Please help me understand definition of "intarsia" versus "segmentation"

[Tallbald]

Been looking around trying to make sure I understand the artistic and creation differences between the two types of art. Starting to think that the difference may be the depth of relief and round over of the individual pieces, or maybe that one uses the unenhanced color of the woods and grains versus using stains and paints to emphasize change between parts on the other. But then I see a creation that doesn't adhere to that definition.

I guess it's a simple difference but I'd like to make sure I'm using the two terms correctly as I learn.

Thanks. Don.

[Dan]

Intarsia uses different species of wood and varying grain direction to provide color and depth to the work. Segmentation is using one piece of wood and cutting the work out like a puzzle. Both are generally sanded to give even more depth. Most people that do segmentation either stain or paint the individual pieces before assembling them. I've seem more than 50 different species used in intarsia.

[Tallbald]

I see. So if I do any staining or paint accent at all then I should most appropriately call my work segmentation? Do serious scroll artists take offense if one inappropriately refers to one style or another in a finished piece? I can see needing to use both approaches due to no alternative as I sure don't have access to many species of woods. Guess I'll seldom or never be doing real intarsia. Hey! But I can still use the patterns! I can get stain and thin acrylic craft paints! Don.

Edited March 12, 2023 by Tallbald

[Sycamore67]

Will someone get offended.... Maybe..who knows.   Intarsia and cutting from different woods is more difficult to get good fit of pieces.  It takes a good bit of skill to cut accurately enough for a good fit.  With segmentation, you just cut up one board and easy to get good fits.

We see all different degrees of expertise with Intarsia.  Some people just cut out the pieces, round the edges and call it Intarsia.  Others take a lot of time picking woods, shimming  the height,  contouring the pieces and even adding texture to pieces.  This is all to give a more artistic rendering.

We are all free to do whatever pleases us.  I make things to satisfy myself.  I enjoy the process of trying to figure out wood, height, contour and texture.  For me, it may take quite a long time to complete a piece.  I just finished a T-Rex head that I have worked on for a couple months.  I may work on it for an hour or so a day and really enjoy the process.

[Tallbald]

Thank you and I so agree with several things you said. When I created lathe turned sculptural rescued wood and metal sculptures that sold through galleries and helped pay for all my tooling back in the 90's, I created pieces and wrote accompanying anecdotal stories that made me smile or grin. Didn't create the pieces for others. I like the outlook of making to please your own eye.

Thank you once again. Don.

Edited March 13, 2023 by Tallbald

[meflick]

Dan and Larry have given You the basic answer in regards to what would be generally accepted definitions and distinctions between the two types of work. Most people don’t really care what you do or what you call it but, yes, I have seen a few “sticklers”.   Also as Larry points out, there are different levels of “depth” and detail to folks work.
Most expert Intarsia artists like Judy Gale Roberts spend the bulk of their time in working on getting great depth and dimension. I’ve taken her classes, in her beginner class, you cut the pieces in class, then spend rest of time shaping. In her intermediate and Advanced classes, you brought piece cut out and spent 3 solid days (7 hours or so each day) sanding, shaping and I never left with a completed piece. That is how much depth and dimension she is trying to teach you to get from your work.

in my opinion, like theirs, it’s all art and if it makes you happy, don’t worry about other folks and what they say. Only place it might  matter  if you were entering into a judged art competition and they had strict categories or art definitions to separate categories. 

 

Edited March 15, 2023 by meflick
Typo and add para on JGR classes

[flarud]

Steve Good posted this a while back.  Several here have cut it, including myself.  My version is Segmentation.  I used the same piece of wood, cut apart, contoured each piece, glued to a backer board and painted. 

 

 

This is Intarsia... and a mighty fine example at that!  He used several different species of wood in this piece.  No paint, stain or dyes.  

[Dan]

3 hours ago, flarud said:

Steve Good posted this a while back.  Several here have cut it, including myself.  My version is Segmentation.  I used the same piece of wood, cut apart, contoured each piece, glued to a backer board and painted. 

 

 

This is Intarsia... and a mighty fine example at that!  He used several different species of wood in this piece.  No paint, stain or dyes.  

Pictures are worth 1000 words. Thanks for posting. 

[Scrappile]

Question answered!

[don watson]

It looks as if the only way to do the snowman would be using Segmentation and the puppy in the basket is a  great example of Intarsia. Although I would allow that some parts of an Intarsia piece can be stained to give a better depth to the color of the wood and treated like segmentation. Certainly it would come down to what you are happiest with.

Don W

[Dave Monk]

1 hour ago, don watson said:

It looks as if the only way to do the snowman would be using Segmentation and the puppy in the basket is a  great example of Intarsia. Although I would allow that some parts of an Intarsia piece can be stained to give a better depth to the color of the wood and treated like segmentation. Certainly it would come down to what you are happiest with.

