Crest (Heraldry) carved in wood | Heraldic sculpture | Heraldic beast

Crest (Heraldry) carved in wood  

Heraldic sculpture

2024, a commission from a Canadian client to craft a crest in lime wood. What is a crest? 

This carving/sculpture is part of an existing family coat of arms and, as the word suggests, is depicted/placed on top of the helmet.  

It can be something very simple, such as a star, tree or flower... ... or something more complex, such as a lion, dragon or griffin... The choice of crest designs seems limitless.

To give you a better visual impression, the image below shows a number of family crests that I have created in the past, with the black arrow indicating the crest.

The black arrow indicates the crest.
(Bas-relief | family coat of arms carved in wood)

It is rare for a client to order a helmet crest as a freestanding sculpture. 

This requires a completely different technique and approach than creating a helmet crest in bas-relief, which I have done many times for traditional family coats of arms. 

A heraldic sculpture is carved all around, it is a freestanding object and it requires a completely different carving technique and approach than I am used to.

A sculpture naturally requires thicker wood and, as my studio (and machines) are not suitable, I had to use the services of a furniture maker. 

Securing it to the workbench (a workbench that is lower than normal) is one such variation. For carving bas-reliefs, “at elbow height” (115 cm, for me) is most recommended, and carving a sculpture at (80 cm) height (for me) is most ideal.

Securing the block of wood to be worked on to the workbench also requires a completely different technique than for bas-relief and low-relief carving.

 I always start with rough cutting, at this stage I sometimes use a chainsaw, securing it to the workbench with a figure screw.

Large pieces can be removed without much effort and, for an initial rough design, this figure screw, which is attached under the sculpture and through the workbench, is, in my opinion, the most ideal start. 

Figure screw for statues

Heraldic sculptures are secured to the workbench

using a figure screw.

At a later stage (refining), we switch to the ball-and-screw clamp system. This clamp allows the sculpture to be rotated in all directions, enabling the woodcarver to refine the sculpture in the most ideal way.

Sculpture-heraldic beast clamped onto the ball clamp block 

ideal positions for refining the statue.

Here are a few stages in

 carving a heraldic sculpture 

(Heraldic beast)

LION

Converting sculpture 

from figure screw to ball clamp.

Base

The base of the sculpture? 

A fellow woodturner made this for me; his workshop is picture perfect. 

Wings

Tail

Heraldic beast-crest is finished

Crest (Heraldry) carved in wood  |
Heraldic sculpture | Heraldic beast

https://www.patrickdamiaens.info

ORNAMENTAL WOODCARVING | How to Carve a Family Crest in Wood | Carving a Family Coat of Arms

The carving of a family Coat of Arms in limewood, the different steps

Patrick Damiaens, Ornamental Woodcarver

First I made a drawing of the Family coat of Arms.

The customer provides me an example of the crest ( which can be a drawing, painting,... his signet ring.) The supplied information shall serve for making a work -carve drawing . The drawing with the correct outlines and necessary details. This Coat of arms was approved by the Flemish Heraldic College of VVF.

The proper drawing is redrawn on tracing paper and  secured by thumb nails on the wood. The drawing is made by means of carbon paper and by a pen is applied to the wood. The contours of the weapon are now on the limewood.

With a band saw or jigsaw we cut out the contours of the coat of arms.

 The cut out sections are now glued on a plate (MDF). This method of fastening ensures us that the coat of arms will be in a stable position on the workbench . The newspaper between plate and wood will later serve for an easy separation.

The actual carving can begin. This stage is called modeling. Many years of studies and full-time experience are crucial.

Now comes the importance of the correctly sawing forward. Due to the modeling  the original drawings will disappear. In this stage, the drawing will  be placed  back on the crude forms of the coat of arms by using a marker or pencil.

This is the most important stage of the arms. The ornaments, heraldic details and carving gets its proper height. Insight into the depths and the relief of the ornament, and knowledge of the maximum depth of an ornament are from great importance, as well as routine and experience in this art form. The use of plaster models and images can also be very helpful in this stage.

The piece of the crest is finished and will be removed from the plate, the backside will now carved. This process is repeated each time with each individual part of the family crest.

The actual coat of arms is cut now and also the text on a ribbon (Deus nobiscum) 'God with us'

These separate sections are merged into a coat of arms and held together by a metal frame so that stability is ensured.

 
Shown below are some other family coat of arms and crests
which have been made by us.

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