Ten students survived another whittle-carving class on February 19, 2011 at the Woodcraft Store in Centerville, Ohio. Pictured in the photograph are (left to right) Curt McCarthy, Dale Smith, Allen Armstrong, Tyson Dean, Ronnie Stewart, Trish Walton, Mike Closson, Andy Zinsmeister, Rita Carey and Teresa Balsbaugh.
Each student learned the basics for carving faces using only a knife by carving either a Shelf Squatter or a wooden basswood hen egg into a face. Instruction was giving as to the Rule of Three of facial proportions and the A,B, C’s that can be seen in a face. Warm up exercises included carving a study face using a triangle block of wood to carve the nose , smile line and mouth mound. Another exercise used the Three Version Face Stick to carve a ball on a square stick, lay out the angles and plane on a face on a ninety degree corner as well as narrowing of face to learn that the face is two thirds wide and three thirds long. These exercises can be found under Cool Links under the titles of Face Eye Study, Face Eye Study 2 and Three Version Face Stick which are visible and printable instructional aids. Students learned the benefit of utilizing the slicing cut as often as possible along with the versatility of making notch cuts and the three cut triangle chip cuts.
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The photograph to the left shows examples of faces carved using only a knife. The egg shaped faces were carved using a basswood hen egg and can become a bottle stopper, a bobble head or simply sit upon a shelf. The three Shelf Squatters in the center shelf are carved out of an inch and half square by three inch long basswood block with part of the back cut out to allow the carving to sit on a shelf with part of the front of the carving hanging over the shelf. The Cowpoke Busts are three inch tall by and inch and half square block of basswood. Each of these carvings are examples of faces that can be carved of various subjects and facial expressions. The photograph on the right contains more examples of faces that can be carved showing various facial features and expression for study. Studying and carving faces helps any carver become more proficient at carving faces because the “more one carves the better one carver,” to fulfill the Wood Bee Carver’s motto: “Would Be Carvers Would Be Carvers if They Would Carve Wood.”
WHITE EAGLE STUDIOS is a center of creativity in the heart and mind of Michael Keller of Chelan, Washington. He carves in a most unique style of carving art. Michael is also an artist with words as he describes the passion of his art through his web log and the gallery in his web site is like a tour through an art museum. We became friends by way of the Internet in that upon reading several of his woodcarving essays on a Lake Chelan web news site I made it a point to make contact with him. He became the first entry in this site’s Amazing Discoveries on the Internet and is the author who coined the word “carveful” and “carvefully.” He and I share a common bond as woodcarvers that is uncanny in that even though we have never met personally it seems like we have been friends forever. He is an inspiration to me as well as to the group of carvers who gather at his studio periodically and those who are regular visitors to his web log.
Recently he honored me by posting on his web log an interview we did over the telephone and through memory of numerous emails over the last few years. Upon visiting his site listed below one will discover Michael’s unique gift of creating art with words. White Eagle Studios-Don Mertz
Eagles are one of Michael’s favorite carving subjects along with Northwest Indian art motifs. The Eagle in the photo above was carved out of Brazilian Walnut as a commission piece. The photographs that follow are examples of his carving gift.
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MAGNETIC FACES are carved out of a half inch thick by one and half inch by two inch block of basswood as an exercise in face carving. Every carving project should be seen as a learning experience or a practice piece in which the carver learns to stretch one’s imagination and carving ability. These particular faces have a magnet epoxied into the back and will serve as examples of face carving for instructional purposes. Such faces could also receive jewelry pin backs so they could be worn on clothing. For this particular exercise they are simply examples of faces carved with a knife in sculpture relief or half round carving. Each one is an attempt to carve a different feature, a certain look and a trial run of carving a different face each time. Read the rest of this entry »
Rick Jensen is a good carving friend who is known among carving circles for his expertise in carving and teaching how to carve whimsical houses out of cottonwood bark. He teaches all around the nation and has authored a book entitled “Carving Tree Bark.” He is a popular teacher who has influenced untold number of students who go on to create their own unique designs of tree bark houses. His fun loving personality, good sense of humor and generosity of spirit endears him to all who call him friend and beloved carver. When I asked him if I could use his image for an instructional posting he more than graciously agreed which is just like his passion for encouraging carvers to experience the joy and satisfaction of carving. He is sometimes known by his nick name of “Bark Boy” but even more he is known as a respected carver, teacher, judge and all around nice guy. In studying his face in the photograph one will notice a strong face with character and a smile of friendly welcome. Read the rest of this entry »
Artist author and instructor Andrew Loomis influenced several generations of budding artists and his work still is influential. The plate to the left is one of his illustrations of facial planes to help in viewing the basic shape of the human face. If one is to become comfortable with carving faces in wood, one needs to be able to see the human face in various ways to fix an image in the mind. It is part of what I mean when I say, “Think inside the Block,” (the Block Head as well as the Block of wood) as being able to see in the mind first the basic shape of the human face. It is the mental image that guides the carving hands and tool to shape the wood into a human face. By using a study of facial planes both visually and carving facial planes the carver will be able to carve to shape a face that looks natural and pleasing. Read the rest of this entry »
THREE VERSION FACE STUDY STICK tutorial is located under “BEE HIVE” as a pdf document which can be viewed and printed. This instructional aid presents three versions of carving a practice face on one stick. At the top of a square stick a ball is carved out of a square area to teach the roundness of a head and its ability to rotate as a ball joint up and down, side to side and tilted at an angle. The second version uses the corner of the stick to teach that the face fits into a ninety degree angle . The third version at the bottom of the stick teaches the narrowing of the width of the face as being two thirds wide while being three thirds long. In each version of the practice faces the Rule of Three of Facial Proportions is utilized to carve in the basic form of the angles and planes of the face.
This Face Study Stick teaching carving to basic form. A Facial Detail Carving tutorial is located in another pdf document in “BEE HIVE” under the title “FACE EYE STUDY” which can also be viewed and printed. As with any practice carving project, the more one carves the more one learns while carving. “The more one carves the better one carves,” is experienced as one carves, so carve as often as possible remembering that every carving pr0ject is simply a practice piece until finished.
Stay Sharp and BEE CARVEFUL.
Seeing the A – B – C shapes in a human face is a good way to look at all faces to study. Once the image of reference points of the A – B – C of a human face is embedded in the carver’s creative sub conscious, then the carver can see the face with both an inner eye and natural eye. If the carver can see the face in the mind then the carver can carve the face in wood. Study the face of the carving by John Burke and look for the A – B – C shapes in the face. Look for the shape of a letter A. Then look for a separate shape of the letter B turned clockwise one turn so that the straight part of the B is at the top and the rounded part of the B is at the bottom. Then look for the shape of the letter C , either frontwards or backwards. Read the rest of this entry »
“Whittle Folk Spuds” – an article written by Don Mertz, is in the current Sring 2011 issue of Carving Magazine http://www.carvingmagazine.com/issues/current.shtml This “how-to” instructional article offers a step by step verbal description accompanied by appropriate photographs. The article in Carving Magazine is in more detail that a previous posting entitled “SPUDS ” https://woodbeecarver.com/?p=4554 Also in the same issue, my good woodcarving friend Mark Akers has a tutorial on carving a Civil War Soldier as in the photograph below.
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