One of the exercises in the “A-B-C’s of Face Carving” is to do the progressive exercise described in A PLANE FACE using an inch square by an inch and half basswood block. The photo above shows the progressive steps to carve a face using this exercise.

   
A by-product of demonstrating the beginning steps during class, those demonstrating pieces accumulated.  Being a follower of the Old Carvers Rule of “leave no wood uncarved,” all of these demonstrated pieces have now been put to another use as five faces study piece.  Four of the demonstration faces were glued to an inch square by three inch block of basswood.  A ball is then carved on a one inch square portion of the center post which in turn is carved into another study face to join the four demonstration faces that are also carved or will be carved as study faces.  The first four photographs below shows four views of yet to be completed studies while the remaining photos show four views of five different plane face studies.  Every face is a study both in the viewing and in the carving. These study faces are called “Whittle Doodle Doods.”

The secret to learning to carve faces is to carve faces and then more faces and still yet more faces because with each face there is something new to learn. Practice is still the best way to learn and every carving project is a practice piece.  “The more you carve the better you carve,” and the only way to learn is to carve.  “Keep carving and carving will keep you carving.”