to the book

C.C.A. Signature
Collection
©
Commemorating the 10th
Anniversary of the Caricature
Carvers of America
Dave
Rasmussen
♦ Featuring carvings by 30 of America’s top caricature
artists
♦ Over 80 pages of color photographs
♦ Carving Advice
♦ Painting Tips
♦ Patterns
1
This book is dedicated to
our friend and fellow carver
Dave Rasmussen
(1940-1997)
2
Table of Contents
ABOUT THIS BOOK...........................................................................................................................................................5
GARY BATTE.....................................................................................................................................................................7
PHIL BISHOP ...................................................................................................................................................................11
CLAUDE BOLTON ...........................................................................................................................................................14
DAVID BOONE.................................................................................................................................................................17
TOM BROWN ...................................................................................................................................................................20
DAVE DUNHAM ...............................................................................................................................................................23
HAROLD ENLOW ............................................................................................................................................................26
TEX HAASE......................................................................................................................................................................29
WILL HAYDEN .................................................................................................................................................................31
ELDON HUMPHREYS......................................................................................................................................................34
MARV KAISERSATT........................................................................................................................................................37
RANDY LANDEN .............................................................................................................................................................40
3
W. PETE LECLAIR...........................................................................................................................................................44
KEITH MORRILL ..............................................................................................................................................................47
PETER J. ORTEL .............................................................................................................................................................51
STEPHEN H. PRESCOTT ................................................................................................................................................56
JACK PRICE ....................................................................................................................................................................60
DOUG RAINE ...................................................................................................................................................................63
DAVID SABOL .................................................................................................................................................................66
HARLEY SCHMITGEN .....................................................................................................................................................69
DAVE STETSON ..............................................................................................................................................................72
CLEVE TAYLOR ..............................................................................................................................................................75
BOB TRAVIS ....................................................................................................................................................................77
TOM WOLFE ....................................................................................................................................................................81
JOE YOU ..........................................................................................................................................................................82
EMERITUS AND FORMER CCA MEMBERS ..................................................................................................................86
4
Caricature Carvers of America
Gary Batte
Phil Bishop
Claude Bolton
David Boone
Tom Brown
Dave Dunham
Harold Enlow
Will Hayden
Eldon
Humphreys
Marv
Kaisersatt
Randy
Landen
Pete LeClair
Keith Morrill
Pete Ortel
Jack Price
Doug Raine
David Sabol
Harley
Schmitgen
Dave Stetson
Cleve Taylor
Bob Travis
Tex Haase
Steve Prescott
Tom Wolfe
Joe You
5
ABOUT THIS BOOK
The new millennium marks the beginning of the second
decade for the Caricature Carvers of America. When we
organized this group back in the fall of 1991, everyone
agreed that our most important objective would be to
promote caricature carving. To this end we have published
two books, taught numerous seminars, provided several
major exhibits of our work, and our members and their
carvings have been featured in several national magazines.
In addition, we began a program several years ago to
promote caricature carving at shows around the country by
awarding CCA Merit ribbons. This book marks our
continued efforts to promote caricature carving as an art
form.
A secondary objective of this project was to establish a
permanent, museum quality collection of carvings that would
form a lasting record of our membership. The idea for a
perpetual collection of carvings by members of the CCA
came from Ozark carving legend Peter Engler of Branson,
Missouri. Peter suggested that we were in a unique position
to document the history of the CCA by assembling a
collection of carvings by the members of our group, both
active and emeritus, which would chronicle the evolution of
caricature carving over a significant time period. The
carvings in this book represent the collective talents of the
CCA membership from 1991 to 2000, and include carvings
from both active and retired members, and from our brother
Dave Rasmussen, who passed away in 1997.
Unlike our previous projects, (The Full Moon Saloon and the
CCA Circus) which were theme-oriented, our goal for this
project was to create carvings which best portrayed the wide
variety of personal carving styles represented in the CCA.
The only stipulation was that the carving was not to exceed
4” x 4” x 12”. As you might anticipate from a group of
caricature carvers, not all of the carvings conform exactly to
the size limitations, but they’re close.
As you read the chapters in this book you will notice that the
methods and approaches used to develop an original carving
vary among carvers. You will quickly see that there is no
“single way” to design, carve, or finish a carving. Each
member of the group does what works best for them. Ideas
evolve in a number of ways. Some carve what they know
best; hillbillies, fire-fighters, cowboys, golfers, or police
officers. Others, given the opportunity to do an original
piece, carve something they have always wanted to do. Still
others just observe people and situations, record ideas for
future consideration, and begin their task by sorting through
files, scrapbooks, old notes, etc., looking for that “perfect
idea.”
Similarly, not all use the same approach in designing their
carving. Some use sketches ranging from simple stick
figures to complex drawings to develop their idea. One or
two do small, test carvings for each piece. A few work in
clay or with mannequins to get the correct position for the
body and props. Others simply draw a few lines on a piece
of wood, band saw off a chunk or two, and start carving.
6
As with the design process, the mechanics of carving vary
greatly with the carver. While there are many similarities,
they all seem to follow a different path in reaching their final
destination. Some will methodically work up or down the
carving, first blocking it in, then adding detail in each
successive pass. Others simply focus on one specific area of
the carving and progress to the next. As you read the
individual chapters, consider those processes you feel might
work for you, and try them on your next carving.
The varied approaches to designing, painting, and finishing
woodcarvings described in this book are not meant to
confuse the novice carver. Rather, they underscore the
flexibility that carvers have in creating an original carving
and developing their own “style”. We recommend you attend
a few quality seminars, study some good books and pick and
choose what works best for you from a number of sources.
Your carving “style” will evolve. We hope our book
contributes to that process.
Methods for painting and finishing carvings also vary
significantly. But, whether the medium is oil paint or waterbased acrylics, most agree that the use of dilute washes for
adding color is preferable. The emphasis is on adding
minimal color to obtain the desired effect without masking
the beauty of the wood grain.
Most of us take the same approach to antiquing. We slop it
on and blot it off. Some dip their carvings in a vat of
antiquing mixture while others will apply a liberal coat with
a brush before daubing it dry. The primary difference is in
the composition of the antique mixture. There are as many
different antiquing recipes as there are carvers. Most are oilbased, often made with linseed or Watco oil. Some carvers
add artist’s oil paint to adjust the color while others will
blend different shades of oil stains. And finally, some will
apply one or more coats of wax to the finished carving.
Again, a variety of processes are detailed in the individual
chapters.
Visit our web site at www.cca-carvers.org
See the latest carvings by members of
the CCA, check out seminar schedules,
and read about our newest project.
7
KISS ME, YOU FOOL!
Gary Batte
This conceited cowboy makes no
bones about showing off his
secret for attracting women. The
bulging eyebrows and rolled up
lips show that he is ready for
action. Additional caricature
features were added to show
distortion and make him even
funnier: the pinned hat brim,
large nose, ears, hands, and feet,
and a belly that’s seen too many
beers and biscuits. His hands
were carved to accentuate the
belly. Suspenders and skinny
legs add to the character of this
ol’ cowboy.
PATTERN DESIGN: As I often
do, I used one of my existing
patterns and changed it to fit this
character. For this cowboy, front
and side views were enough. This carving was done from
one piece of wood, including the base.
BAND SAWING: The side view was band sawed first and
then the front. The piece cut from the back was saved and
temporarily reattached with tape. This provided a flat
surface to facilitate sawing the front view.
Transferring the front view from the pattern to the wood is
always a challenge. I first drew vertical center lines on the
front of the piece and on the front view pattern. The pattern
was then held against the front of the piece, making sure that
it was properly aligned. After drawing around the pattern, I
made adjustments by referring to the pattern and by using the
centerline and the lower end of the piece as reference points.
