[Claude]

Originally Posted by Lynn O. Doughty

... Once this profile is cut on the bandsaw, I shape the head into a triangler form when looking down from the top. ...

Lynn: the light buld just lit above my head! One of my problems that I've noticed with my own carvings, is that the faces appear to be too flat. Your technique will definitely prevent that! I'll give it a try on my next in-the-round carving.

Claude

[feb]

Tom, I usually start by getting the face to a 45 degree angle from the tip of the nose. Then I m ark where the eyes nose and mouth are going to be so I can get the plains right. Then I rough in the nose and eye sockets. feb

[Tom H]

Thanks for the responses! It looks like every one of the replies is helpful, regardless whether ones starts a face from a flat surface or a corner surface. You must first consider what "sticks out" the farthest. And that would be the nose, ears. Then make your cuts to keep enough wood for the nose and ears. Or as some say, "create a corner" onto which you can detail the nose.....Thanks again....Tom H

[Joy]

I haven't done enough faces to know what I "usually" do. But it seems that I always start with the nose and base the rest of the face on that.

[whitecree]

Would that be a 'nosey' character, Joy?

[Thomp]

Originally Posted by Tom H

What is your first actual carving step when beginning to carve a head/face?
Do you start with the nose, top of head, face outline, etc. ? I know there are probably as many starting points as there are features of the face or head, but I am interested if there is a preferred starting point.
Thanks, Tom H

tom,
this a question with many different answers, without more parameters there will be many answers with more questions,

First of all i tend to do elves santa's and spirits with their nose on the edge of the block,
i pincel in a plan if im doing one from memory just for portunes,
its the way i started learning so for them my first cut is in the bridge of the nose then the mouth mound , a gouge to locate the eyebrows and eye sockets then roughing out where the hat hair and chin will be, then from there its a free for all, and the carving begins to spin and chips fall off till its done.


on a flat block or a bandsawn block i start with penciling in the center lines on all 4 sides, nothing more will help you get it all aligned better.
then i pencil in the charter, while doing this im getting more familiar with the dimensions and where everything will go insuring the side and front views will align and i havent forgot something between the 2 views, constantly checking the pattern or photos if i got um,
then start removing the bulk out of the shape, until i definitely know where the details go and i dive into the nose bridge and eye area, and the free for all starts again. till im finding a band aid or the carving is done.

hope this is what you wanted.