The Rule of Three for facial proportions is applied to a carved Santa ornament to illustrate how to visually keep proportions in perspective in a face with a mustache, beard and long hair while half the forehead is covered by the hat.

The three divisions of the length of the face are: Hairline to Eyebrow; Eyebrow to Bottom of Nose; and Bottom of Nose to Bottom of Chin. When carving a face with a beard, the carver visually imagines where the chin is located under the beard. When carving a mustache, the carver follows the Rule of Three for the area between the nose and chin with the mustache fitting into the first third proportion between Nose and Top of Upper Lip. The middle third includes both lips down to the groove between lips and chin. If the mustache is carved as big and bushy so that it extends and covers the lips, then the lips are not carved. Rather there is an indention carved under the mustache to indicate that underneath the bushy mustache there is a mouth hidden from view.

If the Rule of Three of proportions is not followed and a bushy mustache is carved on the face of Santa and the carver carves in the bottom lip then the end result may give the appearance that the mouth is located where the chin is supposed to be located.

While the length of the face is divided into thirds proportionally, the width of the face is equal to two thirds of the length. A carving that is carved following the understanding of “proportions” will result in a carving looking right. On the other hand, when the “proportions” are out of proportion, then there is something about the carving that will not look right.

Caricature carving is “exaggeration of realism” which does exaggerate proportions for a caricature effect that is done on purpose. In order to “exaggerate realism” the carver must first have a clear understanding of correct proportions of realism before any on the proportions can be exaggerated.

To learn more about the Rule of Three facial proportions, look under the section of this blog entitled BEE HIVE and click on “Face Eye Study 2” which can also be printed.

SANTA’S WORKSHOP was displayed in public only for a few short years between 2002 and 2007 when it was sold to a private collector. The first five photographs displayed here were taken at the 2005 Artistry in Wood Show, Dayton, Ohio.  Ray Kunz was the guiding influence of a small group of carving friends who designed, carved and assembled Santa’s Workshop. Read the rest of this entry »

The carving of Santa and Snowman in the middle of a wreath is a Harley Schmitgen design that was carved from one of his rough outs.  This photograph was used as our Christmas card in 2009.  My sister was so taken by the unique design that she commissioned me to carve two smaller versions of the Harley Schmitgen original.  Harley, who is an Emeritus CCA member, is noted for his relief portraits carved out of two inch thick wood that looks like it is a much larger carving in the round.  The two carvings that are the subject of this posting were each  carved in the round out of a five inches tall by three and a half inches square block of basswood.  Traditional gouge carving tools were used in this carving project.  Read the rest of this entry »

Bobble Head Santa is a fun little project  carved out of a basswood hen egg for the head and the body carved out of a three inch tall by an inch and half square block of basswood.  The spring was made using stainless steel wire wrapped around a quarter inch diameter  bolt and then epoxied to the head and the body.  Artist oil paint and boiled linseed oil  was the primary finish while  the white fur trim of the hat and coat were painted with acrylic white paint.

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The WOOD BEE CARVER’s first love in carving is to carve with a knife in a style called “Whittle-Carving.” The Pirate Bobble Head is one of the Scrapper Series of using small scraps of wood to fulfill the “old carver’s law: Leave No Wood Un-Carved.” The Santa carved using a basswood hen egg is an often repeated design that has been done for several years.  These “Whittlings” along with the photo gallery below represents some recent carving activity of “leave no time go to waste when one can be carving.” Read the rest of this entry »

A Step by Step Santa display was carved in 1998 to be used as an educational aid to show the progressive stages of how a Santa is carved from a block of basswood.  In this model the basswood block is three quarters of an inch square by three inches tall.

Viewing from left to right the first step is to begin rounding off the top corners to begin shaping the stocking cap into the shape of a squashed down pup tent. Read the rest of this entry »

MERRY CHRISTMAS – 2009. The Santa and Snowman carving is encircled in a green wreath.  The green wreath has been a symbol of the Gift of Love that is an unending circle and ever green with its continuous cycle of bringing New Life and Hope to all who discover being in the Circle of Love. CHRISTMAS is the celebration of the Gift of Love in Jesus Christ who is the continuous Love of God encircling all humanity.  Christmas is a celebration of the Gift of Love in family and friends that continues to encircle us everyday.

Christmas is a celebration of Memories, timeless and yet ever circling with the newness of remembering love and friendship in all our relationships.

Christmas is a celebration of having our hearts carved with a lasting tribute of the gift of creativity, be it carving, be it making friendships  or be it in giving love as we have been loved – the art of drawing a circle.

As Edwin Markham said, “He drew a circle that shut me out Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout But love and I had the wit to win; We drew a circle that took him in.”