ROUGHING OUT: More centerlines were drawn on the
top and back sides for use as reference. Some of the surplus
wood was removed from each side of the hat crown, being
careful to leave wood for the front of the brim, which is
turned up. The turned up brim was left about 1/8” thicker
where the safety pin is located. I saved final thinning of the
brim until last to avoid breakage and accidentally cutting
through it from the underside when carving the ears and
other features. Next, the crown and brim were rounded.
After marking the ears, surplus wood was removed from
each side of the head, leaving wood for the ears. The nose
was then marked, and the facial planes were cut from the
sides nose back to the ears. Another cut was made on each
side of the nose to establish its plane in relation to the rest of
the face. A “v” cut was made across the bridge of the nose.
Then a cut was made from the front of the nose to the bridge
at the desired angle. Excess wood was removed from the
back of the ears and some rounding of the head was done.
Ears were shaped, and a #7-8mm gouge was used to angle
each ear inward to the point of it’s attachment.
8
The positions of the hands and arms were established during
the rough-out stage. I removed the surplus wood from all
sides of the arms, including the separations between body
and arms. I then rounded the body while leaving wood for
the hands, bandanna, belt buckle and suspenders. Extra
wood was left in the center of the belly so that the belly
button, shirt wrinkles and gaps between buttons could be
carved later. Holes were drilled between the legs to facilitate
easier wood removal with gouge and knife. The arms and
legs were rounded and the feet were roughed out. Gouges
were used to remove wood from inside the bandanna.
The whiskers were created by pressing the point of a 1 mm
v-tool into the wood after the carving was painted. (If done
before painting, the water in the paint will tend to swell the
wood and close the v-tool cuts.)
DETAIL CARVING: The facial expression required the
most study. The eyes are wide open and intense. To achieve
this look, I carved large sockets and rounded the eyeballs,
leaving thin eyelids. V-tool
cuts were made to create
the eyelids, bags below the
eyes and the wrinkles
across the bridge and on
each side of the nose. The
bottom lip is pulled up so
that it touches the bottom of
the nose and create
wrinkles just above the
upper lip. A small wedge
of wood was removed
below the nose, leaving
plenty of wood for the upturned lip and the protruding chin.
The belt loops were carved first, then the belt. Each loop
was carved by first making a vertical stop cut with a knife tip
on each side of the loop. Then the wood between the loops
was removed. The belt was then carved with a knife tip.
The gaps in the shirt were carved by removing wood from
either side of the buttons and by leaving the wood thicker
above and below each button. V-tool cuts were made on each
side of the buttons, and a small gouge was used to remove
wood where the shirt gaps open. Wood was left for the
protruding belly button.
PAINTING: Painting was done with acrylics thinned with
water. Burnt umber was used for the boots, belt and hat,
except for patches and hat band. Orange toned down with
raw umber was used for the shirt. The bandanna was first
painted green, then a flower pattern of brown and white dots
was added. The tip of a round toothpick was cut off and
dipped into thick liquid paint to make the dots. Buttons are
white. The thread holes were made with a sharp tipped
wood burner. Golden brown was used for the suspenders,
except for the fasteners, which were painted burnt umber.
Metallic gold was used for the adjusters. The trousers were
painted with a very thin nightfall blue.
9
The knees, seat and bottom
edges of the trouser legs were
painted with white blended
with blue. A dry brush was
used for blending. Medium
flesh was used for the base
coat of the skin areas.
Vermilion was blended with
the medium flesh to give color
to the lips, nose, cheeks, ears
and knuckles. I have only
been able to find the vermilion
in tube watercolor paint;
however, it mixes well with
acrylics. I have also used
crimson red light for this
purpose.
The beard was
painted with thin black applied
over the flesh. The eyeballs
were painted with a slightly
thinned white; then the iris
was painted with cobalt blue.
I used a Pigma Micron No.
005 black pen to outline the
irises and a No. 05 black pen
for the pupils. Burnt sienna
was used for the hair. The safety pin is iridescent silver.
BIOGRAPHY: Gary, a resident of Stephenville, Texas,
retired as Area Conservationist from USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service in 1994 and now spends
much of his time on woodcarving activities. A carver for 20
years, his caricatures are created from original designs and
are noted for their humor and detail. They have been
exhibited in a number of galleries, museums and universities.
Gary’s caricature of former President George Bush, "Read
My Lips! " is on permanent display at the George Bush
Presidential Library and Museum at Texas A&M University.
Gary has won numerous awards at major carving shows, the
most notable being best-of-show at the 1998 Texas
Woodcarvers Guild Woodcarving Championship Show.
Gary’s carvings can be found in many private collections
throughout the United States. He
is a woodcarving instructor and
show judge and has authored a
book titled “Carving Critters,
Cowboys and Other Characters”.
He has also co-authored two
other books by members of the
Caricature Carvers of America,
The Full Moon Saloon and
Carving the CCA Circus. Gary is
a founding member of the CCA
and is a member of the National
Woodcarvers Assn., Affiliated Woodcarvers, Ltd., and The
Texas Woodcarvers Guild.
10
Kiss Me You Fool©
by Gary Batte
11
HIGH NOON
Phil Bishop
1998 was the year of my
carving career as I had the
honor of joining CCA, and
being invited to participate in
their new project. On the way
home from the Mid America
Wood Carvers show in
Omaha, NE my wife Vicki and
I brainstormed for hours (got a
headache) on what to carve.
After realizing I didn’t have a
lot of time I settled on an old
cowboy called High Noon. It
is derived from the movie
starring Gary Cooper, an old
gunfighter with a slight
swagger to his walk.
I don’t work with clay so I
gathered all my old patterns
and pictures for reference in drawing the front, back and side
views. I use tracing paper, changing positions until I am
satisfied with the final outcome.
PROBLEMS AND PROCEDURES: The difficulty of this
project is carving the gun behind the hand.
SOLUTION: The arm and hand can be cut away at the
elbow or shoulder, to allow access to the hand and gun, then
glued back with a dowel.
I transfer the pattern from the tracing paper to the wood with
carbon paper (front and side profile). When bandsawing two
sides on a block I often use masking tape to hold the two
pieces together while sawing the other side. I begin almost
every carving by
rounding with a
large
blade
bench knife, a
large (#9 or 11)
deep U-gouge
and a 60 degree
parting tool. I
work over the
entire piece to
create the flow
and shape of the
body (think form
not detail at this stage). The use of a cut resistant glove on
the holding hand is highly recommended. Next I work all
over the body drawing the details, clothes, vest, boots, belt,
hat, etc. The hands and face are left till last. I V-tool all
pencil marks to give good reference lines and to prevent
pencil smudges from the oil in my hands. Stop-cut all the
lines and under cut to create bold shadows. Carve lots of
wrinkles where appropriate.
12
In caricature the heads, hands and feet need to be
exaggerated in size. The most fun is in deciding and creating
the facial expressions, usually determined by the action and
shape of the body, or maybe just my mood at this point and
time.
Expressions
are
controlled by the angle
of the eyebrows and
smile lines. The mouth
and teeth are also an
indication of expression.
The nose and eye shape
have some, but much
less influence on
expression. I like a big,
crooked nose.
FINISH. I use waterbased acrylic paints.
Use a darker shade of
each color in the
wrinkles. Rub with a
wet cloth to give the
carving three values
(light, medium and dark). After the paint is dry I utilize the
dry brush method to accent the clothing and highlight some
of the cuts. I use a mixture of white and the color of the
article to highlight.
