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First things first are always important in the carving process. Carving a good foundation of the basic form first allows the details to be carved in their proper places. These four photographs show “carved to form” caricatures ready for detail carving to take place. The first two photographs show a block of basswood having the top corners rounded into a dowel shape to receive the hat and head of the caricature as well as the back of the arms and shoulder area sliced forward on the back side of the block. Each block is standing profile with a “carved to form” caricature for comparison. The next two photographs show four “carved to form” caricatures to be studied as a short tutorial in “form ready for detail.” The lesson of this “Short Tutorial” is that there are no short cuts to carving the details. First the form and then the detail.
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A carved knife blade cover is attractive and offers protection while at the same time is a curiosity piece for fellow carvers who would also like to make their own blade cover. Read the rest of this entry »
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Carving faces is one of the most important features of carving a likeness of a human. The face is the central focal point of any carving in the likeness of a human be it realistic or caricature. Carving a bust is ninety percent face and ten percent the chest area of a bust. It is the head covering and the clothing outfit that determines the character of the bust while almost any face could go with any of the outfits. Thus learning to carve faces is essential to carving a full figure as well as a bust, a bottle stopper or a shelf squatter. Read the rest of this entry »