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.

Click on the photos in the Progressive Steps Gallery to enlarge.

A study of facial progressive steps can be views by clicking on FACE STUDY link.

A tutorial for carving a three inch HALF PINT MINIATURE CARVING GUIDE can be accessed by looking under BEE HIVE  on the Home Page which is also a downloadable pdf document.