Carving teeth

Blake Lunsford · #1 10-05-2005, 01:53 PM

Can anyone offer any advice and suggestions to carving mouths and teeth on caricatures??

Old_Gord · #2 10-05-2005, 02:43 PM

Sure get any of Pete LeClairs books.

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There is a one page blurb from Pete floating around that shows how to carve a smile and teeth, text doesn't show up too well but the diagrams can be followed with the text.

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OG

GaryMc · #3 10-05-2005, 05:45 PM

Hello VA and welcome to the board!
Get any of Petes books, here are a couple of links where you csn get free patterns of his work. Enjoy!
GaryMc

http://www.ieasysite.com/caricaturec...carver_001.htm

http://carverscompanion.com/Ezine/WWWEzine.html
The one above is the ezine for caarving put out every month by Matt Kelly, Pete has a pattern in it every month, also look at all the back issues at the bottom of the main page.

Mitchell · #4 10-05-2005, 05:51 PM

It ususally works best to carve the teeth inside the mouth.....

I jest. I actually have more trouble with the mouth than any other facial feature. I like to have teeth showing and have had varying levels of success.

My first advise would be to say that the mouth does not sit on a flat surface on the front of the face, but curves around the face and can even sit back into the face at the cheeks - especially when smiling.

I will try to post more when I get home from work - in the meantime, look at the pictures that Anthony posted from his trip to Dollywood. There are some interesting pictures there.

I will provide a link to his pictures. He posted this in the "Back from Dollywood" thread.

http://spaces.msn.com/members/spiritowood/

GaryMc · #5 10-05-2005, 06:41 PM

Here is another link you might want to look at, It is the Charicature Carvers of America site. click on the members link and you can see many carvings done by each carver.
http://www.cca-carvers.org/

Enjoy! GaryMc

Anthony Filetti · #6 10-07-2005, 10:08 AM

..one good tip is that to properly enhance the image of depth the teeth are carved somewhat like going down steps (from the front of the mouth to the back)...

...for facial expressions check out Marv Kaisersatt's book, its loaded with them.

Blake Lunsford · #7 10-07-2005, 10:36 AM

Wow! I have never thought about it that way! I appreciate your advice. That makes a little more sense. I was trying to figure out how to make them look rounded off, but stair-stepping them down beginning at the front would cause them to curve around the face! Thanks again!!!!

Canopener · #8 10-11-2005, 02:07 PM

I agree with everything above, and LeClair is an excellent teacher. I always keep his book handy. My original teacher/books was Harold Enlow, and in the wonderful Wood Carving Illustrated, Fall 2004 [issue #28] he gives instruction for the Ozark Grin, complete with teeth. Good stuff, I have gotten a lot of mileage out of this simple tutorial. No two look exacerly the same. Since you are learning, this would be a good time to grab something out of the firewood pile, and just carve away for practice.
Mitch said it, I second it, and your livin' it, teeth are like a witch on a broomstick. They come, they go; but mostly, it is just plain skeery.
Practice, and have fun!
Jim