Direct Stone Sculpture

This is an excellent book on the techniques and mental process involved in learning to "direct" carve stone. You will see many examples and styles of carvings and a very through and well planned course showing how to select your stone which tools to buy and how to use them. This book contains everything you need to get started in stone.

This book is wonderful for the beginner or experienced person working with stone. I highly recommend this book.

I am very picky at buying books because of the high shipping costs to South America, sometimes as high as the cost of a book. I purchased Direct Stone Sculpture because it was well praised at an art forum by highly renowned artists. After reading the book, I must say that I fully agree with them. It is worth reading and enjoying the photographs of many works. It teaches carving and use of carving tools. I am not only learning to sculpt but also appreciating art made by great "stoners" at the Sculpture Gallery of the book. The book has many photographs of the carving process, and shows detailed views of many hand and power tools that I found useful. I think this book should have a special place at any home library even at non carvers' shelves. HR, Bolivia

Every sculptor should own this book, and it's really the only one you need. Meilach's volume makes a good supplement, but really that's all it is; Liebson's book easily stands on it's own as the standard reference.Why? Almost the entire book is devoted to the craft and mechanics of carving stone. Liebson looks like someone's dad, and writes like it, too -- this book eschews all discussion of "art" in favor of simple, practical advice on "how to do it." From selecting a stone and tools to using and caring for those tools to finishing, polishing, mounting, and displaying your sculpture, even to gaining exhibitions and marketing your work, Liebson covers absolutely everything you need to know to get started, and to keep going. I've been carving for over five years now, and I still refer constantly to this book.