I use a solution of boiled linseed oil and burnt sienna (artist
oil paint) to antique and seal the carving. I really like the
reddish hue.
BIOGRAPHY: PHIL BISHOP is a full time woodcarver
from Elk City, Oklahoma. He was drawn to the love of
western culture because of his Oklahoma roots. The diversity
of people he sees is apparent in his detailed and humorous
renditions of cowboys and Indians with endless variations on
their lives and work. Phil studied industrial drafting and
design in college. He served as a helicopter crew chief in
Vietnam, and has worked for McDonald Douglas, Coors
Distributing, and the 3M Company. His exposure to
woodcarving at a mall show in Oklahoma City in 1992 was
his catalyst into the world of woodcarving. Phil is also a
woodcarving instructor, having taught at various seminars
throughout the country. He has held week long seminars at
Woodcarving Rendezvous,
Michigan Woodcarving Rally,
and Doane College. He is a
frequent blue ribbon winner,
his most valued being at the
International Woodcarvers
Congress. He is a member of
the
Oklahoma
City
Woodcarvers Club, the
National
Woodcarvers
Association and the Affiliated
Woodcarvers Ltd. He became
a member of the Caricature
Carvers of America in October of 1998. Phil's work can be
seen in "Art Buyers Guide" (Cheyenne Publishing LLC
Cheyenne WY.) featuring Oklahoma Artists, which is in
bookstores, galleries and art centers.
13
High Noon© by Phil Bishop
14
THE SUPER SENIOR DUFFER
Claude Bolton
One of the beauties of the
game of golf is the
success and enjoyment
that many senior citizens
attain in playing the game.
Many seniors even shoot
their age on a regular
basis. To enhance the
game even further, the
following rule changes are
suggested for competition
in the Super Senior
tournaments:
•
Competition
should be a
one-day 18
hole event.
•
All contestants
must ride in a
golf cart.
•
Caddies are allowed to lift, place and clean any
shot.
•
Caddies will be required to remove all holed-out
shots from the cup.
•
Tees may be used in the fairway.
•
Canes or other assisted walking equipment is
permitted.
•
Any assistance to or from the ball is permitted.
•
The cut will be the 4 lowest scores or ties after 9
holes.
•
Wearing apparel and equipment should be
vintage.
The carving and the submitted pattern is in no way intended
to resemble any golfer living or dead.
The pattern was developed from a series of stick and oval
shaped sketches to get the general posture of a mature male
golfer. Dimensions were sketched from a mannequin, and a
rough profile sketch was used to bandsaw the blank before
beginning to rough out the
blank. Since posture is
rather symmetrical, a center
line from top to bottom was
required. The width of the
head, the width of the
shoulders, the width at the
elbows, the width at the
waist, the width at the
knees and the width at the
feet were then marked.
Wood was removed to
15
these guide points before the rounding process began. After
properly rounding, the final features and details were
completed. The finished carving was painted with a light
wash of acrylics with a final coat of raw umber water base
Varathane.
BIOGRAPHY: Claude is a retired educator from Fort
Worth, Texas. His interest in carving has grown steadily
since he took his first carving class at a local museum in
1974. Claude generally carves cowboys, with an occasional
deviation such as the clowns he carved for the CCA Circus
and the Senior Duffer he carved for the CCA Signature
Collection. In keeping with his caricature style, Claude’s
carvings show exaggerated features and actions.
Claude has written three books
on caricature carving including
“Carving Cowboy Faces”,
“Carving Cowboys”, and
“Heads, Hats and Hair”. He has
conducted over 100 wood
carving seminars in 20 states
and has been an instructor at the
War Eagle Fair in Arkansas for
several years.
Claude organized the Fort
Worth Woodcarvers in 1975 and is a founding member of
CCA. He is also a member of the North Texas Woodcarvers,
the Texas Wildfowl Carvers and the California Carvers
Guild.
16
The Super Senior Duffer© by Claude Bolton
17
SICK’EM DUKE: JEROME AND DUKE PEER
INTO THE DARKNESS
David Boone
THE DESIGN: Sick’em
Duke comes from my
background of growing up in
the Blue Ridge Mountains of
North Carolina. Being a
direct descendent of the
frontiersman, Daniel Boone,
and coming from a long line
of mountaineers as far back
as the 1700’s, has been my
major source of inspiration
for my caricatures. When
people ask me where I get my
ideas for my carvings I tell
them that I have lived with
these funny caricatures. Most
hunters in my area are brave
and their dogs are known for
being the best. It wasn’t hard
to reverse this scene to
envision a hunter peering into
the night with a lantern and
scared dog, Duke, that is too afraid to leave his master. He
wraps himself around behind Jerome tangling his lead. I like
to carve something that tells a story. I get a lot of enjoyment
when people laugh and see the humor in my carvings.
CARVING JEROME AND DUKE. Jerome and Duke are
carved in one piece except for the lantern. I sketched the
pattern and then transferred the profile onto a block of
butternut. After band-sawing, I roughed the carving out with
a Foredom power tool. I then detailed with a knife. Final
work was accomplished with a power rotary tool. Carvings
come from the artists mind and not totally his hands. I
envision what I want to create and when finished the
character comes alive. I like to pick up a piece of wood and
begin my carving immediately. When I think of an idea that
I particularly like, I do try to sketch it so that later I can come
back and do the carving.
PAINTING. I use acrylics to paint my carvings. Before I
begin to paint, I use
a torch to seal the
wood. Be careful
not to burn off parts
you want to save. I
then paint the entire
carving with a black
wash. I use a very
dry brush when
applying the colors.
This technique gives
the shadowed effect
I like. I finish by
spraying with a
matte finish.
18
BIOGRAPHY: David is a resident of Burnsville, North
Carolina. He is a self-taught, multi-talented artist who
started carving fourteen years ago. He has always painted
pictures and drawn cartoons for his fellow workers, and
prefers to carve scenes of the Blue Ridge Mountain People
that tell a humorous story.
David is a member of the National Woodcarvers Assn.,
Affiliated Woodcarvers Ltd.,
and the Southern Highland
Guild. His awards include
Best of Show, People’s
Choice, Show Theme, and
ribbons in all caricature
categories from shows
throughout the United States.
David teaches and lectures,
and his works have been
exhibited at universities,
galleries, and museums.
19
Jerome & Duke©
by David Boone
20
FLY-BOY
Tom Brown
THE IDEA: At the 1997
annual meeting in Branson,
MO the idea was born to do a
traveling exhibit of carvings.
The project was to be
something that we enjoy
carving. That made it simple
for me because I would love
to be a pilot. I love pilots,
especially W.W.II era pilots.
I cannot say I really believe
in reincarnation, but if I did,
then surely I must have been
a pilot in a former life. I have
carved several pilots, but I
decided to add and airplane
for this project. A real pilot
would need one! That’s my
greatest love after Suz and the
kids. Now, I’m beginning to
have a problem. I have to do
the carving in the scale (4” x
4” x 12”) we agreed on, but if
I make the airplane wing span
12”, then the pilot would be only 4” tall. So, I got creative. I
carved the pilot 11” tall and that left a space 4” x 4” for the
airplane. Now the true caricature is coming into focus, by
being out of proportion and ludicrous. Hey, that’s my
outlook on life.
CLAY MODEL: Rather than sketching an idea I prefer to
work it out in clay. The resulting three-dimensional figure
really brings the idea to life. I use Sculpy II, because it
remains pliable so that I can add, remove, twist, bend or
reshape until I get the look I desire. When I am satisfied
with the project I bake it at 225 degree for about an hour. It
bakes pretty hard but you can still carve on it, or add more
clay and bake it again.
