Stone Carving Instructions

Carving stone can be physically demanding but artistically rewarding.

One of the earliest known forms of artistic expression, stone carvings have been around since the dawn of time. Carving stone can be physically challenging and artistically satisfying. While it can take some time to perfect your stone-carving skills, once you have the basic tools, you can get started. With practice and patience, you can turn a piece of stone into a work of art to display in your home.

Things You'll Need

• Pencil
• Black marker
• Paper
• Stone
• Point chisel
• Tooth chisel
• Flat chisel
• Rasps
• Mallet

Instructions

1. Select the type of stone you want to use. While you can carve from any type of stone with the appropriate tools, start with something soft. Granite is too hard for a beginner, but you can easily work soapstone, alabaster or even sandstone.

2. Sketch a rough representation of the sculpture you want to create. Drawing skill is not required; just get the basic form on paper so you have something to refer to as you work at your stone. Even though your finished sculpture may look nothing like your sketched concept, the sketch is a starting point.

3. Mark the main chisel points on your stone, the areas where you will begin carving major sections. Use a black marker to indicate these areas to help guide you when removing large portions of stone.

4. Remove large pieces of stone using a point chisel, a tool used to rough out the design. Use a mallet to hammer against the point chisel and remove as much stone as you can around the black chisel marks. Continue until you have a rough shape of your subject matter.

5. Shape the "peaks" and "valleys" with a tooth chisel. The teeth on this chisel will bite into the stone, allowing you to bring out some of detail. Use a mallet and gently tap away at the stone to begin bringing out the overall design.

6. Refine the details with a flat chisel. Go over the details you brought out with your tooth chisel. Smooth the surface and remove the jagged edges left by your tooth chisel.

7. File your finished sculpture using a rasp and riffler, curved metal files that remove rough edges and refine final details. Go over your sculpture and make any small last-minute adjustments to details. Use these tools to apply any finishing touches. Finish with a wet sanding by splashing a little water onto a heavy grade of sandpaper and hand-polishing.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep your first stone carving small and choose a simple subject. This allows you to get familiar with using the tools and applying the techniques.

References

• The Sculpting Studio: Stone Carving Tutorial