[Woodcarver] Technique

[Dave Tygart]

I was thinking about technique again today.  Looking at the 
Woodbutcher's six minute gnome got me headed in that direction<G>.  Now 
I'm a new novice...and I don't really know much about carving except for 
the few pieces I've done and what I've read here (and there and in some 
books and on the web).

   Some background:  I've been messing around just since last Oct.  I've 
always wanted to carve wood, so I stopped at Big Dog's and picked up 
some stuff and just started doing it.  Palm tools, in-the-round, small 
stuff, one hand carvings of animals and such.

Something I read though kind of got me thinking.  "Cut to the Finish 
Line"  The way I understand this is that when one makes the cut, you cut 
to the finish mark or as close to it as you can get.  Looking at Jan's 
tutorial on the gnome kind of points that out, but that's not the way I 
carve.  I tend to whittle away at the wood until it gets close to where 
I think it needs to be, then go whittle away at some place else.  I go 
slower as I get closer to being finished, being more cautious about what 
I take off and where, and how much.  I don't do much marking on the 
wood...the dog link below was the first real pattern that I tried to 
use.  (I kept cutting the lines off.)

Now I've been down to Big Dog's when he hosts the open carving night and 
those folks look like they cut to the finish line a lot.  I suppose it's 
something that comes with more experience and more confidence?  If so, 
I'll be patient and keep on carving and wait for it to come.  Or is it 
something that comes with more hand strength and sharper tools?<G>

(An aside, I liked that face so much I carved the back flat, put a door 
bell under his chin and hung him on the front of the house.)

-- 

Regards from Iowa,

Dave Tygart

I don't have a picture trail but a few web photos are:

closeup of miniature duck decoy in basswood with carved feathers
http://home.mchsi.com/~dtygart/duck2.jpg

wood spirit in southern yellow pine survey stake
http://home.mchsi.com/~dtygart/face1.jpg

Late stage progress on Welsh Terrier carving in butternut
http://home.mchsi.com/~dtygart/bfd001.jpg



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