It is a very forgiving medium and I recommend it as a way to
debug a project before you start carving. The completed
model can be used to make a bandsaw cut-out or a roughout.
I chose to make the roughout because it can be carved a lot
faster.
CARVING: With the roughout in front of me and the idea
fresh in mind I am now ready to start carving. This is what
makes carving fun. It doesn’t get any better than this. I use
gouges such as 1/2 #3, 3/8 #9, and 3/16 #11 to rough out a
project and a good carving knife with a very sharp tip for
detail. In fact, I do most of my carving with the tip of my
knife. I try to lay in a lot of detail as I go along.
Make every cut count and try not to make repeat cuts. I find
that repeat cuts create problems that are time consuming and
sometimes difficult to resolve. If you will take time to study
a project, and know where your cuts are going, you will
experience fewer problems and produce a cleaner more
satisfying carving. Remember, if you use sharp tools, you
will have fun and cut your carving time in half.
21
FINISH: Some carvers paint, some stain, and some spray.
Some produce a good finish, and some ruin a carving by the
finish. If you decide to use water base paints, think thin.
Then, thin it down again. Put paint into the wood, not on the
wood. Pick your colors so they
blend with each other. Most of
what pilots wear is usually
brown, so I depend on such
things as scarves, patches,
insignias, zippers, buttons, and
teeth for contrast. After the
painting is complete I enhance
the finish by dry brushing. Dry
brushing, when applied in key
spots, will enhance your carving
significantly.
I use a mixture of boiled linseed
oil and an oil-based burnt umber
for antiquing. I rely on the
antiquing to dissolve some of the
paint and to drive some of it into
the wood. Plus, it softens the
colors and gives the carving life.
If you haven’t used this antique
mixture before it is good to
practice on painted basswood
scraps before applying it to your
carving.
BIOGRAPHY: Tom is a
retired Chrysler employee
and hails from Converse,
Indiana. Five sons and one
daughter kept him and his
wife Suzi pretty busy. With
five sons, scouting became a
large part of Tom’s family.
The Boy Scout summer
camps introduced Tom to
woodcarving and a visit to
the Wood Carving Museum
in Colorado gave Tom a
great idea. He helped to
organize a carving club
consisting of three troops in 1988, and this group soon
became the Eastern Woodland Carvers Club. The club has
since grown to over 400 members. The club is proud owner
of a three story building in downtown Converse dedicated
solely to woodcarving.
Tom currently serves as the E.W.C.C. president and one of
three co-founders. Tom is past- president of the Affiliated
Woodcarvers, Ltd., and is a member of several other carving
clubs. To promote his love of caricature carving Tom gives
demonstrations, judges competitions, and teaches seminars
around the country. Torn is very proud to be a member of the
CCA. According to Tom, “It just doesn't get any better than
this”.
22
Fly Boy© by Tom Brown
23
COWBOY PAST HIS PRIME
Dave Dunham
THE IDEA: Sometimes, during an unguarded moment, we
accidentally allow true objectivity to overpower our capacity
for self-deception. This happened to me one morning not so
long ago when I happened to glance in the bathroom mirror
after my shower.
I was startled by
the reflection, and
my first thought
was, “Holy Cow,
I look like I’ve
swallowed
a
horse!”
Well, one thing
led to another, and
I eventually came
up with this idea
of an old cowboy,
long past his
prime, leaning on
the corral fence
and commenting
on the facts of life
as he saw them.
Inspiration comes
in strange ways!
THE PROCESS: I began this carving by making a line
sketch of the cowboy’s body position as he leaned on the
corral fence….elbows on the
top rail, one foot resting on the
bottom rail, head turned
almost perpendicular to the
shoulders as if he were talking
to someone.
Then I constructed a threedimensional set-up of the
entire scene in clay, positioning his body and the supporting
structures in the desired positions.
Next, I made a profile drawing of the figure at the actual size
I wanted the carving to be and transferred this onto a 4-inch
thickness piece of basswood. I bandsawed the figure in
profile view only and began the carving process from that
point.
CARVING THE FIGURE: I
carved the cowboy and the base
as a unit. Frequent reference to
the three-dimensional model kept
me on the right track for body
position and attitude. The corral
fence was carved separately and
inserted into the base so that the
elbows and foot were resting on
the structure in the proper
position.
24
PROBLEMS
AND
PRECAUTIONS: I left a
small support base under the
cowboy’s left foot until I
completely finished the
scene, including painting and
final assembly of the corral fence. After the left foot was
secured resting on the fence rail, I carved away the support
and touched up the area with paint to finish the project. This
precaution was necessary because of the thin left leg that was
in direct cross grain at
the thigh, which would
be very easily broken
without good support.
BIOGRAPHY: Dave was born and raised in East Texas at a
time when it was considered poor taste and bad manners if
you didn't carry a pocketknife, so he got an early start
carving – actually "Whittling".
After High School, Dave spent
four years in the U.S. Marine
Corps, then attended college,
Dental
School,
and
postgraduate
training
Orthodontics. He continues his
orthodontic practice in order to
support his hobby of
woodcarving.
Almost exclusively a caricature
carver, Dave especially enjoys
carving facial expressions as
reflections of emotions. He has taught seminars for several
years throughout the U.S. in caricature carving and he has
extensive experience in judging woodcarving shows.
Previously, Dave served as
Secretary and Newsletter Editor
for the Texas Woodcarvers Guild
and he is a past-president of the
Affiliated Wood Carvers Ltd., of
Davenport, Iowa. He is a
Founding Member of the
Caricature Carvers of America
and the immediate PastPresident.
25
26
THE BROKEN JUG
Harold Enlow
Everyone knows the worst
thing that can happen to a
hillbilly.
No, it ain’t
gettin’ kicked by a mule. It
ain’t because his favorite
dog runs off. Breakin’ his
rifle is bad, but it ain’t the
worse thing that kin
happen. The worst thing is
to drop and break his full
jug of corn squeezins. This
project is just that. The
terrible realization after the
accident.
Over the years I’ve carved
a lot of western figures,
quite a few hoboes, some
good lookin’ (I hope)
wimmen, and various
sentient and shaggy
animals. More and more,
however, I’m leaning
toward my roots. Being a
native born Ozarker, it is natural for me to do bare feet,
innocent gals, tall hats, which incidentally make great
whiskey strainers, and all the other attendant things that are
looked upon as hillbilly.
When doing this type of carving I feel a little hedonistic, but
I suppose that goes for all of us when we do our favorite
things.
This is the second time I’ve done this little guy. The first
one was back in the late 60’s, and he had the tall hat which is
associated with us in the hills. There is no pattern for the
first one because I didn’t use patterns at that time. I’ve used
basswood, which is my favorite, and acrylic artist paints for
the coloration. I think Elaine painted him, however, because
I find that task onerous, and that’s a euphemism. Well,
enough big words. I’m tired of looking through the
dictionary.
I carved this fellow in the usual way by bandsawing him first
from the front and side views. If you do him without a base
you can saw between his legs. This saves a lot of whittlin’
time. My main concern is always about getting the legs too
long or too short. My rule of thumb is to measure from the
top of the head to the
bottom of the feet and
mark a line halfway. This
mark is the top of the leg
bone (greater trochanter)
which is a little above the
crotch. If you do the legs
too long or too short make
sure you do it on purpose
so you’ll have a real
caricature.
27
I use a knife quite a lot because that was my first tool and
I’m used to it. A few small gouges and a 1/2 inch #3 shallow
gouge are nice. Two or three small V-tools are very usable
also. Lately I’ve
used a couple of
skews and chisels.
