The session took us through all the stages of why we need a maquette, to how to create one to the correct scale and then a demonstration of all the ingredients needed and how to use them.  This is a report of that session.

Why we need a maquette?

If we have clear pictures or drawings from all sides in matching scale then we can probably manage to create an ‘in the round’ carving one is happy with.  However, if you have poor or incomplete pictures that are not comparable in scale of differing angles of perspective it would then be advisable to make a maquette.

A maquette will allow the carver to work out what is possible to carve.  It also helps to prepare you to fully see the finished piece in your mind.  This clearly can assist in the carving process. Indeed all the master carvers create models of whatever they are carving.  This ultimately saves a lot of time and you have a 3 dimensional template to measure from.

It is interesting to note that novice carvers tend to just rely on a flat picture like following the steps in a magazine.  While the more experienced will do a model or maquette first.  So as a carver progresses, they take on more challenging projects and understand more the need to have a maquette.

The method and demonstration

Using one of the member’s carving project idea of three seated women John showed how to take a measurement from one forearm in the picture. This piece of information would create the benchmark for the whole project. He showed how by having this one measurement he could work out the height of the women using a technical scaling system.  It is a proven fact that all the human body is built within a mathematical proportion to itself. He used quite a complicated chart to prove this and how you could scale up or down according to the size of carving you would want.  

From this once all the measurements are identified. The first stage is to create an armature.  This is using flexible wire to create in effect a skeleton.  The measurement of the key bones from joint to joint are represented by a bend in the wire.  The end result is a rough example of a skeleton which is the right height and proportion throughout. Then position the wire sculpture as close to the finished shape as possible.  In this case the sculpture is seated. 

Using plasticene John showed how gradually you build up the flesh to make it look life like. As the sculpture takes shape the positioning of the piece can be refined. He used a datum base to show that in the seated pose then all measurements must be taken from the seat area as this is a fixed line.  

There were a lot of questions as this can be quite a technical exercise.  However once understood it can really improve your carving because you have a deeper understanding of the form you are creating. 

Once you have a model or maquette built it is much easier to make larger or smaller version of it in wood.  A method demonstrated by Nick Pantelides was to use two lengths of wood or metal of about 18 inches with a series of drilled holes at regular intervals along them. Both ends of the pieces are sharped to a point rather like dividers.  With a simple wing nut these two pieces can be attached to create an X.  By moving the nut off centre will create a smaller side to the X than the other side. This can then be used to measure with the smaller side of the X and transfer that measure on to the block of wood using the other side of the X.  This would increase the scale of the model to create a larger carving.

The whole session was well planned and handled very well.  It is not always an easy subject to grasp but an essential one to have in the world of carving.  It is highly recommended that all carvers have a go at creating a maquette as it is historically proven that it raises the standard of your sculpturing skill, visual understanding and creative ability!  

Melanie Windle