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Chip Carving
Positive and Negative Space
By L.S. Irish

Through positive and negative space it is possible to take one chip carving design and create a multitude of patterns.  The second and third images on the right are an example of putting positive and negative space to work in your carvings.

Positive space for chip carving is the area that you will be chipping away within the design.   Negative space therefore becomes those areas that you will not be carving.  By choosing to carve some triangles but not others you begin to create patterns with the chips as well as patterns in the smooth background that surround those chips.

Design 1 has every possible area of the pattern chip carved.  It creates a beautifully intrigue carving that flows from one square to the next with no interruptions.   This pattern contains no negative spaces.

Design 2 uses a great deal of negative space.  Each Celtic cross image is visually independent of the next using the smooth background to emphasis now a delightful pattern can be created with a minimal amount of chip carving.

Image11.jpg (16635 bytes)
Line Pattern

All of the patterns shown on this page are worked from this simple line design.

Image29.jpg (39133 bytes)
Design 1

Image27.jpg (10693 bytes)
Design 2

An easy way to play with positive and negative space is with paper and colored pencil.  Make several copies of your design.  Now with a colored pencil pick just one area of the pattern and color it in.  Next color in all of the corresponding areas on your pattern.

In the sample below I chose to color in all of the long diagonal chips forming a Celtic cross pattern.

Next, pick a new area to color, in this sample it was the horizontal triangles that touched the cross.

I have just created a new design from the original pattern.  Note how the design not only uses negative (smooth and uncarved areas) to border the design it has also captured negative space inside of the pattern by dipping down below the original grid work.  The two uncarved diamonds trapped within the long carved diagonals stand out as part of the pattern work, yet are uncut.

Image10_a.jpg (8541 bytes) Design 3 Image10.jpg (10878 bytes)
You do not have to chose to stay symmetrical with the chips that you chose to carve.  Design 4 shows a more random chose of chips.   The pattern that was chipped in the top half of the designs is totally different than the pattern in the bottom half, creating a design that is floral or organic in nature.
Image5_a.jpg (8567 bytes) Design 4 Image5.jpg (12179 bytes)
In most of our chip work it is the positive areas (cut areas) that really capture the eye but in the sample below it is the negative space that stands out.  By not cutting the Celtic cross that is defined by the long diagonal triangle yet cutting all the chips that surround it, this pattern pulls the eye to the smooth area captured inside the square.
Image8_a.jpg (8613 bytes) Design 5 Image8.jpg (11499 bytes)
Here are just a few more designs that I discovered in the original patterns.
Image3_a.jpg (8390 bytes) Design 6 Image3.jpg (11382 bytes)
Image4_a.jpg (8140 bytes) Design 7 Image4.jpg (11178 bytes)
Image9_a.jpg (8340 bytes) Design 8 Image9.jpg (11010 bytes)

For more about Chip Carving goto
Chip Carving Grids Pattern Package
Primer on Carving - Chip Carving
Chip Carving Positive and Negative Space
Moor's Chip Carving Tools

 

Article Courtesy of Classic Carving Patterns
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