They are good in
hard to reach
places. Be careful
of the skew until
you learn to
control it. The
little devil seems
to love to punch
holes in your
fingers.
I hope I haven’t
underwhelmed
you with this
explanation of my
project. I also
hope I haven’t
told you more
than you want to
know. There is a
danger of doing
that. Smile!
BIOGRAPHY: I was born back in 1939, which was a long
time ago. My ambition was to be a cartoonist, but that didn't
quite work out, so by becoming a woodcarver, particularly a
caricature carver, I fulfilled my ambition enough to satisfy
myself. My mother bought me my first knife. It looked like
a tiny bowling pin. It wasn't
big enough to do the things I
wanted to do, and after some
pleading on my part she
bought me a bigger one. My
first job as a woodcarver was
given to me by my friend
Peter Engler, who owned the
shop in Silver Dollar City.
Peter still has a shop in
Branson, Missouri, at The
Grand Village. My wife,
Elaine, and I had a
woodcarving and gift shop in
Dogpatch, USA, for a few years. That theme park is now
closed. We live near that park to this very day. We have one
daughter named Katie who shows artistic signs. She hasn't
said anything about being a woodcarver, however. The
majority of my time Is spent teaching woodcarving. I've been
doing seminars around the country for quite a few years. I
still have time to do a carving now and then. Both carving
and teaching are enjoyable. I couldn't have spent my life
doing anything which I would have enjoyed more. I've
carved a lot of basswood. My friend, David Mays, said
recently that basswood forests tremble at the mention of my
name. You couldn't ask for a better compliment than that!
28
THE LEPRECHAUN
29
Tex Haase
Though I am a
caricature carver the
things I carve are not
always as exaggerated
as strongly as some
might wish. As a
carver I find I have a
passion for drawing
and sculpting as well.
My drawings are often
very realistic and I
find that if, in my
drawing, the face and
hands are good the rest
of the idea just flows.
So my ideas begin
with an attitude put
into the face and I go on from there.
DESIGNING THE LEPRECHAUN
Many artists make a clay or wax model of their idea before
the actual sculpting begins. Not me, I don’t have the
patience. I love the feel of a good piece of wood and a sharp
tool and often the carving is started immediately after the
drawing is completed and the blank is band sawed out.
GETTING STARTED
In doing a carving the face is generally the first thing
completed. I work on the entire piece during the carving
process but the face is finished first. The hands, which often
show a great deal of emotion, along with the other details are
last.
FINISHING THE LEPRECHAUN
After a carving is finished it may sit in the shop for weeks
before it is given a finish. My love of drawing and carving
does not carry over to painting. When I do get around to
painting I use a
wash of thinned oil
paint. When I
started carving a
read a book by
Andy Anderson and
he used white gas
and oil paints so I
did the same and
have done so ever
since. After the
finish sets wax or
white shellac is
used as a final coat
and it'’ time to start
another labor of
love.
30
BIOGRAPHY: Tex began carving at the age of 8. After
high school and three years of service with the U.S. Marines,
Tex obtained his B.S. in mathematics, and began carving
professionally. He expanded his education with a Master’s
degree in Art in 1976, and since
that time has been teaching art
and woodcarving at the
university, high school, and
vocational levels. Tex teaches
woodcarving seminars across
the United States, judges
carving competitions, and is a
frequent blue-ribbon and Bestof-Show winner throughout the
Southwest.
THE
LEPRECHAUN©
by Tex Haase
Tes is a resident of Tucumcari,
New Mexico, where he lives
with his wife Maria.
Tex is a founding member of the CCA and a member of the
International Woodcarvers Congress and several other
organizations. His carvings are featured in the CCA’s Full
Moon Saloon and Carving the CCA Circus books.
31
WITS END
Will Hayden
I was at WIT’S END. I did
not like the first carving that I
had done for this project and
the CCA meeting was coming
up in eight days. I was at the
END OF MY ROPE. I just
had to come up with a better
idea...what did wit’s end look
like?
Was it like a
rope???...was it a high
cliff???...did it look like
Jack’s beanstalk??? ...Why
not have a guy at wit’s end,
“whatever it looks like”..so I
made a couple of quick
sketches and came up with
the idea of a man at the end of
his rope...no more ideas..it
was the end...I made a crude
pattern and cut out the
carving with two views on the
bandsaw and started to carve
away...could not find my
mannequin..(as we had just
moved) so looked in the
mirror when I had a question...as I neared the end of the
carving I was thinking once more of WIT’S END..and
decided it might look like a rope...then as I was carving his
outstretched right hand ..I thought..why not a light bulb...
(as if reaching for a new idea), since that was really what I
was doing when I started this whole project....so there it
was...a carver in search of a new idea...CCA reaching for
another gold...Anyway in less than three hours I had it
roughed out and the face done....I did the face first so if I
messed up I could just remove the head and carve it separate.
You will find the biggest challenge in this carving is the face
as the head is tilted and turned to the left...but it’s not too
bad.....just make small test cuts to check the direction of the
grain before making your final cuts.....it’s up one side and
down the other. The other area that is a little tricky is the
right hand....be sure to carve the hand before you carve the
bulb and vine. Then, the last thing to carve is the rest of the
vine under the left shoe. I use a 3/8” #7 gouge for most of
the roughing out, along with the #2 and #6 gouges (both
3/8”) from the Flextool standard set. I work a piece of wood
as if it was clay.
I begin by removing small
amounts of wood while
continuing to check back to
the pattern. I always cut the
blank a little larger than the
pattern as I often change my
original idea as I get further
into the carving, as in this case
when I decided to add the
light bulb (the idea came to
me that he was searching,
reaching for a new idea).
32
I am sure if I were to carve it again I would change
something else.
My personal thought
on a pattern is that it is
like a road map...we
have several options to
get from point A to
point
B......so
sometimes let’s take
the scenic route. If
you use someone
else’s pattern, make it
your own carving.
You will find it more
rewarding and have a
feeling of personal
achievement. I love to
see carvings from
some of my patterns in
shows that I judge. It
is and especially fun to
see the many things
that others can add to
them.
BIOGRAPHY: Will was born in Portsmouth Virginia,
number six in a family of five brothers and four sisters. After
retiring from the US Army, Will re-located to Vancouver,
Washington with his wife Kay and their three children.
Will first picked up a knife in
1971 and started whittling
"beaver wood" found along the
banks of the Columbia River.
Over the years he has spent
many active hours in clubs,
shows and carving associations
throughout the Northwest and
across the country. Will has
been teaching woodcarving at
Clark Community College for
the past 16 years.
Will and his wife Kay, a realistic bird carver, are a staple at
the woodcarving shows in the Northwest. Will always tries
to tell a story with his carvings from the lighter side of life,
and uses humor as the password in his carving and cartoons.
Will was elected to the CCA in 1996.
33
Wit’s End©
By
Will Haden
34
SCOTTISH BAGPIPER
Eldon Humphreys
THE CARVING: In order to simplify a most complex
piece, I decided to carve the head, chanter, blowpipes and
drones separately from the body.
THE PROJECT: When I
retired and moved back to my
hometown of Kincardine, I
wanted to carve something
that would complement the
Scottish traditions of the area
where I live.
Any piece you chose to carve when the person is holding an
item, or is playing something, adds a degree of difficulty.
The item the person is holding, or playing, becomes the
center of the whole piece. For instance, if the person is
shoveling, the shovel handle cannot bend and therefore, the
hands have to conform to the handle and not vice versa. So
it is with the bagpiper.
I chose the Scottish bagpiper
to be my signature piece for
two reasons. First, it pays
tribute to my Scottish/Irish
ancestry. Yes, the Irish have
bagpipers too! Second, it is,
by far, my most popular
carving.
