Tuesday, June 2, 2009

CARVING SANTA #4

Make stab cuts at the bottom of the mustache to define the mouth area. Make one stab cut to the right of the center corner, and one to the left. Then remove the chip that is created.





Next we can begin to relieve the area below the mustache. Use a series of thumb push cuts up to the stop cut that defines the bottom of the mustache. After you relieve one side of the mustache, turn the piece over and relieve the other side. Go very lightly with the thumb push cuts or risk cutting the mustache off. Start these cuts at the center on the corner and work out to the mustache ends.





Next, we'll refine Santa's nose. There are lots of nose shapes that can result. You can start this nose refining process by making thumb push cuts to narrow the nose, and taper the nose from the tip to the bridge. Remember, the nose should be nearly the same on both sides of the "corner". So when you make one cut on one side, turn the piece and make the same cut on the other side of the "corner".


We can continue to refine Santa's nose by cleaning up the nose bottom. If the shape of the noses bottom is triangular, make small cuts to remove the right and left nose "corners". This will help to round off the nose bottom. Making additional small cuts at the the "corner" will round off the nose. You can even use your knife to cut nostrils at the point.



Next we'll round out the forehead and the hat brim. Use a thumb push cut at the center corner and remove the corner, up to the hat bottom. This cut will create a flat plane at the center of Santa's forehead. Smaller thumb push cuts on both side of the corner will round out the forehead.


After the forehead is rounder out, follow the same sequence of cuts to round out the bottom of Santa's hat.

Finally, use a series of thumb push cuts to taper Santa's hat up the a rounded point at the top. Work your way around the hat like sharpening a pencil with a knife.


This is about what we've done so far.







No comments: