how to carve from a pattern

[TNcarver]

Hi all, I have a beginner question. I am very interested in caracature carving. That seems like what interests me the most about carving. It is amazing how detailed one can get. My question is how does one transfer a pattern to a block (especially three-dimensionally) and carve the wood from the pattern? I just don't seem to understand how that works. Please excuse my ignorance, I am just getting into this and the bug has bitten me big time! I carved a few projects already and am on my way to learning. But I have not done anything like a caracature carving yet. I'd like to attempt one. Thanks for the replies.

[Joy]

I still consider myself a beginner but I will tell you how I do it. I use carbon paper to trace the the front view on one side of the block of wood. Then I trace the profile on the second side of the wood being careful to line them up exactly. I use a bandsaw to cut out the side with the simplest pattern. Then I use hot glue to glue what I just cut off back on again. This gives me a flat side again so I can turn the piece and carve the next side. When I finish cutting the second side I use a screwdriver to pop off the piece that I hot glued on......voila! I have a rough blank to start carving. The first carving steps are usually rounding off the corners.

Does that make sense? Someone else can chime in and tell you how they do it. I am sure there are many ways to tackle the same problem.

[Mitchell]

There's been a few threads on this topic....I'll try to link a few here for you.

This even has another link in it....
Installing and cutting out patterns

somewhat related
Another method for Caricature Design

[Robert Cahill]

Thanks for posting that question. At present I do as Joy does except I use tape instead of hot melt glue. I followed the links and read some really good suggestions that I will certainly try. I have had a few ideas but was haveing trouble getting them on paper I think I can accomplish something now.

[Thomp]

Robert,

get some graph paper, it will help keep the front and side view A-lined if you use it for base lines and heigth boundrys.

use reference points across the front view and side view like eye brow fore-head, nose, chin, neck, shoulder, elbow, belt line, butt, knee, ankle and foot.

after you get front and side view drawn and matching in heights, and at the depth you want bend the pattern over the edge of a block manage it so the grain aligns with the height of the pattern running long way, stick the pattern to the block with something like Arleen's tack it, spray rubber glue or just packaging tape, and go to the band saw, scroll saw or coping saw, cut out one view,, remembering to leave some extra for hands and feet in case you want to turn them differently or make bull legged pigeon toes or whatever than where they are in the pattern, also keep off the actual edge of the pattern, about 1/8th" to allow for your carving away the saw lines.

once you have that view cut out then turn off the saw and reassemble the block tape or hot glue it back together to make it a good stable flat block and then saw out the other view,
dissemble the block and you have a band saw cut out.

although a lot of the work is done at this point you will still have things to interpret because of the way it gets cut out the protrusions of the face will go all across the face,
draw center lines on the rough out then redraw a lot of the pattern back on the cutout to help map the project,
its real nice to have a second copy of the pattern to reference because some rough outs can be hard to figure where the nose is among all the bumps.

hope this sheds some lite in another way

[Robert Cahill]

Thomas,
Thanks for the good advice. As often as I have seen patterns and looked at various things I never thought about buying graph paper myself. (Duh) I will try your method. Thanks again.