Half Pints are three inch by inch square carvings of various figures and subjects that utilize the half inch scale equals a foot of the proportions of a figure.  They are slightly above the miniature two-inch size.  A monochrome oil finish of Raw Sienna artist oil paint thinned with boiled linseed oil give a soft glow to the surface that allows the faceted texture of the slicing knife cuts to create a texture of color.  Each is carved using only knives in the Whittle-Carving style of making slicing and rolling cuts to shape up the basic form of each figure and then refine with precise detailed slicing cuts.

The process begins by carving the hat and head into their basic form followed by dividing the remaining block of wood divided into three proportions using the Rule of Three for body proportions: Shoulder to Waist; Waist to Mid Knees; Mid Knees to Bottom of Feet.  Within these three divisions a cartoon guideline of body parts and clothing outfit are drawn to guide the carving of the basic form all over the entire figure.  Once the basic form is established the carving process continues with refining the form with detailing of the design.  This process is illustrated in the various photos that follow with some having only a brief description of the process while others have more elaborate description. Most of the photographic descriptions can be interchangeable with each other.

The first two photos below are a comparison between the in process and the completed carving of the clown with a broom and the knives used to carve this clown at various stages of the process.

The Concertina Clown is featured in the next series of progressive photos. The first three photos show the basic form of the hat, head and neck collar carved along with the three horizontal line dividing the body into the Rule of Three. The four photos that follow depict the entire basic form of the clown carved.  The finished clown in detailed form along with the knives used in carving this clown complete the photo display.

[CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE]

The Clown holding a balloon and feather begins with four photos of the basic form of the clown carved and followed by five photos of the detailed finish of the carve clown along with the knives used in carving this clown.

The Ice Cream Clown begins with four photos depicting the cap and head of the clown carved to basic form and the cartoon guideline drawings within the Rule of Three divisions. The three photos that follow are of the clown in the process of being carved to basic form with the knives being used in three views.  The four knives view is with the finished detailed clown followed by four photos of the finished clown.

The All Day Sucker and Flower Clown begins with four photos that show the head area as being carved into a dowel shape in which a beanie with a whirligig propeller and head will be carved. Below the head dowel the cartoon guidelines are drawn that will guide the carving to basic form as seen in the next four photos. The partially carved to basic form in seen in the photo with the knives used and the knife used to texture the curly wig, followed by four photos of the four sides of the clown in basic form. The last four photos are of the detailed carving of the detailed clown.

An overview of all the photos will give an understanding of the process that is used in carving a Half Pint Clown with interchangeable parts of design that can be adapted in carving clowns of similar design.

Any carving project is a learn by doing process which becomes practice for carving the next project and this practice is to make progress in that the more one carves the better one carves while learning by doing.

“Would be carvers would be carvers if they would carve wood.”