A diploma is a degree program providing rudimentary knowledge in the area of study. Upon graduation, students have the technical ability that is generally necessary for professionals in their discipline.
What is a diploma in woodcarving? Woodcarving is a specific form of woodworking that manipulates wood into chiefly ornamental shapes. Courses for a diploma in woodcarving will generally teach things such as the characteristics of wood, selecting and identifying the grain of the material and the use of tools to shape and finish the carving. Programs may have different emphases for their classes, including sculpture, ornamental woodcarving and the gilding of wood.
Woodcarving is a rewarding career where the artist channels her or his creativity into the shaping of wood. Carvers develop the imagination to conceptualize artwork, the ability to visualize the imagined shapes in wood and the manual dexterity to carve.
The cost of a diploma in woodcarving program is difficult to determine because the courses can be quite different. You may be able to get a better idea of the financial matters involved by visiting an institution’s website.
In contrast to a career concerned with function such as carpentry, woodcarvers are primarily responsible for creating works of art. Woodcarving is used to create many different types of objects, including sculptures, picture frames, furniture, duck decoys and molds for artwork. Like many artists, woodcarvers often imagine that self-employment is their only option, but you may also find work with furniture finishers, sawing or woodworking machine setters, historical artwork and architecture restorers, and bench and cabinet carpenters.
You can generally find great freedom in how you approach a diploma in woodcarving program. Depending on the institution, it may have part-time in addition to full-time options. You can also typically find schools offering a diploma in woodcarving in many different locations.
Content and Structure
This three-year course is designed to prepare you for work as a professional wood-carver. Graduates usually progress to employment within the field of architectural heritage. The curriculum focuses on the wide range of skills required to become a professional woodcarver. These include not only advanced carving techniques but also drawing, modeling, frame restoration, casting, portraiture, artistic anatomy, ornament study, gilding, heraldry, design and the history of carving in architecture and sculpture. You are also introduced to repair and restoration techniques and to relevant conservation practices and ethics.
FIRST YEAR
The first year lays the foundations for the development of your carving, study and research skills. Simple exercises start from first principles and develop skills in a progressive manner, whilst simultaneously introducing you to the ornamental vocabulary of the wood-carver. In the Drawing Studio, structured courses support you to develop observation and technique, whilst your modeling and casting skills are developed in relief and portrait study. Lettering study initially covers the construction and design of letterforms, before moving into cutting in wood. Art Histories lectures and assignments will support you to develop your knowledge and understanding of the historical context of wood-carving and architectural ornament.
SECOND YEAR
The second year continues the pattern of the first in its combination of woodcarving practice supported by the study of drawing, modeling, and lettering in tutor led sessions. The basic skills and understanding you developed in the first year are now applied to the production of more complex ornamental forms, as well as drapery and the human figure. The practice of gilding is taught covering different techniques such as oil and water gilding, gesso cutting, toning, distressing and verre eglomise. Study visits and Art Histories lectures will provide you with an essential insight in to the meaning and significance of historical forms of ornament.
THIRD YEAR
The final year of study involves you in the planning, researching and execution of major projects within your own chosen specialist area. The projects provide you with the challenge and opportunity to demonstrate your technical expertise, design skills and aesthetic awareness, supported by evidence of your historical and contextual research presented in your sketchbooks, three-dimensional studies, dissertation and in your portfolio documentation. The final year culminates in a public exhibition of work produced.
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Career development and professional practice seminars cover subjects such as estimating, marketing and websites, working to commission, and setting up a workshop. Live projects support your portfolio development and provide valuable opportunities to learn about the commissioning process first hand.
