Relief carved fish in stone

Relief Carving

A relief carving is where the stone is carved on the surface,  the background is often taken away, and reduced in level, leaving the carving standing proud of the stone surface.

 

Carving a fish in relief on stone

Images can be cut deeply and undercut to show strong shadows, or lightly and delicately carved to reveal subtle outlines.

Mouse in a hole relief carved in stone

 

Relief Carving in Slate

Slate is a beautiful stone to carve, being very fine grained and dense, make it a stunning material for relief carving.  The chiseled line shows up in sharp contrast against the deep blue-grey riven finish.  Slate takes a polish too, enabling superb variation in the way the surface can be worked.

Hare carved on a slate tile