Doodle Doods came into being as a byproduct of demonstration carvings done by the instructor in many classes over the years.  The demonstration was part of a lesson on teaching the planes and angles of a male face as they fit into the Rule of Three of Facial proportions. The photo below shows the progression from a block of wood to a carved face.

Illustration A is a one-inch square by inch and half tall block of basswood.  Illustration B shows the front corners of the block sliced off to simulate the width of the face.  Illustration C shows three horizontal lines to illustrate the Rule of Three of Facial proportions with top line being the Hairline, second line represents the Eyebrows and third line represents the Tip of the Nose while the bottom of the block represents the Bottom of Chin.  Illustration D shows the angles of the face with the Tip of the Nose being the point from which angles begin.  The first angle begins at Tip of Nose angling up to the hair line with a notch half way up the angle to indicate the Eyebrow.  The second angle angles down from Tip of Nose through the Chin. Illustration E shows the corners of the forehead sliced at an angle. The corners from Tip of Nose slice at an angle up to the Eyebrow notch.  At Tip of Nose the bottom of nostrils are shaped into a V shape and smile line is shaped with a notch cut coming at an angle out from the top outside of the nostril with slicing cut up to the smile line and bottom of nostril will turn the V shape into a M shape.  Illustration F shows the beginning shape of the eye lid/eye mound and the mouth mound.  Illustration G shows a carved face completed.

Steps A through E were demonstrated with each student with each student carving on their own block following the instructor’s demonstration.  The Illustration E block was where the instructor’s demonstration ended on this phase of instruction while going to another learning/demonstration to teach the detail part of carving in the eyes, ears, mouth, and hair. The student’s own Illustration E block was to either be a point of reference for understanding of carving in the planes and angles of a face or to finish carving a face into this foundation using what was learned about carving in the details of the face in subsequent lesson.

So, this instructor ended up with many Illustration E blocks to be incorporated into other instructional aids.  One of those aids was made into a two-faced teaching aid with two Illustration E blocks glued back to back and then carving a complete face on one face backed up with the Illustration E on the back.  These are depicted in the two photos below.

The next option was to glue four Illustration E blocks onto a three-inch-tall by inch square block and to carve a ball on this center post.  The ball became another point of reference for teaching that the head can be rotated side to side and up and down.  The ball became the basis for carving another face that taught how to carve a head looking in different directions.  The four Illustrated E blocks where then carved into a variety of faces.  Thus, Doodle Doods were born to be a visual array of facial features to study.  Perhaps the greater lesson to pass on in the recycling of left-over demonstration pieces is to discover a way to give them new life is lesson one.  Lesson two is to learn that it is always appropriate to practice carving because “the more we carve the better we carve.” Lesson three is while practice carving faces, seek to make each face look a little different than previous faces because the only way we learn to carve faces is to carve more faces.  The only way to learn to carve eyes is carve more eyes, etc.  Lesson four is to follow the “Old carver’s rule: Leave no wood uncarved.”  Lesson five is to learn that every carving project is a practice piece and a learning project. Or as Gerald Sears said, “Still learning, each carving is practice for the next one.”

 The photos below are the latest edition of Doodle Doods carved for the fun of learning from each face while sharpening carving skills with each carving.

Two more Doodle Doods added.

The Wood Bee Carve retired from teaching and participating in carving shows in 2019 so carving now is for personal enjoyment and an occasional commission.  A part of this carving enjoyment is carving the “left overs” because this old carver is still a Wood Bee Carver who follows his own motto: Would be carvers would be carvers if they would carve wood.”