Block Heads are carved inside a Friendship Cane segment measuring two inches square by three inches tall with a five eighth inch hole drilled down the center of the length of block.  Carving is done with knives with curved cutting edges to facilitate the necessary slicing cuts in tight areas.

The first face is a soft relief carved down into the flat surface that resembles a horse shoe shaped ditch with the sides to become hair and beard embellishment. The center portion will become the face. Follow the progressive stages in the four photographs below to see the relief face in the block develop.

The next three faces will be carved inside a framed box shape. Each begins with drawing pencil lines in a rectangle shape as depicted in the first photo below. The second photo shows how the area to be carved is opened up by carving a triangular chip in the top corner. The other corner is opened up with a triangle and this is followed by making a slicing stop cut using the belly of the curved cutting edge to slice a cut across the top between the two triangles.  The same slicing stop cut is cut half way down each side followed by a series of shallow angled cuts alongside the stop cut to widen the groove down the side. Using the belly of the curved cutting edge to make this cut create a clean cut as opposed to using the tip of a straight blade which would dig into the sides of the cuts. This procedure is viewed in photos three and four.

Once the area for the face has been opened up, it is time to begin carving the top of the head which in the next three faces are the hat, the hair and the top of a bald head. The first face illustrated below has the man wearing a cap and will end up with the complete face carved including the cigar in the corner of his mouth. The five photos below are the progressive development of the man with a cigar.

The next face is a man with a toothy grin that begins the same way of opening up the area of the face previously described.  His hair is carved next followed by the carving the basic forms of the main landmarks of the face to establish a good foundation for carving the details of the facial features.  The four photos below are the progressive steps of the man with a toothy grin.

The third face using this method of carving a face inside the block of wood is the iconic “Kilroy was here” image.  The opening procedure as previously descried is used along with a pencil drawing of the cartoon face as seen in the first photo. Photos two and three are showing the outlining cuts using the belly of the curved cutting edge to slice a stop cut and a series of shallow angled cuts alongside the stop cut. Photo four shows the face carved to basic form ready for the detail carving a facial and hand details. Photos five and six show a Serpentine Scimitar blade detailing the area between the finger tips and the base of the scene.  It is this shape of a blade that allows for carving in tight areas of a carving project.

The next four photos will highlight the chip carved embellishment on the corners of the block.

The final photo shows the knives that were used to carve this Block Heads Friendship Can segment which was finished with an application of Raw Sienna artist oil paint and boiled linseed oil followed with Deft lacquer.