Views on caricature carving

In my opinion caricature carving is the best type of carving. You still have to practice, practice, practice, the only way you are going to get good at anything is to practice, and keep your mind open, you can learn from anybody. Once you think you know it all you stop growing.

With bird carving you have to pay attetion to the most minute detail and if you get even one feather wrong there is another bird carver that is going to catch your error and let everybody know about it. With chip carving if you make one mistake in your design it can throw the whole carving off. Carving animals you must research bone structure and muscle make up of the species you are going to carve or the carving just won't look right.

With caricature carving you have to know the basic shape of the face, then you distort it. If someone looks at your carving and says that one ear is bigger then the other then you tell them "That is exactly how I wanted to carve them, I'm glad you picked up on that." With caricature carving you have artistic freedom, the head can be huge or small, the feet don't look to good real small but you can do it. If you are trying to make it look like someone and they have really small feet then you would make them even smaller.

I look for ideas all over the place, online, in magazines, carving books, time-life books, coloring books, drawing books, book covers, figure modeling books, craft stores, and just watching people. Sometimes watching people you get the best ideas, how they dress, how they have their hair, how they walk, how they talk, facial expressions, and how they stand. Once you have a mental picture of what you want to acheive, you're on your way.

I added 2 of my carvings so that you know I actually carve, I hope you like them. My carving is constantly evolving. So if you don't like these give me a little time and I will come up with something different.

Have a great day!!