Final answer:
Carving is the process of shaping material by cutting or scraping away to create shapes in proper size and proportion, which is key in establishing design lines.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term you're looking for that means to carve out shapes in the proper size and proportion to establish the lines of the design is carving. Carving involves a subtractive process where materials are shaped by cutting or scraping away sections from the original form. This technique has been traditionally used with materials like stone and wood, which are durable and readily available, to create three-dimensional works of art. In woodblock prints, like Albrecht Dürer's The Four Horsemen from The Apocalypse, contour lines are used to define the shapes and the edges of elements within the image.
When applied to figures, chairs, and instruments, carving transforms the material into elegant, cylindrical shapes or geometric forms with flat planes. Incised lines are then added for details such as toes, with paint applied to accentuate now-blank faces. This intricate craftsmanship is evident in bas-relief work, where the illusion of three-dimensionality is achieved through varying degrees of depth carved into a flat surface.
Understanding the principles of scale and proportion is also crucial in carving, as these concepts determine the relative size and the harmony of the artwork in accordance with human expectation. Large scale designs, such as Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen's Spoonbridge and Cherry, make a comical and playful impact due to their unexpected size.