Vegetable and Fruit Carving: Features and Step-by-Step Instructions

Everyone at least once faced with a skillful design of vegetables and fruits, when flower arrangements were cut out of them, colorful installations were composed. The ability to do amazing things from simple things is called carving. You can independently learn the technique, if you sort the question step by step.

Fruit or vegetable carving is actually an attempt to present seasonal fruits as well as vegetables in a beautiful way. Food looks attractive, unusual, it does not immediately become clear that these are simple, familiar vegetables and fruits. If fruits are used fresh, then vegetables can be made into compositions, even if they are boiled, since their pulp structure is completely different. The technique is not so easy to learn, but you can learn how to work with it yourself, if you show patience. The carving on watermelons and melons takes several hours, since such work requires detail and accuracy. In addition to watermelons, you can use such fruits and vegetables as working material:

• carrot;
• a pineapple;
• apples;
• pumpkin;
• melon.

Carving is an ancient art, the history of its existence is almost 1000 years. Many consider this work the height of skill. Modern designers offer production of bouquets using a variety of vegetables and fruits. This product will decorate any table, it can be presented as a gift. People take lessons to learn technology.

In many cases, to achieve the desired effect, you need to use special tools. In the classroom for carving one of the first lessons is the creation of a basket of solid tomatoes, which, in turn, can be a space for pieces of fruits and vegetables. Cutting is a fascinating process that you immerse yourself in. It becomes a good hobby. Although the technique, which is called carving, has gained immense popularity in Western countries, they say that it originated in Thailand. Many Asian countries have skilled artisans who create true masterpieces. They use double-edged knives, as well as other tools, including molds.

There is a legend which says that in the 12th century in Thailand at the festival the king was presented with a gift in the form of a bowl in which the figures carved from vegetables and fruits were beautifully arranged. He liked him so much that he issued a decree according to which every woman should master this technique. Since then, the art began to spread further to the east of the country. Such decorations have become traditional and have always stood on the tables of local residents. After a while, they became interested in technology in Europe, but it didn’t acquire particular popularity until recently, perhaps because there were not so often fruits and vegetables on the tables, so there was no need to decorate them.

As soon as the restaurant business received a massive development, they returned to art. Today, this style is developing in two directions: Asian and European. Both variants differ not only in the choice of material for the work, but also in the variants of the thread, in the plots. It is worth saying that carving in Asian style is always a very complex composition. They are dominated by hieroglyphs, dragons and battles are recreated. In his work, the master uses many different tools, it takes a lot of time to create one plot.

Some vegetables can be cut to look like animals or flowers. Birds are a common theme in the work of carving with vegetables and fruits. The most difficult work imitate cars or at home. It will take a lot of time to achieve such excellence in working with equipment. Today, with success, restaurants and hotels decorate their halls and tables with carving, shops create gift baskets.You can order this work on the website or in souvenir shops. Several books and video courses on independent learning have been released, tool kits are sold on the shelves.

For carving you can not take what kind of vegetables and fruits, because not all of them are suitable for work. Although it may be any fruits and vegetables, they must all be of a certain ripeness. In addition, there should be a minimum amount of pulp and seeds inside, and their surface should be flat and smooth. If you take an overripe fruit, then the desired form is not achieved. Pay attention also to the color palette.

Before starting work, the fruits are washed and wiped. If dense fruits are used, for example, radish or potatoes, then for some time they have to lie down in the warmth so that they slightly run down and soften, then it will be easier to work with them. Quince and apples darken after peeling. You can prevent the oxidation process by treating them with vinegar or lemon juice. Often in the compositions involved carrots, which has a bright color.

When cutting, it tends to break, so it is soaked in salted water for several hours. Only the most dense tomatoes and cucumbers, that is, those in which there is practically no juice, are suitable for working with equipment.

Knives or carving set is not so easy to get in most cities of Russia, but they are simply necessary to create masterpieces. Ordinary knives are not suitable for work. You can order such tools on the Internet at an affordable price. No matter how well you have mastered the art of carving fruit and vegetables, it is impossible to do the work without quality knives. The main assistant is a Thai knife, which has a narrow, short and always perfectly honed blade. With the help of his carved small parts. Large patterns can be made with a sickle-shaped tool that looks like a Thai, but has a wider blade.

It is useful when working with appliances and a long knife, which apparently is no different from the usual kitchen, but its blade is much narrower. This is a universal assistant artist. To create foliage used carbing tools. They are often oval, but can be V-shaped, narrow and wide, square and even round. Grooves make a special tool for channeling.

They decorate the edges with special scissors, the flesh is removed with the help of a cuff - a special spoon with a special shape. Since it is not so easy to clean the core in the apple, taking into account the density of the pulp, they created a knife, the end of which is made in the form of a circle. With it it becomes easier to perform a notch on a fruit or vegetable.

In addition, you will need toothpicks, which are used as fasteners for individual parts of the composition. You need to have on hand molds and fat, by means of which a thin top layer is removed from cheese and other products. Peak is widely used to create lace cuts. Often you can find amazing patterns on watermelons that appear due to such a tool as a triangular knife. To create a spiral on the dense pulp, you can use a screw tool.

Lessons for beginners, as you can make your own flower, heart or basket, will help to create on the table an unforgettable and tasty decorations. Step by step guide in the power to master each, but patience is required. Before you begin, you can see examples from recognized masters to know what to strive for. It will succeed quickly to succeed, but for this it is important to correctly learn to take a knife in your hand. The grip is similar to how a hand holds a pen while writing, just need to create a fulcrum for yourself. Her role will be two fingers - little finger and ring finger.

