The first Dream Fish was carved in 2011 as gift presentation to a fisherman friend. At the time it was challenging carving project in which it was learned that “Challenge is a teacher of unlearned lessons.” Anytime a carver begins a new carving project it becomes a “learning exercise” of transposing an imagined subject into a tangible carving. Another lesson learned along the carving journey is what is learned in carving the subject for the first time will guide carving it the second time to expand the learning potential. So, it was when a commission came to carve the Dream Fish another time a renewed challenge of relearning while carving from a distant memory that new lessons opened during the carving process. Such a positive experience led to carving another Dream Fish to expand the “challenge learning lessons.” These two Dream Fish carvings will lend themselves to offering brief informative observations by way of photos of the carving process along with brief descriptions of explanation.
Read the rest of this entry »
A Half Pint is a three inch tall figure carved to the scale of a half inch equals a foot. It begins with a three inch by an inch square basswood block. Study the photographic chart below to follow the progressive steps to get an overall mental view.
Read the rest of this entry »
The Pirate First Mate is carved in the Half Pint size of three inches tall with a one inch square base. The First Mate is wearing a bandana head wrap rather than the officer’s hat even though he is wearing an officer’s coat captured as a spoil of a sea battle.
Read the rest of this entry »
Red Beard Pirate is the latest version of a carving project that I have carved several times. A pirate is a carver’s dream of a carving project because of the variety of anomalies of design compared with a regular figure.
Read the rest of this entry »
PROGRESSIVE STEPS of a carving subject are a visual aid to visualize the development from the opening cuts through steps towards a completed carving. The examples used in this tutorial also contain the proportional divisions as a guide for laying out the major landmarks of the subject. With each Progressive Step illustration, the viewer is to study the progression of development to imagine what cuts were necessary to accomplish each step. While being a helpful reference tool, the greater function of the Progressive Steps illustration is to help the carver to develop the ability to see a carving develop in one’s imagination. Studying a Progressive Steps illustrations, the viewer realizes that one has to read between the lines, so to speak, when following each step and allow imagination to fill in the blanks in between each step. While these illustrations are of three inch tall figures, the same concept would apply to any size coupled with imagination.
Read the rest of this entry »
The Face Study photos above represents one of the instructional exercises that the Wood Bee Carver used in classes before retiring from teaching. The first two photos are of detailed faces completed after retiring and the third photo is of study faces in the various stages of development. The photo below shows the Progressive Steps for carving a Face Study.
One of the exercises used in teaching the Rule of Three of Facial Proportions and how to open up a block of wood with the primary landmarks of a face uses the progressive steps face study depicted in the photo above. Each step is demonstrated by the instructor while the students carve each demonstrated step. The demonstrations cover the basic steps of 1 through 5 in the photo above with additional demonstrations by instructor of a variety of the mouth with or without teeth. The finished detailing as depicted in step 6 is done by each student at a later time. The instructor’s demo face studies accumulate following each class which are finished with detailed carving at a later time to complete each face.
Previous blog entries on these Study Faces may be viewed by clicking on each of the three links below.
STUDY FACES I ~ STUDY FACES II ~ STUDY FACES III
The Red Beard Pirate has been an often repeated carving subject and on this version this pirate will be the subject of a tutorial on the SLOW and EASY method of carving. The first photo gallery will be of the finished and painted rendition of the Red Beard Pirate. Which will be followed by a verbal descriptive tutorial with additional photos of the Slow and Easy carving process.
Read the rest of this entry »