Therefore, the most critical step in carving this piece is to get
the thumbs and fingers in the proper position to play the
chanter. There are holes in the chanter similar to a flute and
the fingers and thumbs are used to cover these holes in
different patterns to produce a musical sound.
DEVELOPING
THE
PATTERN: After choosing
the bagpiper, my first step in
developing a pattern was to
take a series of pictures of
members of the local pipe
band. I photographed them
marching and playing from
many angles. I studied how they held the bagpipes and
fingered the chanter to produce the music. I researched the
uniforms they wore and the tartans of the various clans.
In order to place the fingers in the proper position I rough
out the hands first and then carve the arms and the remainder
of the body. Great care must
be taken when carving the
right hand and arm, as it has
no support from the rest of
the carving.
In some
instances, I have left the
right index finger attached to
the left little finger just
above it, in an effort to give
it some support.
35
Note also the ribbons on the back of the Glengary hat and the
tags or flags on the socks. Care must be exercised when
thinning these areas down.
PAINTING AND FINISHIN: For painting I use thinned
acrylics and seal with
boiled linseed oil. The
tartan is the most difficult
area of painting this piece.
Basically, I determine the
predominate color in the
plaid and use that for the
first coat. Using a #3
round and script liner
brush, I draw on wide and
thin lines of black to make
squares. Then I repeat
thin lines of the various
colors of the tartan to
interweave the overall
design.
BIOGRAPHY: Eldon Humphreys, a resident of Kincardine,
Ontario, is a retired Chief Superintendent of the Ontario
Provincial Police. When he started carving in 1983, he soon
found that the art of caricature carving fit right in with his
ability to see the humorous side of things. He used caricature
to show the funny side of police work, something he knew
very well. He soon began carving a wide variety of subjects
in this style, and that was the
beginning of a wonderful new
career. Carving and teaching
carving have become a way of
life for him except, of course,
for the occasional golf game!
Winters are spent in Naples,
Florida, where he is a member
of the Golden Gate Club. In
teaching, Eldon uses the
carve-along method at his in
studio in Kincardine and at his
seminars for woodcarving
clubs. He is Past-President of
both the Mississauga and Lake
Huron Wood Carvers and a
former Vice-President of the Ontario Wood Carvers. He is a
member of the Affiliated Wood Carvers and the National
Wood Carvers and was invited to become a member of the
Caricature Carvers of America in 1996.
36
_ inch hole
neck hole: use
_ inch drill bit
Scottish Bagpipper©
by
Eldon Humphreys
Front Profile
Side Profile
Facing Forward
Head
Side Profile
Front Profile
1 5/8” wide
37
“STORM’S A COMIN”
Marv Kaisersatt
The project has been
sketched, modeled, studied,
and revised. It’s time to
make a pattern, bandsaw a
blank, and begin carving.
One last tug at the vise
handle and the blank is
secure. This first phase of
carving, roughing out,
happens to be my favorite
part. Mallet and gouge work
and the challenge of
roughing out a suitable
foundation for details makes
this part of carving especially
satisfying.
Designing, roughing out,
detailing and finishing; all
important phases of carving
and all adding to its’
enjoyment.
DESIGNING THE CARVING
Strength – Arms extending horizontally from the body are
susceptible to break due to cross grain. Supporting props or
reinforcement within the arms will lessen this problem.
Movement – I strive for body language in a carving when an
exaggerated movement is not involved. Turning shoulders
and hips, shifting weight to one foot, turning and tipping
heads all enhance a carving. It becomes more difficult to
carve, but the effect is worthwhile.
ROUGHING OUT
Tools – Initially the bulk of the work is done with standard
sized V-tools and gouges ranging from _ to 1 _ inch wide
sweeps. Palm tools and knives are used as the work
progresses.
Procedure – Major masses such as arms are blocked out
first. These blocks are further blocked into smaller blocks.
This process continues until the only thing left to do are
details.
DETAILING
Modeling – Pockets, belts,
coats, vests, etc. are modeled
by carving down around them
(layering down) as opposed to
outlining with a V-tool.
“ F u z z i e s ” – Using chip
carving techniques (2 or 3 cuts
to remove wood) minimizes
“fuzzies” in tight spots.
38
FINISHING
Carved Finish – Carvings can be kept fairly clean by
wrapping finished parts
with cloth, wearing
carving gloves, and
finishing outer parts of
the carving last.
BIOGRAPHY: Marv Kaisersatt still lives in an upstairs
apartment in downtown Faribault, Minnesota. It was there in
1975 that the chips first hit the floor. Ten years later Marv
taught his first carving class.
Marv prefers the challenge of
carving scenes from a single
block of basswood. This
allows the carving to take on a
sculptural quality through the
interplay of mass and space.
Single figures are occasionally
painted with watercolors,
however most of Marv’s
pieces are left with the natural
carved finish.
Since 1985 Marv has been teaching at the Willock Studio in
Faribault. His emphasis is on carving the basic figure from a
bandsawn blank and designing the caricature face.
For those of you from the
cold North who know Marv,
you may recognize him from
this caricature:
39
40
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN
SILENT……
Randy Landen
The original idea for this
book project came from
my friend Peter Engler.
Peter is a strong advocate
of preserving carving
history, and suggested the
CCA undertake a project
which
promoted
caricature carving and, at
the
same
time,
documented the history of
our group. At the annual
CCA meeting in Branson,
we decided that rather
than carve a theme project
like we did for the Full
Moon Saloon or the CCA
Circus, each member
would be free to carve a
“signature piece”. The
piece was to be
representative of the
carver’s personality and
carving style, and the only restriction was that it could be no
larger than 4" X 4" X 12". If you’re the least bit familiar with
this group, you know that the words “no restrictions” can be
a very dangerous phrase.
The Idea: If you’ve read the biographies, it should come as
no surprise that I chose to carve a police officer who’s just
apprehended a bank robber and is preparing to obtain a full
confession, after Miranda of course! There’s really nothing
magical about coming up with an idea for a carving. The
idea for my carving came from a plastic toy that I saw in an
antique store, and of course my love of law enforcement.
Design: Just prior to starting on the project, Dave Stetson
spent a weekend at our house, and I had an opportunity to
hear Dave’s philosophy on “movement”. If you’ve seen
Dave’s work, you know that he doesn’t believe in rigid
caricatures. So, being cognizant of most carver’s tendency
(me included) to carve rather stiff looking figures, I set out to
carve a figure in which nothing was a straight line.
I made the original model from clay. I can’t use the brand
name, but I can tell you that it’s pink, the name starts with a
“S” ends with a “Y”. The nice thing about using clay as the
initial medium is the flexibility it offers. The clay lets you
develop “movement” by repositioning the head, bending the
arms and legs, and turning the torso. Those of us who have
accidentally whacked off an essential piece of a carving
know it’s a lot simpler to fix a mistake in clay. My clay
pieces usually contain very little detail, and look a lot like a
mummy. My goal is to establish a general shape for the
carving.
Depending on the size of the piece, it’s sometimes necessary
to use a wire or wood frame to keep the clay from sagging.
For this piece I used a wooden dowel up through the middle.
41
The key to a good finished
piece is a careful planning
process. Clay offers an
ability to enlarge aspects of
the carving (a prerequisite
for caricatures) such as the
nose, ears, hands or feet,
until you achieve the look
you want. Don’t be afraid
to experiment.
Once I am satisfied with the
shape of my model, I bake the clay according to the
instructions on the box, just like a cookie. Based on the
complexity of this piece, and my inclination toward laziness,
I took the clay model to my local rough-out company. The
resulting rough out provided a template from which to carve
the piece.
