When it comes to wooden sculptures created on a larger-than-life scale, there are few wood carvers better than the one who makes art for the YouTube channel Vlad Carving.
He has made everything from Native American wood sculptures to wild animals, mainly using a chainsaw to produce the bulk of the work. It is a masterclass in technique and artistic style.
One of his latest projects is a full-size bear, designed to look growling to the sky. It is a reproduction and enlargement of a small model bear that he carved previously.
The timelapse video of this bear carving project is incredible. It shows the beginning of the job when the carver is staring at a huge wooden log, deciding what to do.
Wasting little time, he sketches lines in the wood with a coal pencil, approximating the edges, knowing that he will go back in later to create all of the necessary details.
After using his axe and chainsaw to do the major parts, he turns his attention to refining his art piece by using smaller tools, handheld chisels, and knives that allow him to make intricate lines and shading.
He finishes the project by staining the wood, painting the eyes, and creating new shades by buffing some of the wood. When he is done, he has a real-life bear staring back at him.