Stone sculpture tutorial: limestone carving by french artist Frederic Chevarin

[peficaro]

If only Michaelangelo could have owned such machinery! ...

[iLOVENATURE2011]

AMAZING...imagine, from a bloke of limestone to a beautiful art piece...=)

[AerdnaZaze]

wow you really make it look so easy i just finish my wood sculpture and now i have to do one in stone i hope doing well , amazing work

[p1etra5anta]

@AerdnaZaze Thanks for the comment. Working in stone is quite different from wood. No grain to follow, no flexibility of the material, it is cold also but once you get the hang of it you'll love it. Good luck for your new experience.

[loyalrammy]

very nice

[p1etra5anta]

@loyalrammy Thank you for your comment. Please have a look at my other films. You might like them as well ;-)

Frederic

[ESSENCEOFEACHTHING]

@p1etra5anta

Hello.I am in search of a an Incense Holder made from stone. An Incense Coffin.I have searched the internet and can not find many options.Either Lime Stone or Mahogony.How much would you charge to create this item?

[BurningEmber1234]

I don't know what it is but its pretty :)

[p1etra5anta]

@BurningEmber1234 thanks, it is a sail with the hull, and the waives. Hope it makes sense. It is might be difficult to understand what it is exactly without having it in from of you.

Frederic

[BurningEmber1234]

@p1etra5anta wow I watched it again and it is really beautiful. How long did it take you to make this? and did you go to school for art?

[p1etra5anta]

@BurningEmber1234 it took me about 15hrs to carve the sculpture and 18hrs to make the film.

I am a self taught artist but also I have been shown the way by an italian master Vaco Montecchi, Helaine Blumenfeld, and other artists. I started by watching stone cutters and spending 2weeks working with them in France, Normandy.

Have a look at my website frederic-chevarindotcom there is a section about that and even more

Frederic

[BurningEmber1234]

@p1etra5anta that is really cool Your pretty awesome XDDD also I will definitely take a look. :)

[uni000ver000sal]

@BurningEmber1234 That is if you are snorting somethin...

[BurningEmber1234]

@uni000ver000sal hmmm yeah no...if you think you have yo snort something to appreciate are then your head must be broken. Have a nice day :)

[BurningEmber1234]

@uni000ver000sal Art*

[TRC0408]

Very nice work! What kind of disc are you using on your grinder to cut through the stone? Certainly looks like it makes the roughing out process a little faster. Thanks

[p1etra5anta]

Hi @TRC0408, thanks for the comment. it is a vanity diamond disc with a continuous rim so that the cut is precise and there is no bolt behind the disc but an M14 attachment to screw to the grinder.

Frederic

[TRC0408]

@p1etra5anta

Thanks! Any ideas where I could purchase this type of disc and attachment for my grinder?

Cheers

[p1etra5anta]

@TRC0408 I bought it from stonetools.co.uk, you can download the catalogue and they are very good people to buy from, you can even call them, they can give you a piece of advice in case you need it. You'll see different blades. The one I got from them is not on the catalogue any more. They are on page 58 from their catalogue.

Frederic

[TRC0408]

@p1etra5anta

Thank you very much! I'll give them a try. take care

[Miguelsr1rst]

how long have u been working with marble? would u recommend me jumping straight to stones or perhaps starting with somethinglike clay? i wanna learn how to sculpt

[p1etra5anta]

Hi Miguelsr1st, I've been working with marble for 7years, before it was limestone. Start with limestone by cutting a perfect cube, a ball, a cylender. Take woodworking tools i.e. chisels to start with and then you can start carving. The most important is to get used to the tools and the stone, slowly but carefully. To respect the line, and practice gently on simple forms at first. Have a look at my tuorial at frederic-chevarindotcom to help you & find a good book on stone carving. Take care F.

[Miguelsr1rst]

@p1etra5anta Thanks, Im located in San Diego CA and i am currently checking out some schools that i can enroll to. Perhaps the Art Institute of SD will be a fit for they have both painting and sculpture courses that I am passionately interested in. do respect the notion of starting easy and progressing as you suggested in starting with softer stones. But on the other hand do u have experience with level 1 students starting direct with marble? I want to be a marble specialist

[p1etra5anta]

@Miguelsr1rst, you have to check that the Art Institute mean marble or stone for sculpture. It is quite possible you might do so many aother things that what you really want to do. Usually, art school don't spend much or no time carving stone. And it is quite possible that they wont let you touch marble at all. I don't teach but I started marble with just an angle grinder. Then I carried on with other tools. But it takes time to discover stone and what you 'r able to do as well... Good luck

[plentyoflife]

wnat do you recommend me to start making clay sculptures I like abstract sculptures specially those used o make furniture, or center tables

[p1etra5anta]

Yes @plentyoflife. Have fun with it and shapes will appear. Clay is a fantastic medium to start with.

[plentyoflife]

@plentyoflife sounds easy but is not  I like abstract things like moebious designs do you know what i mean?

[ShadowSlayer103]

If you are the sort of artist that is like me, you probably won't have an answer to this question, but no harm in asking it, right? What is it? Is it a form of abstracture or is it a design for something?

[p1etra5anta]

Hi @ShadowSlayer103, it is a boat with its sail, the hull and the waves. It is easier to recognize when you have the actual sculpture in front of you. No offense at all, it is very difficult to imagine a piece when there are complex lines, the photos never give a clear picture of what it is.

Take care

Frederic

[ronin478]

Great Work! It's Mitch (georgia usa) From about Stone.org hope you are well! I am almost ready to get back to carving! Cheers! Thanks for posting this!

[p1etra5anta]

@ronin478 Hi, thanks for your comment Mitch, it was my first commission two years ago, I did enjoy doing the film even if it took me a long time to get the structure right. There is nothing bette than carving, welcome back. Post the pictures of what you'll be doing if you have time.

Frederic

[madnessdexter]

how do you come up with the design? a rough sketch and free hand? or did you map out the dimension on a cam software?

ps i am loving this one and the "You are beautiful" one

[p1etra5anta]

Thanks for the comments.

About the design, I had been commissioned this piece because my client had a sail, so the idea was already clear. Then I worked on the idea of lightness and movement with a clay model. I did a few sketches to get a picture of the sail before using clay though. The dimension of the image was done with the focus of my digital camera not a web cam.

Frederic

[p1etra5anta]

Hi, thanks for the comment mavinova. It is a limestone from Caen Normandy (France) in the video, you've seen alternatively diamond disc, pneumatic chisel, rasps and sand paper, nothing special.

Frederic

[Terrypmc]

Brilliant bit of work!.

[p1etra5anta]

Thanks very much indeed for your compliment.

Frederic