Raymond Kinman
Raymond Kinman Woodcarver
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2024
- Messages
- 21
On My Carving Bench – A Disney-Inspired Piece in Progress
Hey everyone!
I’ve got a new carving on my bench, almost ready to move over to the painting stage. This one was a private commission, but it has such a strong Disney feel that I wanted to share it here. The craftsmanship and details remind me of classic Disney park signage, and I’d love to hear from anyone who appreciates this kind of work.
Now that I’m an Old Fart, I get to teach—a well-earned privilege that comes with the official Old Fart Teaching Credential! So, here’s your teachable moment, whether you’re an artist or not:
For this piece, I’ve used a technique I call shadow staining to enhance depth and contrast. A painter would call it chiaroscuro—a method mastered by artists like Michelangelo, Caravaggio, and Rembrandt. The principle is simple: dark recedes, light comes forward.
I apply a soft mist of deep chocolate brown stain with an airbrush to the recessed areas—behind Mickey and Minnie, around the castle and borders, and within the scrollwork—subtly pushing them back visually. Then, I sand the high points back to their natural wood color, making the foreground elements pop forward with crisp contrast and greater depth.
Dark recedes, light comes forward.
Has anyone else here earned their Old Fart Teaching Credential yet? Or do you have a favorite Disney woodwork piece that’s stuck with you over the years?
I’ll drop a picture below—curious to hear what you all think!
Hey everyone!
I’ve got a new carving on my bench, almost ready to move over to the painting stage. This one was a private commission, but it has such a strong Disney feel that I wanted to share it here. The craftsmanship and details remind me of classic Disney park signage, and I’d love to hear from anyone who appreciates this kind of work.
Now that I’m an Old Fart, I get to teach—a well-earned privilege that comes with the official Old Fart Teaching Credential! So, here’s your teachable moment, whether you’re an artist or not:
For this piece, I’ve used a technique I call shadow staining to enhance depth and contrast. A painter would call it chiaroscuro—a method mastered by artists like Michelangelo, Caravaggio, and Rembrandt. The principle is simple: dark recedes, light comes forward.
I apply a soft mist of deep chocolate brown stain with an airbrush to the recessed areas—behind Mickey and Minnie, around the castle and borders, and within the scrollwork—subtly pushing them back visually. Then, I sand the high points back to their natural wood color, making the foreground elements pop forward with crisp contrast and greater depth.
Dark recedes, light comes forward.
Has anyone else here earned their Old Fart Teaching Credential yet? Or do you have a favorite Disney woodwork piece that’s stuck with you over the years?
I’ll drop a picture below—curious to hear what you all think!