The longer the practice, the faster everything will turn out.Masters know the force with which it is necessary to put pressure on an instrument in order to achieve its immersion in a vegetable or fruit. It will be necessary to include fantasy, but if there are problems with it, then images and forms can be taken from the Internet. In Europe, the most popular professional courses for the development of technology.

There are courses on media, the duration of which is up to eight hours. This time is enough to demonstrate the principles of creating basic elements on natural material. In the network you can find numerous reviews of how people are carried away by art, and some even managed to earn good money.

You need to start with a simple one in order to understand how and where to use this or that tool. It is worth trying to make the first time a simple vase of watermelon, performing the following steps:

• before work it is washed and wiped;
• slightly pressing on the fruit, draw a line in the middle, which should gird the watermelon completely;
• on paper they create with a pen a pattern of one side, that is, it must be a semicircle;
• put it on the fruit and cut around with a knife, the same action is performed on the other side, making the markup of the future handle;
• parts of the watermelon are neatly cut out at the edges with a knife, but the flesh is not touched yet, because it is removed with a special spoon;
• the handle should be about two centimeters thick in order to withstand the load;
• the edges can be made curly, not even, for example, in the form of pointed triangles;
• you can put fruit inside.

When the principles of working with tools become clear, it's time to move forward and create more complex elements. The difficulty is increased gradually, first they learn to make petals from carrots and other vegetables, then they move on to flowers. As the first materials for the development of technology is best to use an apple, cucumber or carrot. It is easiest to work with them due to the density of the pulp. To make a simple flower from a cucumber, you should follow the following algorithm:

• the fruit must be cut in the middle in half;
• you should use the edge where the tail is, because it is brighter;
• a knife in the form of an elongated spoon, you need to make six cuts on top and to the tail, not reaching two centimeters;
• cut the edges with a Thai knife and remove the core;
• at the base should make the windows of a triangular shape and put the workpiece in the water so that it straightened;
• neatly removed pulp is given a round shape; you can make an ornament on it and place it in the center of our blank;
• another part can be cut into plates, not reaching the end, so that something like a fan will turn out, if you push them a little;
• every even one should bend and put everything together.

You can make a beautiful flower out of an apple by following steps such as:

• Apple cut into two halves, as the main assistant take a Thai knife, since the work will be with small details;
• the fruit is cut parallel to the tail, not across;
• gently and unhurriedly, the skin and a large layer of pulp are thinly cut off - these are the first blanks of petals, which should be about thirteen;
• triangular cuts are made on the marked territory;
• after the first row is ready, the same is done on the pulp, but now the petals should stand one after another, cover the empty space between those that created the first row; there should be three of them;
• the core remains round, the center is removed, the water-lily turns out or something else fits inside.

From fruits and vegetables, you can cut almost anything. This decoration will surely impress guests and will not be overlooked. Complicated compositions combine many elements. This may be the seabed with its bright inhabitants or the original large floral bouquet. It all depends on the author's imagination.

A lot of things can be made from simple watermelon, for example, a cute shark, which opened its mouth, and inside it holds other fruits.The turtle looks very unusual and original, but it does not take much time to complete it. By the children's holiday, you can easily create a pineapple hedgehog. Pumpkins are popular with masters, because you can create whole portraits with its pulp.

Fruits such as strawberries, pineapple and grapes, as well as a wide range of vegetables, are well suited for making edible flowers that can decorate the table. For simple elements use special molds that help quickly make flowers from pieces of watermelon, melon or cucumber. Bell peppers produce tulips with jagged edges and a core. You can roll long strips of tomato, carrot and cucumber into vegetable roses. If you put several varieties of such flowers in one vase or basket, you get the original bouquet.

You can combine fruits and vegetables with the glow of candles. One of the easiest methods is to simply cut them, remove the pulp and replace it with a candle.

Beautiful curly cutting of vegetables and fruits will not leave indifferent any child. I want to try at least something, because the form awakens the appetite. You can cut out the natural landscape on a large watermelon, although experience will be required, since it is not so easy to make it. For a birthday, it's easier to carve a small car out of a melon or watermelon. It is interesting and looks like an original decoration for the table. Moreover, from a simple cucumber, you can create cute shoes and put in them a tasty snack, for example, a fish that goes well with vegetables.

It should be understood that the more complex the composition and the more interesting, the more experience the artist should have with such material. Watermelon paintings are considered one of the most difficult ones, an idea can be anything that is enough for fantasy. But the pumpkin is great for creating a festive mood for Halloween. Not only lamps are well-made, although they can be of different shapes, carved and decorated with ornaments, but also flowers. On the table, the usual vegetables can be presented in the most unusual light. You can create a snail from a pumpkin, make it funny, using a toothpick as an additional material. One pumpkin will play the role of shell, it is desirable to pick a round. The role of the body will perform zucchini, and toothpicks can be planted with olives as eyes.

Correctly and in the necessary order, cutting an apple into half rings, after the blank has been opened, you can make a beautiful swan. Properly cut and laid slices, you can do on a plate of crab. Goldfish are very good in carrots. Around them from the cucumber you can make algae, watermelon cut in the form of coral. Such a maritime theme is becoming increasingly popular, but its implementation takes a lot of time, since there is not one, but many elements.

On how to make a carving of vegetables and fruits, see the following video.