Carving in the dark!
This is a bowl I'm currently working on, and I wanted to create a nice chisel texture on the inside. I found that the easiest way to do this is to carve in the dark! I have a small lamp that I can direct at my pieces while the lights are off. This way I can carve with the shadows to see the dramatic texture I've created inside the bowl.
I've been using the chisels I brought back from Japan to create this texture inside the bowl. While these tools were originally meant for woodblock carving, I enjoy using them to create fine detailed cuts.
Check out these in-process pictures as I carve this bowl!
This picture was taken right as I started carving this bowl on a rainy morning with my cup of tea. You can still see the outlines of where I marked out my carving area here!
Even though I want a textured finish on the inside of this bowl, I first sanded it smooth to make sure the final finish and shape were exactly what I wanted. Once I was happy with the shape of the overall bowl, I turned off the light and started carving in the dark to get the texture I wanted on the inside.