Aspen Cane/stick (roughing out)

[Mark Gargac]

I carved one of these for a client a few months back. I got a job to carve another. This one is heading for Calf. when finished.
Just thought some might be interested in viewing the way the cane is prepared for the carving process, this may not be much different for those of you who carve sticks. I will also, stepXstep, the roughing out stages, for a full relief Mtn Man.. Pix#1) The piece of aspen is 40" in length, and 2" in dia. Where the curves of the stick are, I will carve and sand heavy on the opposite side to straighten the cane out some. Pix.#2) Some work work ahead of me to get the handle smoothed out some. Pix#3 with a large gouge I am carving off some of the root out croppings. Pix#4) Handle smoothed out, after taking the larger portions off, I used a radom orbitol sander with 100 grit pad to do some shaping. Pix#5) taking a draw knife and tappering the cane, I have to evenly tapper the stick so I can get a rubber tip on the end.

[Mark Gargac]

Pix#1) Getting to the fun part, Cane's ready for carving! Pix#2)The tools used for roughing out the Mtn. Man. Pix#3) Drawing on the center line for reference. Pix#4) Using a #9/6mm gouge, I am carving in the bottom of the hat. Pix#5, Results.

[Mark Gargac]

Pix#1) Here I worked just slightly off the center line and carved a wedge in the the stick. This was carved with a #7/12mm gouge. This is the same procedure as if you were going to start a carving on the corner of a block, giving the face depth, right off the bat! Pix#2) carving a small wedge out where the center of the eyes will be, latter I will carve the arch of the bridge of the nose back into this wedge. Pix#3)Results. Pix#4) I penciled in where some waste wood is, and some clean-up cuts will be made in the next picture, This is the area right along side where the nose is going to be and inside corner of the eye socket. Pix#5) Removing the excess wood.

[Mark Gargac]

Pix#1) Removing the chip from the previous step. Pix#2) Results. Pix#3) Taking the #7/6mm gouge and carving the forehead down. Pix#4) carving in the eye sockets with a #9/6mm gouge. Pix#5) Results, getting good and deep in the inside corner of the eye sockets, really pops the nose out!

[Mark Gargac]

Pix#1) Taking the inside corner of the eye sockets even deeper. Pix#2) I used the #7/6 mm palm gouge and stop cut at the bottom of the nose. Pix#3) side profile shot, I used the same gouge #7/6 mm palm and made the removal cut for the bottom of the nose, this photo also shows the depth of the last two cuts with the #9/6mm gouge at the eye sockets. Pix#4) Overview. Pix#5) With a #7/6mm gouge flipped over, I am cutting in the lower bottom wings of the nostrils. I like leaving as much wood as possible when carving, I will carve slightly larger than I need. By doing this I always have a margin for error and room to experiment with different facial features.

[Mark Gargac]

Pix#1) Results of the last cut in the previous step, stop cuts at the bottom of the wings of the nostrils. Pix#2) removal cut, #7/6mm gouge, lower wings of the nostrils. Pix#3) Results. Pix#4) Same gouge #7/6mm, flipped over, and rounding off the tip of the nose. Pix#5) Progress.

[Mark Gargac]

Pix#1) I am using the #9/6mm gouge and establising the width of the nose, I am running this cut right up and into the corner of the eye socket, taking this area yet deeper. Pix#2) With the same gouge, I am coming in from the outside corner of the eye socket to clean the area up further from the previous cut. Pix#3) Taking a #7/6mm gouge and cleaning the edges off the side of the nose. Pix#4) Cleaning off the edges on the upper part, along side the nose.Pix#5) With the same gouge#7/6mm, flipped over, I am working just slightly off the tip of the nose, and creating some shape to the nose, by arching it back into the wedge, that I had cut in earlier for the center of the eyes.

[Mark Gargac]

Pix#1)Another picture of the previous cut. Pix#2) Removing the sliver of wood with the same gouge. Pix#3) I like to keep alot of wood right under the nose, where my finger is pointing. Leaving this extra wood gives you the option to experiment if you like, carving indians had gotten me in to this habit of leaving the extra wood thats needed, to create strong prominate dental curves.. I will take this down a bit, but dont want to flatten this area.Pix#4) #7/8mm gouge should do the trick. Pix#5) Progress. noticed how far the eye sockets are carved back in , and how much the nose has been brought out. If you take to much wood off from below the nose the nose will appear to be hanging off the face, leaving the extra wood also allows you to adjust the nose , sort of to speak, to the face, half on, half off.

[Mark Gargac]

Pix#1) Here I"m stop cutting under the hat. Pix#2) the removal cut at the bottom of the hat. Pix#3) Results, you can see how deep I have carved in the stick and how the face is emerging. Pix#4) penciling in the line at the top of where the visor will be carved in. Pix#5) Results.

[Mark Gargac]

Pix#1) With the #9/6mm gouge and cutting in the top of the visor. Pix#2) Results. Pix#3) Cleaning off the edge made from the previous cut with a #7/12mm gouge. Pix#4) With the detail knife I am stop cutting to bring the visor out more. Pix#5) the removal cut, I make this cut a number of times until I reach a desired depth.