[Just Carving]

Here's a pattern I just roughed out quickly by using photos of the side, front, and back of the Jenga Challenge fireman I did last month. It can be enlarged and cut out whatever size block you choose--5 inches tall could be a good size requiring a block about 5 1/4" tall by 1 3/4" by 1 3/4". What do you think?

[squbrigg]

I find illustrations really helpful, especially in helping me get my head around a subject. The more sketches that I have or do, the easier I find it to visualize the piece I'm going to carve and the shape that I have to reveal. At times I have found that illustrations had too much information, but ones like those Susan Irish have provided work well for me. A general outline sketch of the piece, and a seperate detailed drawing of the detail.

For example: I attempted a dragon in relief once and faithfully transfeered all the detailed drawings lines onto the wood. (one of Susans patterns, modified some) and when I started carving....Too Much Information!!! I had to stop, remove the detail and begin again. Just the general shape and outline. The detail went fine once I got the vasic shape settled in.

Bob

[Claude]

I use photographs or scanned images a lot. I trace around a slightly larger area than the outside of the photo just like Bob showed in his photos above. After I cut the waste wood away with the bandsaw I begin to round off the corners to get down closer to the final shape. Once I'm there, I begin to refer to the photos, which I have often converted to black and white high-contrast images so I can see the folds of the clothing better, and I may or may not put all the folds in the same place as the photo. Just depends...

Claude

[Eddy Smiles]

Being a new kid on the block and fairly new to carving in relationship to a lot of you old timers (carving years that is!), I prefer to have my cake and eat it to.

For instance, the photographs and the pattern illustration for "Native American Bust" in the Spring 2007 issue are just what the doctor ordered for this artistically challenged brain. Another example is the "Quick and Easy Ozark Character" in the Summer 2006 issue. I guess that until I progress a little further up the carving ladder, the more photographs there are and the greater the detail on the pattern, the easier it is for me to visualize exactly what I'm supposed to removing and exactly what I'm supposed to be leaving.