Carving Process: During the initial carving stages I rely on
a knife, a #9 gouge, and a large V-tool to clear away excess
wood and establish the lines of the carving. The clay serves
as a visual “rough draft” of the project. Normally I start at
the top and work my way down, but on this piece I started
with the robber because I felt it was the most difficult part of
the piece. I tend to carve relatively smooth lines, putting in
the detail and wrinkles as the last step in the carving process.
Everyone has a different approach to carving, using different
tools and methods, so I’m not sure there’s much need to
discuss carving techniques here.
The important thing is to develop the design of your carving
so that, when finished, it possesses some of the exaggerated
features which give caricature carvings their humorous
appearance.
Painting: I do have some advice on the painting process.
Before you begin to paint, take the time to wash the carving
using some dish soap and warm water on a rag. The soap
and water remove the oils
your hands leave on the
carving, and allow the wood
to absorb the paint evenly.
When you paint, be patient
and work methodically.
With
some
notable
exceptions (such as Marv
Kaisersatt), the paint is as
critical to a good carving as
the carving process itself.
When you start to paint, use
washes, rather than paint
straight out of the bottle. It’s
a shame to spend inordinate
hours designing and carving
a piece from wood, only to
cover it with paint so thick it
looks like ceramic. Acrylic
paints allow you to achieve a
beautiful finish without
having to make the colors
opaque.
42
Well, that’s enough from my soapbox. Here’s a painting tip
I hope you’ll find useful: For most of us, lettering by hand is
nearly impossible. I have a couple of simple solutions. To
create titles for carvings or the lettering on hats, jackets, and
signs I use the variety of fonts found on most computer word
processing programs. When I paint specific logos, such as
the one used by a major soft-drink company, I make
enlarged photocopies from old magazine ads. Using the old
ad or computer generated lettering as a template, I trace the
letters or outline onto the wood using a wax free tracing
paper. The paper comes in a variety of colors and brand
names, and can be found at most craft stores. The outline
provides a guide for the painting process, and washes away
with a little water after the paint is dry. Rub the letters or
logo with a damp cloth, drybrush, and you have a graphic
quality design. So...there you have it. The entirety of my
painting expertise!
Conclusion: The purpose of this book is to encourage
caricature carvers. So...with that in
mind I encourage you to pick out
your favorite pattern and use it as a
template for your own carving.
Incorporate your own ideas.
There’s nothing more fun than
taking a simple block of wood and
turning it into a work of art. Well,
“work of art” may be a bit strong,
but it’s still fun to create a carving
that makes people laugh. When
you’re done, send us a picture or an e-mail. We’d love to see
how you’ve improved on our patterns.
BIOGRAPHY: Randy lives in Derby, Kansas, located 7
miles South of Wichita. He has worked for Wichita Police
Department for just over 20 years. His tenure includes 5
years working undercover in the Department’s Narcotics
Unit and 4 years with the Department’s SWAT Team.
Captain Landen is currently assigned as the Commander of
the Police Training Academy, and serves as an adjunct
professor in Criminal Justice at Wichita State University.
Randy has been carving
since 1990, and his carvings
reflect his avid interest in
caricature. He and his wife
Carol have been ardent
woodcarving collectors since
1977.
Randy teaches
woodcarving and painting
throughout the country,
including the CCA Labor
Day
Seminars,
the
Woodcarving Rendezvous in
Branson, Missouri, and the
International Woodcarvers
Congress in Davenport,
Iowa.
Randy is a past member of the Board of Directors for the
Affiliated Wood Carvers, Ltd., a member of the National
Woodcarvers Association and past-president of Great Plains
Wood Carvers in Wichita, Kansas. Randy has been a
member of the CCA since 1994, and currently serves as the
President.
43
44
MIMS THE MIME
W. Pete LeClair
THE IDEA: I got the idea of
carving a mime back in the “mid
80’s” while visiting San Francisco,
CA. I caught a mime act and was
really fascinated by “Mims” the
Mime.
Over the years I have collected
several mime pictures from
magazines and comic strips and
placed them in a scrap book. When
the Caricature Carvers of America
(CCA), decided to do a project with
an “open” subject matter, I knew
immediately that “Mims the mime”
would be my carving.
I picked a mime pose from the
scrapbook that I thought would be
interesting to carve.
THE PATTERN:
From this
picture I drew a rough pattern, 5” in
height.
Rather than work with clay I prefer
to do a small test carving when I
start a new project. If I like the
results then I proceed on.
I photographed front and side
views of the small carving with a
digital camera. I then converted the
photographs to drawings using a
computer editing program. and
adjusted the height of the drawing
from 5” to 9.5” (width remaining
the same). I then used the adjusted
drawings to make cardboard
patterns for a band saw cutout.
Pete’s Test Carving
CARVING: I approach all my carvings the same way. I
begin by blocking out the
head and work down to the
feet. I make several passes
starting with the head each
time until all of the detail is
complete.
Note: one
problem area on this carving
is the left upper arm. It is
weak because of the cross
grain.
Be careful....
45
PAINTING: I use a variety of
stains (containing linseed oil and
artists oils) and acrylics. The
mixtures must be strong enough to
give the wood color, but
transparent enough to show the
wood grain. I prefer to pre-mix a
variety of stain colors in 10 oz
bottles.
I begin by painting the principal
facial features with acrylics.
(Check previous sentence with
Pete. I added it). The eyes and
teeth are painted off white, the face
is white, and the face, eyebrows,
and mouth are outlined in black.
Note: allow sufficient time for
acrylic paints to dry.
I then brushed the entire carving
with a base coat of linseed oil
mixed with a small amount of raw
sienna artists oil paint to obtain the
light yellow of Eastern Pine. After dabbing off the excess
stain I then painted the rest of the carving with artist
oil/linseed oil stains. Note: use caution when working with
oil base paints and linseed oil. Discard rags in air-tight
containers or submerge in water to prevent spontaneous
combustion.
BIOGRAPHY: Pete, a resident of Gardner, Masachusetts,
has been carving since 1973. After tiring of doing ships in a
bottle he decided to try his hand at carving caricatures. He
tracked down a couple of basic books on caricature carving
and jumped in. After several years of self-study, he availed
himself of the opportunity to
take a seminar from Harold
Enlow.
Pete began showing his
carvings in 1990, and in
1994 he won Best-of-Show
at the Susquehanna Decoy
and Woodcarving Show in
Pennsylvania. Pete is a two
time Texas Whittling
Champion in the open
competition. He teaches
seminars throughout the
country and recently taught
and lectured in Australia.
He is the author of two books, “Carving Caricature Heads
and Faces” and “Carving Caricature Figures from Scratch.”
Pete LeClair was inducted into the C.C.A. in 1994.
46
MIMS THE MIME©
by
W. Pete LeClair
47
The Argument
Keith Morrill
To
me,
a
“woodcarving” does
not necessarily mean
just a single piece or
figure, but could be
interaction between
figures.
WHAT
TO
CARVE? When it
was decided that this
project would consist
of a carving that
would fit within a 4”
x 4” x 12” space I
never felt I was
limited to carving
just one figure. I
immediately began to
think of how I might
include two figures
within the space
limitations. I thought
this would be an
interesting additional
challenge.
Since I have been a carver for many years I am constantly
collecting ideas for projects by looking through books,
magazines, museums, stores and just plain watching people.
I have 3-ring binders full of pictures, cartoons, sketches,
written reminders, anything that I have come across that I
consider a seed from which a carving might someday grow.
