The carving of a Confederate Calvary Officer explored a less common depiction of the common soldier of gray by emphasizing a little change of color in the uniform.  Uniforms were more varied than uniform as would be commonly assumed.  This carving represents the appearance of a dress uniform with a yellow kepi cap and a lighter gray almost white jacket with yellow trim.  The Calvary soldier wore knee high boots, a holstered side arm and a saber.

A carving of any subject is always an interpretation within the creative imagination of the artist in wood.  This carving of a Confederate Calvary Officer has been carved in the Whittle-Carving style of using only knives to carve a representation of a historic figure.  The pose includes the saber/sword held in a “present arms” vertical position. Since every carving is always an interpretation a canteen was added to this carving to add some artistic break in the static pose. A basswood block measuring nine inches tall, three inches wide and two inches deep was used to create the carving.

The photographic gallery begins with poses of the finished carving which was colored using artist oil paints thinned with boiled linseed oil.  Following this beginning gallery, the next gallery will be of photos of the process and progress as it develops towards it finished presentation.

[click on photos to enlarge]

The beginning stage for this project was to draw the front, back and side views of the Calvary officer as a cartoon guideline road map for keeping the basic form in proportional correctness for the various parts of the figure and outfit of the subject. This was done to position the vertical “present arms” of the sword would be critical in the design portion in conjunction with the head portion of the figure and the empty saber scabbard on the left side would be the proper length to match the saber in the right hand. Critical also was having the guidelines for the junctions of the uniform, holster belt, canteen, knee high boots with spurs, and the decorative trim mapped out on the basswood block in preparation for the Shape Up stage to begin with the basic knife cuts.

The initial Shape Up stage of the process is extremely important in creating a good foundation of the carving to basic form of the subject in order to receive the finish shaping of the subject in its final form.  The Shape Up stage is removing excess wood to expose the basic form and once the basic from has been established, then each portion of the form receive the finishing finesse shaping of the final form.

An unexpected situation may come up during the Shape Up stage that will need correcting or repaired.  For example, the brim of the kepi cap when thinned results is a very thin portion of the cross grain of the wood attached to the larger portion of the cap. Once it has been thinned to proper thickness, that portion is strengthened by soaking it with super glue.  Before that could occur, a corner of the brim broke off at its weakest point requiring that the brim be repaired by replacing the broken brim with a new portion of wood glued to the front of the cap and then sliced down to proper size and soaked with super glue for added strength.  Another unexpected flaw appeared when Shaping Up the head/hat portion to basic form with a hidden inner black and hardened bark like flaw was exposed at the area where the sideburn and front of ear would later be located. Repair was made during the “detail” shaping stage and then blending colors of paint to blend in with the hair and ear.

Close up photos below show the shaping of the hand holding the handle of the sword with the side arm pistol underneath the right wrist as the butt of the pistol peeks out of the holster. The second photo shows the canteen with its strap snaking its way underneath the left arm.

Here are the soldier completely carved awaiting its coloration in the painting process.

The last photo is of the CSA Calvary Officer  joined with a companion carving which can be viewed in greater detail by clicking on   CSA Artillery Officer.