The Grain Stingray: Step-by-Step Tutorial

A stingray silhouette where the wood's natural grain acts as skin. Connects directly with reading the grain before cutting — the same lesson from the blog post on preventing wood from splitting, carried into a complete piece.

A board with strong, directional grain — figured walnut or sycamore are ideal. This piece also doesn't translate to foam: the stingray's skin is made by the real grain.

From the Shop: carving knife, U-gouge, and sandpaper. See tools →

What you'll need

Board with strong, directional grainChoose one where the grain lines run along the length of the form you want to carve.
See in the Shop
Carving knifeFor the outline and the tail.
See in the Shop
U-gougeTo give the body a smooth volume.
See in the Shop
SandpaperTo bring out the grain pattern in the final finish.
See in the Shop

Step by step

Initial block with the outline of the grain stingrayphoto coming soon

Initial block

Start with a rectangular block of wood or high-density foam. Draw the front outline of the grain stingray on all four faces of the block, and mark a center line on each.

Cutting the finished front profilephoto coming soon

Cutting the front profile

Remove the excess material following the outline you drew. The piece is still flat, like a cut-out silhouette, but you can already recognize the overall shape.

Stages 3 through 10 are in the Habanaescultura book — currently in the works, with tracing patterns, renders of each piece, and the technical sheet for all 20 projects in the route. In the meantime, this preview shows you how the process starts.

What you'll need

Knife, U-gouge, and sandpaper — the wood provides the pattern, not an extra tool.

See in the Shop

Want to keep going? The complete process for this piece — and the other 19 — will be in the book. While it's finished, pick another tutorial from the route, or write to us to be notified as soon as it's out.