Steps

[Carp]

I've been carving a good deal now for a few years and it's got to the point that I don't really want to carve other peoples pattern, but start building my own creations. I do carve other peoples patterns because the worst day with a knife to wood is better than the best day doing anything else. But there is this nagging pull in the back of my head to start creating of my own. I have a couple of ideas, but getting them down on paper and onto a block of wood to the roughout stage seems daunting.

What are the steps you would think are necessary for a person to get from being okay with a knife to creating a caricature starting only with a picture in their mind?

Norm

[Kenny_S]

First, I would draw out the idea or write it down. By drawing it out, you can chage or adjust the drawing to what you really want. Once you have it to your liking, make a copy then choose the wood you want and remember the wood should be easily carved for your first one. Attach or draw your picture on the wood and if you know how, , mak two views. Cut the wood and pattern on the Bandsaw. Then as a referrence, start carving.
This is a simple step by step but then, why complicate it.
Hope this helps

[mwilleson]

Norm,

I kind of consider myself in the middle of this phase. Here are the steps I went through to get myself started:

1) Take an existing picture of a carving you like and modify it. For example I have done semi-original carvings by changing how and where hands are, feet, body position. I have even cut off arms or legs and then taped them back on where I wanted them. Basically it amounts to using the picture to get a rough shape and cut the blank on a bandsaw. After that it's all in your mind.

2) The next progression for me was to think about what I wanted to character to be doing. I would then draw a stick figure in that pose since anyone can draw a stick man. Once you have the pose, then draw some oblong circles along the body, arms, legs, etc to give it some thickness and then cut out this shape. After that it's all in your mind.

3) I'm in stage 3 of my plan now. I have an idea in my mind of what I want to carve. Since I can't draw for nothing I'm going to go right to clay. I plan to use a wire stick man as an armature and then build him up with clay until he looks how he's supposed to and then start carving.

Guess this got a bit long, but that's a few things I've done as I tried to break the reliance on other peoples materials.