Skull in birch

[Irishman]

Doing some playing around in my shop again and came up with this happy fellow. Sort of in the theme of Halloween but also a way to help me work on faces by "getting under the skin" so to speak. He is approx 16 inches high and carved in a white birch log. The opening of the jaw was a way to get some expression - not easy when there are no muscles or skin to work worth.
Patrick

[tnartist05]

He'll get anyones attention!! Neat skull Patrick!!

Forrest

[Dan Wegiel]

Hi Patrick,
Like this one a lot! George Washington would have given anything for a set of teeth like that!

Dan

[Irishman]

Thanks Forrest and Dan. I've read that it is good practice for carvers who do faces to get an appreciation of the skull shape and planes. I recall an old instructor telling me about cheek bones. Many who start our carving put the cheeks in the front of the face rather than up and to the side of the face...as you can see from the skull. There are other significant parts of the skull that help with facial shapes. I planned to get more of the jaw bone and temporal/cheek bone but I was running out of wood as I started wrapping around the log.
Dan, the teeth were perhaps the easiest part of the skull. Getting the bone angles was perhaps the hardest.
Patrick

[Cottonwood]

Patrick, I have always contended that an understanding of the bones underlying the skin and muscular tissue of the face is critical to getting a believable face carved in wood. In practicaly all my classes I have taught, a plastic skull model has accompanied me and it has been dragged out and discussed before making many of the initial cuts to even start the face. Carving the actual skull is something I have never done but it most certianly would be beneficial.
You did a great job, btw. Just the thing to celebrate the Halloween festivities!

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

Great job Patrick! Love the detail / teeth !

Dave

[markken5889]

great carving, Patrick!!!

Mark

[brent]

Yep, just in time for Halloween!
Would look awesome with a little red LED in each socket.

[Soggy]

Great job on the skull Patrick.............when I first saw the pictures I thought it was Bart Simpson...........
Soggy

[Josef]

Great carving in my favourite timber...Birch. Good set of choppers there, obviously died young. Well done Patrick. Joe.