[kitaye]

Alot of the caricatures I see here and other places all have their hands on their pockets. Why is that? Is it a specific style or is there another reason for it?

[BrandantR]

Maybe their hands are just cold .

I think that people carve them that way simply because it's what compliments their design. I don't think there is a specific style that they are following, although I could be wrong.

[Jim OH]

More likely is that hands are difficult to carve and a lot of folks don't want to carve them.
Jim OH

[Thomp]

its about 2 to 4 hours quicker... jim oh beat me to it

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Quite simple really.......put the hands in the pockets and then you don't have to carve them!!! The same applies with all the poses of figures just standing there doing nothing with their hands in their pockets. If they're not doing anything they're easier to carve than if they had to do something. I use a similar excuse for not carving certain areas when I do horses. I normally drape the front mane over one eye. While this occurs naturally it alsos frees me from having to carve eyes on both sides.

It's okay to do this but you shouldn't use the hands in pockets thing too often or people will start to wonder whether you'll ever learn to carve hands!!

[Tom H]

Now that's what I like bout this forum. Straight shootin honest answers to questions. Hands in pockets cause it's quicker, easier, and don't have to carve the hands. Horse hair falling over one eye, only have to carve one eye instead of two. I think I, for one, could benefit from some other of these little shortcuts. Anyone care to share some more????Like squinty eyed Santa, don't have to carve eyes....How bout some more...

Tom H

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Here's a good one....

Carving Native Americans wrapped in blankets is REALLY easy cause not only do you not have to carve the hands you don't have to even carve the arms. If you have the blanket drape to the ground you don't even have to carve the feet!!!

How's that???

P.S. Maybe that's why Old World style Santas are so popular. ...... No Feet!!! BIg beard? No neck!

[BobT]

Amish figures? No faces?

[gene messer]

Alot of times we put the hands in the pocket because if the hands are out .. then you feel you must put something in them .. Holding something or doing some specific thing ..

Hands just hanging down at the side looks out of place sometimes .. so it's more practical to put them in the pockets ..

Especially when doing small carvings .. there's not alot room to add alot of extra detail .. and in small carvings .. the hand isnt so detailed anyway ..

Gene

[Jim OH]

FACE TIPS:
If eyes are different sizes adjust smile lines to compensate, make smile line higher on smaller eye side.
If face looks too full, remove wood under cheekbones.
After gouging out nostril hole, carve small triangle inside to deepen nostrils.
If chin is too pronounced, think about adding wattles below it, if carving of is of an old face.
If face is wearing a hat, carve small triangles in hair at brim line to make hair appear to go under hat.
For hair, once its textured remove a few random slices of wood running with the hair, to give added depth.
Rember nothing is of a set size on a face and you can change it as much as you want as long as you remember how features are controlled (muscle groups)
If you look at a face from the side and dont see the eye, you have something wrong.
Jim OH