE WOOD |
| Obstinacy of the Woody Fiber—First Exercise in Grounding—Description of Method—Cutting the Miters—Handling of Tools, Danger of Carelessness—Importance of Clean Cutting |
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CHAPTER VIII - IMITATION OF NATURAL FORMS |
| Difficulties of Selection and Arrangement—Limits of an Imitative Treatment—Light and Distance Factors in the Arrangement of a Design—Economy of Detail Necessary—The Word "Conventional" |
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CHAPTER IX - ROUNDED FORMS |
| Necessity for every Carver Making his own Designs—Method of Carving Rounded Forms on a Sunk Ground |
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CHAPTER X - THE PATTERNED BACKGROUND |
| Importance of Formal Pattern as an Aid to Visibility—Pattern and Free Rendering Compared—First Impressions Lasting—Medieval Choice of Natural Forms Governed by a Question of Pattern |
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CHAPTER XI - CONTOURS OF SURFACE |
| Adaptation of Old Designs to Modern Purposes—"Throwing About"—Critical Inspection of Work from a Distance as it Proceeds |
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CHAPTER XII - ORIGINALITY |
| Dangers of Imposing Words—Novelty more Common than Originality—An Unwholesome Kind of "Originality" |
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CHAPTER XIII - PIERCED PATTERNS |
| Exercise in Background Pattern—Care as to Stability—Drilling and Sawing out the Spaces—Some Uses for Pierced Patterns |
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CHAPTER XIV - HARDWOOD CARVING |
| Carvings can not be Independent Ornaments—Carving Impossible on Commercial Productions—The Amateur Joiner—Corner Cupboards—Introduction of Foliage Definite in Form, and Simple in Character—Methods of Carving Grapes |
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CHAPTER XV - THE SKETCH-BOOK |
| Old Work Best Seen in its Original Place—Museums to be approached with Caution.—Methodical Memoranda—Some Examples—Assimilation of Ideas Better than Making Exact Copies |
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CHAPTER XVI - MUSEUMS |
| False Impressions Fostered by Fragmentary Exhibits—Environment as Important as Handicraft—Works Viewed as Records of Character—Carvers the Historians of their Time |
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CHAPTER XVII - STUDIES FROM NATURE—FOLIAGE |
| Medieval and Modern Choice of Form Compared—A Compromise Adopted—A List of Plant Forms of Adaptable Character |
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CHAPTER XVIII - CARVING ON FURNITURE |
| Furniture Constructed with a View to Carving—Reciprocal Aims of Joiner and Carver—Smoothness Desirable where Carving is Handled—The Introduction of Animals or Figures |
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CHAPTER XIX - THE GROTESQUE IN CARVING |
| Misproportion Not Essential to the Expression of Humor—The Sham Grotesque Contemptible—A True Sense of Humor Helpful to the Carver |
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CHAPTER XX - STUDIES FROM NATURE—BIRDS AND BEASTS |
| The Introduction of Animal Forms—Rude Vitality better than Dull "Natural History"—"Action"—Difficulties of the Study for Town-Bred Students—The Aid of Books and Photographs—Outline Drawing and Suggestion of Main Masses—Sketch-Book Studies, Sections, and Notes—Swiss Animal Carving—The Clay Model: its Use and Abuse |
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CHAPTER XXI - FORESHORTENING AS APPLIED TO WORK IN RELIEF |
| Intelligible Background Outline Better than Confused Foreshortening—Superposition of Masses |
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CHAPTER XXII - UNDERCUTTING AND "BUILT-UP" WORK |
| Undercutting as a Means and as an End; its Use and Abuse—"Built-up" Work—"Planted" Work—"Pierced" Work |
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CHAPTER XXIII - PICTURE SUBJECTS AND PERSPECTIVE |
| The Limitations of an Art not Safely Transgressed—Aerial Perspective Impossible in Relief—Linear Perspective only Possible in a Limited Way |
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CHAPTER XXIV - ARCHITECTURAL CARVING |
| The Necessity for Variety in Study—A Carver's View of the Study of Architecture; Inseparable from a Study of his own Craft—Importance of the Carpenter's Stimulating Influence upon the Carver—Carpenters' Imitation of Stone Construction Carried too Far |
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CHAPTER XXV - SURFACE FINISH—TEXTURE |
| Tool Marks, the Importance of their Direction—The Woody Texture Dependent upon Clearness of Cutting and Sympathetic Handling |
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CHAPTER XXVI - CRAFT SCHOOLS, PAST AND PRESENT |
| The Country Craftsman of Old Times—A Colony of Craftsmen in Busy Intercourse—The Modern Craftsman's Difficulties: Embarrassing Variety of Choice |
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CHAPTER XXVII - ON THE IMPORTANCE OF COOPERATION BETWEEN BUILDER AND CARVER |
| The Infinite Multiplicity of Styles—The "Gothic" Influence: Sculpture an Integral Element in its Designs—The Approach of the so-called "Renaissance" Period—Disturbed Convictions—The Revival of the Classical Style—The Two Styles in Conflict for a Time; their Respective Characteristics Reviewed—Carvers Become Dependent upon Architects and Painters—The "Revival" Separates "Designer" and "Executant" |
