[Thomp]

as a young man, long ago after looking at my grandfathers few carvings he managed to keep, i asked how do you remember the way to make the faces when carving,
my grandfather pulled out his old case poket knife, started stropping it, and told me to get him a piece of wood "a finger sized tree branch would do" and he proceeded to make me a teaching stick,,

one side was a progression of a mans face and the other side was the progression of a monkeys face. about 10 inches long in all,

after a few minuets he gave it to me, and told me, it was tradition from where he was from that old carvers to make them for youngans that wanted to carve, now if you make 50 of these youll never forget how.

since then im ashamed to say my stick got away through all my moves and travles,

but I thought it might be a great tradition to revive...

looking for examples on the web, i only found one set so far. located at
http://bishopwoodcarving.com/forsale.htm
at the bottom of the page.

[Thomp]

its not that im trying to knock these folks out of sales but i would like to see the tradition revived, from different carvers ideas,
sure we could all buy a set of these and all make the same faces and hand shapes,
but diverisity is what makes us more artistic,

i dont think we all want to set around and carve teaching sticks for months on end, but if we each carved one and posted it on the fourm it might in someway just do a little justice to this old tradition.. and help others when they are stuck for a way out of a prediciment. when a knife slips and takes off a nose or an ear..

example is the best teacher,
Im starting mine today from 1x1x10 basswood, will post soon as i can get the bleeding to stop...

[mwilleson]

I'll be waiting to see what you come up with. I have one for an eye. I went to a two hour seminar with Bob Mau and that was the project. Turned out to be easier than I expected and looks pretty decent.

Now if I could only figure out how to carve an ear I'd do one of those too....and a nose...and a mouth....and a....well, you get the picture.

I need to find more two hour seminars.

Mike

[Thomp]

my current 1x1x12" stick i am drawing up will hopefully be of an old man, which should be a task, its about 1 inch increments.
I start the stick at the bottom with a full face, and decrease steps upwards till you get to just the eyes

-- a good example i use to have a link to a santa-gnome tutorial which showed step by step carving tutorial of a 2x2x4" block into a gnome-santa, but the search for the link was fruitless, the carver was latin feller, i forget his name, but used a knife less than a gouge in the eyes and nose area, and it turned out alright looking.
but not a toothy grin like petes but a good santa face. with great eyes.
---
this link aint bad though...
http://www.carvingmagazine.com/proje...itstopper.html
of a woodspirit bottle stopper

did you see the link on first post to bishops wood carving site, it has polycarbinate teaching sticks i only used the link for an example. so folks would know what i was talking about.

they have 2 sticks and 2 sets examples of hands, one open and one closed.

the yellow teaching sticks is all one piece and it has very good eyes ears and nose examples if you click each picture for larger view and take a little time to study the stick..

hopefully i can get my stick posted here in a couple days.

[Linda L]

I was in a carving class at our local senior center, which turned out to be more of just a "get together," not a lot of instruction. Most carvers there spent their time carving and when I asked would offer help, but seemed to want to use their time to carve---not a bad thing, but hard to learn that way.

One day the "instructor" did give a short lesson on making faces on the corner of a stick. My first atempt was a disaster! The gentleman sitting next to me was 3 steps ahead of the instructor, and his "quick" carve was fantastic! I asked to "borrow" his for the week which he was glad to do. I returned it and now I regret not asking if he would sell it to me. It would be SO nice to have it for reference.

There are many "poly" "sticks" for sale (Enlow I think) but they are quite expensive.

What I wouldn't give for an experienced carver to make me a set of different facial features and expressions! I bought one at the last show, but it is all one face with one expression.

Gosh, this has all kinds of possibilities. Could be sticks with animal features, bird features, caracatures---no limit to the possibilities!

Great idea, these are the traditions that keep us beginners going. When, like me, my only connection is through the internet and an occasional show, it can be discouraging. Books and internet pictures after all are in 2D---sometimes hard to see the finer points.

Anyway, I hope you experienced carvers give this some thought and pass some of these to the next beginner you are helping. What a wonderful gift !

Linda

[Thomp]

linda,

I think i would rather be taught by a instructor like the one you had, instead of them hovering over me telling me each time i should breathe or how to hold the tools.
--
there can be lots that is learned from these sticks, ive seen them made with bird, monkey, men heads wemon and all kinds of animals,
each segment can teach a new step in the progression of one subject or be an intirely different carving.
and if you can keep them they will be a ready reminder how you accomplished a frown, smile, nose, nasel bridge or eye orbet in some future time.

I'm just a whittler, I dont have fancy training or tools i mostly use a old timer pocket knife or chip knife and a 1/4 & 1/8 palm gouge all walnut hollow.
but maybe this will catch on and we all can benifit from the better carvers in the group...
----
The 2 photos 'A front & sideview' is the bottom of the 1x1x12" stick ive started sorry for the photo quality im not good at pictures.
but its of an grumpy old man all pregessively the same pose, as i started on the finished end and will work out the steps back to the starting point, each pose is about 1 inch tall, black lined in these photos.

good luck with yours

Yes

[Marci MN]

Hi.. I get this " Invalid Attachment specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator" when I click on your links.

I think your on to something with these tuturial sticks. I know I'm one that would be interested in having some for reference.

[Thomp]

sorry for the flubb up.. i edited the message and reloaded the sorry pictures..
maybe a better photo 3 views

[Linda L]

I agree about having an instructor "hover." I have a real hang-up when I am trying to learn something and someone is watching every move. Only thing I find worse, is an instructor who says "Here's how to do it" then proceeds to pick up the thing I am working on and finish it. Great to see how it's done, but the object just became the instructor's. Big difference between "showing" and taking over. ldeally, I would think as it relates to carving the instructor would have a samle to show knife angle, type of cut, where to cut, instead of cutting the students work. Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about an occasional "touch-up" to show me how to achieve what it is I'm close to, I'm talking about the instructor with an ego. Find them in all art and craft classes. Just my penny's worth .

Hey, nice sticks. Maybe I'll give it a try!

Linda

[Thomp]

our votech carpentry instructer was a hands on guy A 60 year old mason by trade, but turned instructor, after injery

you couldnt have payed him to make you even the simpleist thing but if you asked him for a suggestion he would get between you and your project and wouldnt leave until he got it finished...

some of guys used that to our advantage, but he also got a lot of free lunches for his efforts..