Design and Figure Carving
Design and Figure Carving by E. J. Tangerman is a classic woodcarving guide for anyone who wants to shape expressive figures from wood. This complete digital PDF edition brings the 1964 Dover Publications release to your screen and is available for instant download after purchase.
First published in 1940, the book was created as a practical follow-up to Tangerman’s earlier Whittling and Woodcarving. It is designed for amateurs who can copy patterns but feel they cannot originate their own designs.
Book Overview
Design and Figure Carving offers a graded course in carving, moving from simple exercises to relief and in-the-round figures. The author organizes designs by tool, so readers can build skill step by step. The volume contains dozens of sketches and hundreds of photographs of carved objects from around the world, supported by brief explanatory text.
The intended reader is the hobbyist or student carver. Tangerman argues that anyone who can sharpen a pencil or peel a potato can learn to carve, and that drawing ability is not required.
What You’ll Discover Inside
- Design principles for carving and figure work
- Stamp, punch, and tracer techniques
- Chip carving with knife and firmer
- Simple gouge designs and openwork with the saw
- Outlining and modeling with veiner and vee tools
- Relief and in-the-round carving with all tools
- Inlay, marquetry, and identification of carving styles
Why This Book Matters
This guide is a long-lived reference for woodcarvers and craft educators. It preserves a practical, visual approach to carving that was already popular in the mid-twentieth century and continues to inform hobbyists today.
The Dover edition made the original 1940 McGraw-Hill text widely available, and its tool-by-tool method remains a clear entry point for new carvers.
Book Details
| Author | E. J. Tangerman |
|---|---|
| Title | Design and Figure Carving |
| Publisher | Dover Publications, Inc. |
| Place of Publication | New York |
| Edition | Dover edition, first published 1964; unabridged republication of the 1940 McGraw-Hill edition |
| Publication Date | 1964 |
| Original Publication Date | 1940 |
| Pages | 321 |
| Format | |
| File Size | 111.7 MB |
| Language | English |
| Illustrations | 1,298 |
| Standard Book Number | 486-21209-2 |
| Library of Congress Catalog Card Number | 64-18869 |
Device Compatibility
This is a digital download, so no physical item will be shipped. Access is available immediately after purchase. The PDF can be opened on desktop computers, tablets, and mobile devices, and it works with Kindle apps and other compatible reading applications.
FAQ
How do I receive the book after purchase? The PDF is available for instant download once your order is complete.
Will a physical copy be shipped? No. This is a digital product only.
Which devices are supported? The file works with Kindle apps, tablets, desktop readers, and most mobile PDF applications.
Add Design and Figure Carving to your digital library and keep this practical woodcarving guide close at hand.
Verified Bibliographic Details
| Edition | Dover edition, first published 1964; unabridged and unaltered republication of the work first published by McGraw-Hill Book Company in 1940 |
|---|---|
| Copyright | 1940 by E. J. Tangerman |
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