How to Chip Carve a Gourd
- 1). Stain the gourd with an alcohol-based leather dye to establish contrast. Stain the gourd just as you would stain wood. If you want the final product to be a dark gourd with lighter chips, stain the gourd before carving. Dye the gourd after carving if you want a lighter gourd with darker chips.
- 2). Draw a line horizontally around the widest section of the gourd. Measure the line around the gourd, finding the circumference. Record the measurement. The center line will be the basis of your other lines, forming a pattern.
- 3). Use the compass to determine where you want the circles and how big they should be. Division of the circumference by the circle size will help you make a uniform pattern. For example, if your gourd is 12 inches around, you could fit six 2-inch circles, or four 3-inch circles. Then form circles with the compass and pencil around the gourd; that will be the basis of your design. You can put circles within circles, too, or use a straight edge for a geometric look.
- 4). Ease the chisel into the areas to be gouged. Keep the chisel pointed away from you as you carve. Alternate where the chisel enters the gourd; beginning a cut on the left, and then the right. This will give added dimension to the carving. You can even use multiple-sized chisels when carving.
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