As a student in a class taught by Bruce Henn, I carved a Sombrero Guy using one of Bruce’s rough outs putting my own interpretation of what was inside the rough out.  Every carving project is a learning experience with challenges and new paths to follow.  That is one advantage of taking a class in that one learns not only from the instructor but also from the camaraderie of fellow students and the carving process.  There was plenty of wood within this rough out for me to turn the head slightly, thin the face and add the bandoleer across the chest of the Sombrero Guy.

The challenge in the designing part of carving was to carve ear rings in the ears, a leather tie to a pony tail and a toothy grin surrounded with a mustache and goatee.  Wood-burning highlighted the design on the brim of the sombrero along with providing contrast for the ear rings, leather tie and bullets in the bandoleer.  A stain of artist oil paint Raw Sienna mixed with boiled linseed oil was applied for a natural finish.  Deft was sprayed on for a protective finish.

The four photographs below show four views of Sombrero Guy.

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