[Mike_B-NY]

OK, Folks... here we go... my first tutorial for this message board. This was requested by a couple members here, so if you want someone to blame, I can name names. This is a smiling Santa done in the flat plane style (with a nod and a "thank you" to Harley Refsal). It's kind of evolved for me over the years. It's not the only way to do it, but it works for me. By the way, this face doesn't belong exclusively to Santa... I've used it for Adirondack hermits, tomten (Swedish gnomes), and other assorted characters. Before I get started, does the contrast/focus/detail of the picture work for you? Oh... and is anyone actually interested in a step-by-step for this Santa face ?

[tucker1931]

Hey Mike, looks all right so far, "let 'er rip"
Cliff

[tucker1931]

Mike, I assume that's the link you posted in the message, it' don't work.
Cliff

[BobT]

The link works OK for me. Looking good Mike. I look forward to more.
BobT

[Iowa Carver]

Yup me too! Thanks Mike.

Corey

[Mike_B-NY]

The title is a little misleading... it probably should be carving a smiling Santa face. Before we carve the eyes we need to lay the foundation, so...

Step 1: Here we have a Santa shape that was born from cutoff pieces a friend at the local club gave away as scraps. They were cutoffs from his band sawing several loon blanks. I told him he threw away the wrong parts (I'm sure that'll get me flamed by the bird carvers ). Anyway... knock off the corners... draw a border around the bottom... the bottom edge of a Santa cap at the top... twin rectangles up front... and four lines from those up to the cap. Wedge cut along all those lines and voila! A Santa body. Don't worry, if you want more detail we can backfill later. We're supposed to be carving a face. What's a wedge cut? Right this way...

Step2: First a little drawing. A centerline from Santa's cap to the top of his sleaves. Then a short horizontal line half way up. I apologize for the grimy finger nails. I was doing some Spring cleaning in the back yard .

Step 3: Then draw curves from the ends of the horizontal line up around to the side of Santa's cap. This is Santa's beard and hair line.

Step 4: A wedge cut... start with your knife below the line and cut down and into the wood at an angle that takes it underneath the line. Yeah, I got ahead of myself and already did a few of these up along the left side... just ignore those for now.

Step 5: Then start with the knife above the line and cut into the wood at an angle that takes it underneath the line from the other direction. A wedge of wood should pop out (yeah, yeah a CHIP of wood... durn chip carvers in my head). If not? No sweat, just repeat the cuts... a little deeper this time until it does.


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[tucker1931]

Hey Mike, now yer cookin, I'm right behind ya.
Cliff

[BobT]

Thanks Mike. I am liking it a lot. Really great photos also. You are doing a great job.
BobT

[Mike_B-NY]

Still with me?...Kewl! Now...

Step 6: Repeat these wedge cuts all along this line and this is what you should end up with.

Step 7: From another angle...

Step 8: OK, there are three steps in this picture, so go slow. Back to the pencil (or Sharpie). A third of the way down the centerline from the line you just cut away to the top of Santa's sleaves, mark a point. From this point (NOT the bottom of the nose) draw two nice round partial circles down-around-and up to the sides of Santa's cheeks. Well, they're gonna be cheeks... trust me. These lines will be Santas 'stache. Along the centerline again, about 2/3 of the way up from the top of the line you just cut, to Santa's hat, draw a short horizontal line. This will be Santa's brow line. Now with a knife go back to that point you first drew and plunge the tip into it angled out out and along the right hand line.

Step 9: Repeat the cut along the left hand line. You should have two cuts that make an inverted "V".

Step 10: Before attempting this step, skip to step 11 to see how this cut should look after it's made. Starting at the left wing of the inverted "V" make an angled cut that meets the other two cuts and the bottom of the "V" at the same depth as the other two cuts. A triangular piece of wood should pop out. And yes, this is a three cut chip carving cut, and no, I don't remember the Austrian name for it... ask mister Barton .



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[Mike_B-NY]

Step 11: This is what the cut in steps 8-10 should finish looking like.

Step 12: Then do a "pencil stop cut" along the remaining lines of Santa's mustache. Basically, hold the knife like a pencil (or a pen if you prefer) with all the "bleeding parts" above or behind the "cutting parts". Then trace the line with the tip of the knife, cutting only about 1/16" deep. Don't try to draw the line all at once. Take it in shorter strokes readjusting your grip between each. Then draw it again, cutting a little deeper the second time.

Step 13: Remove wood from the beard below the 'stache starting about a 1/4" below the stop cut you make and slicing towards until... well, it stops. When you can see about 1/8" of the bottom edge of Santa's 'stache, your done.

Step 14: The mustache should be throwing a good shadow now. If it's not, repeat step 13 and go a little deeper. Then soften it a bit by nibbling off the sharp corner you just created (just a little).

Step 15: Your Santa face should look something this. Well. not exactly like this, but if it looks more like say... your toaster, then you might want to restart at Step 1 with a new victim .



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