Carving The 5 Minute Penguin

Here's a couple of steps to carving the 5 minute Penguin. You can use 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch Pine or Basswood. Start with a piece that is longer than the finished Penguin. You'll need the extra length to hold on to when carving. We are carving on the corner. This means that the Penguins beak will be on a front corner. The photo is kind of a right side view. When carving the 5 minute Penguin, think SNOWMAN. The first knife cut is a deep stop cut between the head and the body (step 1). To safely make this cut, hold your knife steady and rotate the wood into the knife blade. Begin to slice up to the stop cut (step 2). Notice in step 3 that the Penguins beak is beginning to take shape. Make a small stop cut at the top of the beak. Be very careful here, or you'll cut the beak off. Next make the same type of cut to define the Penguins tail. The rest of the carving is rounding off the head and shaping the body. Use the photo as a guide. End up by making the wing cuts, the eyes and the bow tie.