Don W

I did the snowman as intarsia.

[Sycamore67]

I do not consider the snowman Intarsia.  It is a painted project. it is very nice but still not Intarsia. I know my view may not be liked but.....OK.

Just look at the work of Kathy Wise or Judy Gayle Roberts to see real Intarsia.

A good example of Intarsia are the pieces wdkitd1 posted in the Intarsia sub forum.  He used many different species of wood to create a beautiful piece.

Edited March 15, 2023 by Sycamore67

[barb.j.enders]

36 minutes ago, Sycamore67 said:

I do not consider the snowman Intarsia.  It is a painted project. it is very nice but still not Intarsia. I know my view may not be liked but.....OK.

Just look at the work of Kathy Wise or Judy Gayle Roberts to see real Intarsia.

A good example of Intarsia are the pieces wdkitd1 posted in the Intarsia sub forum.  He used many different species of wood to create a beautiful piece.

I believe that Dave Monk's example of the snowman is Intarsia.  I certainly wouldn't contradict what he says, he is quite an experienced scroller. 

@Dave Monk that is a great piece.  What wood did you use for the white?

[Tallbald]

This is great and very educational. Thank you all! Don.

[Dan]

Yes, Barry's (flarud) example of the snowman is segmentation as it is cut from a single board and painted. Dave's is cut from a variety of hardwoods. If there is no paint or stain, it is straight-up intarsia.

[Sycamore67]

I agree with Dan.  If it is different woods and no paint, then it is Intarsia.  

This is the definition of Intarsia that I found and agree with.  

What Is Intarsia?

Intarsia woodworking is the art of creating a mosaic-like picture from pieces of wood. Different species of wood are selected for their color and cut to size using a scroll saw. The woodworker can create an illusion of depth by carefully selecting the grain pattern and direction of each individual piece. Before gluing together the final assembly, the woodworker will sand and shape each piece. Some areas of the pattern might even be raised to create more depth.

[Dave Monk]

11 hours ago, barb.j.enders said:

I believe that Dave Monk's example of the snowman is Intarsia.  I certainly wouldn't contradict what he says, he is quite an experienced scroller. 

@Dave Monk that is a great piece.  What wood did you use for the white?

The white is aspen. No paint or stain used.

[Sycamore67]

The red and yellow are so brilliant.  I have used Redheart and it is not that briiliant. What other woods were used?

[Dave Monk]

9 hours ago, Sycamore67 said:

The red and yellow are so brilliant.  I have used Redheart and it is not that briiliant. What other woods were used?

I used padauk and yellow heart.  I must admit that I brightened my picture up a bit with photo shop. 

[Sycamore67]

That makes more sense.  It was confusing how bright all the colors were and could not see the wood grain. Photoshop will bring out colors but can blur details.

[flarud]

On 3/15/2023 at 7:22 AM, Dave Monk said:

I did the snowman as intarsia.

Show-off!!  LOL  Damn nice piece of work. 

I haven't done an Intarsia piece yet but thought that since I have made 3 of the Snowman in Segmentation form that it would be good pattern to use as my first attempt... but now that I have seen yours,, I think I would be ashamed to even try!  LOL  

How did you do the mouth?

[Dave Monk]

1 hour ago, flarud said:

Show-off!!  LOL  Damn nice piece of work. 

I haven't done an Intarsia piece yet but thought that since I have made 3 of the Snowman in Segmentation form that it would be good pattern to use as my first attempt... but now that I have seen yours,, I think I would be ashamed to even try!  LOL  

How did you do the mouth?

You should never be ashamed.  The only thing that matters is that you enjoy doing it. I used a spiral blade on the mouth.

 

[Jim Finn]

On 3/12/2023 at 3:57 PM, Sycamore67 said:

Will someone get offended.... Maybe..who knows.   Intarsia and cutting from different woods is more difficult to get good fit of pieces.  It takes a good bit of skill to cut accurately enough for a good fit.  With segmentation, you just cut up one board and easy to get good fits.

We see all different degrees of expertise with Intarsia.  Some people just cut out the pieces, round the edges and call it Intarsia.  Others take a lot of time picking woods, shimming  the height,  contouring the pieces and even adding texture to pieces.  This is all to give a more artistic rendering.

We are all free to do whatever pleases us.  I make things to satisfy myself.  I enjoy the process of trying to figure out wood, height, contour and texture.  For me, it may take quite a long time to complete a piece.  I just finished a T-Rex head that I have worked on for a couple months.  I may work on it for an hour or so a day and really enjoy the process.

Agreed.  What I have done, when doing intarsia, is to stack two different woods and cutting at the same time to get a good fit.