I recalled seeing 2 figures in a book of illustrations, one tall
and thin, the other short and fat.
THE PLANNING: The two men were looking at each
other in such a way that it was apparent they were in
disagreement about something. To anyone reading any
newspaper or listening to any radio talk show, it is apparent
there is a lot out there about which people disagree. So why
not carve these 2 guys arguing with each other. The shorter
man, as pictured in the original illustration, I knew would be
too rotund to fit into the prescribed space. Enter the
computer. In a previous life (before retirement) my only
exposure to a computer was with a word processor at work.
Only recently I purchased a computer system which
includes a scanner and printer. I found the illustration I
remembered in my files. I scanned it and used the scanner
software to “slenderize” the short
man and “stretch” the taller one.
In this way I was able to squeeze
the figures enough to fit them
into a 4-inch square.
I am currently interested in the
late 1800’s time period so I
wanted to dress the men
accordingly. Imagine these guys
in a general store in a small town
in the middle of farm country.
48
Since the figures are just standing there, although in a
somewhat combative stance, I knew the “action” I was
looking for would could come their posture and facial
expressions. The primary focus, then, of the carving is the
faces.
While the computer was a good starting point, I made several
sketches before I was satisfied that I was ready to start on the
wood. While I frequently use clay to help achieve the action
I’m looking for, these figures are rather straightforward. I
don’t use clay to practice faces and, as indicated earlier, the
faces would be the focus area.
The tall man has an expression of surprise or disbelief. The
shorter one has a questioning, skeptical look. What are they
discussing or arguing about? I thought of several titles for
the carving that included any number of things they could be
arguing about, but in the end felt it would be better to leave
the situation to the imagination of the viewer and simply call
it “The Argument”. There’s no argument that for me it was a
fun project to carve.
THE CARVING PROCESS: I always prepare for the
actual carving with a front and side view pattern . I draw the
patterns on the appropriate sized piece of basswood and
proceed to the band saw. Unlike many of my carving
friends, I don’t leave much extra wood on my cutouts. I
realize that this sometimes limits my ability to make changes
as I carve. If I spend the time I should sketching I usually
come out OK. If not, I just start over.
The blank is fairly close to the shape I’m after, at least in two
dimensions.
Therefore I carefully use a pencil to draw lines where I want
my beginning cuts to be to avoid the removal of too much
wood.
Typically, I begin with
a
large
V-tool
removing the “waste”
wood.
The sharp
edges that still remain
are then removed with
a knife. More lines are
drawn and the process
is repeated as I block
in the hands, feet, etc.
I continue this way
until I am satisfied
with the overall rough
shape of the figure.
Only when this point is
reached do I focus on
details. One of the
frustrations in teaching
students is trying to
convince them that
details come later.
Unless the blocking
out is done properly
the details won’t help
the carving. Putting in details too soon often limits or
prevents the achievement of a good roughed-in shape.
49
While I don’t always carve the heads separately I can
achieve nuances in expression that I might not otherwise by
turning the heads in different ways. Often a slight turn of the
head may create the desired effect.
Faces are left until last on most of my carvings. It gives me
more time to get the feel of the character. There’s always the
chance that I won’t get what I’m after, but if the head is
separate I only need to try another head.
My preference is for the cut marks to show so I never use
sandpaper.
PAINTING: Painting is done with acrylics, which I water
down liberally to produce a thin wash appearance. Typically
I add a little charcoal or black to the wash to accentuate
shadow areas. I prefer this technique because it allows the
wood to show through.
BIOGRAPHY: Keith maintains “dual citizenship”, residing
in both Custer, SD and Albuquerque, NM. An Associate
Professor of Biology at South Dakota State University in his
former life, Keith is now retired and indulging himself in his
full-time hobby, woodcarving. He has always had an interest
in carving and occasionally made the attempt. It wasn’t until
participating in the Doane Workshop in Crete, NE in the
early 80’s, that carving became a serious hobby. Early on he
enjoyed carving a wide range of
subjects in a variety of styles. He
had a strong interest in the work
of some of the early carving
legends (i.e. Andy Anderson,
Claude Bolton, Harold Enlow)
that caused him to focus on
caricature carving.
Keith began teaching carving
classes while living in Brookings,
SD. There he organized the
Dakota Prairie Woodcarvers. He
is currently a member of several carving clubs and
organizations. He continues to accept invitations to teach
seminars throughout the country. For the past 15 years Keith
has been the Carver-in-Residence at the National Museum of
Woodcarving in Custer. He was elected to membership in
CCA in 1993 and currently serves as the Secretary.
50
The Argument
by
Keith Morrill ©
51
THE FIREFIGHTER
Peter J. Ortel
When the CCA decided to do
a commemorative collection
each member was asked to do
a carving that would be
representative of his own
style, in any form, restricted
in size only. I also thought it
should be representative of
who and what I am.
Before I retired I spent over
20 years as an active NYC
Firefighter, working in some
of the busiest fire fighting
units in the South Bronx, and
as many years as a volunteer
fireman in Monroe, a suburb
of the city. All New Yorkers
refer as N.Y.C. as “the city.’
To us there is no other city.
(What, there are others?
Can’t be!). I also have a
tendency to tell lots of “Fire
House stories” when I’m
teaching a carving class so you could say that fire fighting
really got into my blood…sometimes more than I realize.
Because of this history, it seemed only appropriate that my
contribution to the commemorative collection should be a
fireman.
THE FIREMAN WITH AN ATTITUDE
I chose this figure of a firefighter (New politically correct
term) and wanted to portray his demeanor without writing a
caption on the bottom of the carving. When a “Probie”
(Probationary firefighter*) starts out on the job, he kind of
hangs on to the coat tails of a more experienced fireman to
teach him the ropes. Someone who is knowledgeable and
confident and will take a rookie under his wing. It was this
confidence, an almost relaxed cockiness that I wanted to
portray in this character. This seasoned firemen. I wanted to
show that he’s cocky, but sure of himself and secure in his
ability to do “the job.” (Fireman talk*).
52
The kind of guy kids love
and want to be like. Men and
women respect and admire
him for his courage under
pressure. That’s a lot to say
with a piece of wood.
How can I do it? Maybe I
should carve a Charley
McCarthy firemen, and let
him tell his tale to you. No,
that won’t work.
THE MUSTACHE
The next part of a firemen which caries on the tradition is a
mustache. Not just hair on his upper lip but a MUSTACHE!
When I’m teaching a class on carving a fireman I tell my
students that the one exception to the big mustache is, if they
are carving a California type firefighter he probably should
be handsome and if he wears a mustache it could be like
THE HELMET
Let’s start with the top, his helmet. A fireman’s helmet is his
business card along with his resume. It tells a story. The
style is called a “New Yorker” (No kidding, that’s its real
name), hand made of reinforced thick leather. The helmet
goes to every call and to each fire its wearer goes. Constant
heat from fires and then rapid cooling from hose sprays
causes the leather to break down from its original shape
giving it a crunched, bent personality of its own which takes
on some of the character of its wearer. Some even develop
burn marks and holes from burning embers that land on the
brim. The look is what combat pilots refer to as a “90
mission hat.” What firemen say when asked is, “If that
helmet could only talk.”
Most people look at it and think how dirty and beat up it
looks, but a veteran firefighter wears it proudly.
Clark Gable’s, short and trimmed. On the other hand, I think
New York firemen should be characters with big bushy
mustaches, kind of like Sam Elliot’s, from the movie
Tombstone, going from cheek to cheek. (Hey! But isn’t Sam
Elliot from Hollywood, California?)
Well, there goes that theory. Maybe old Sam has a NY
firefighter in his family somewhere. Although I do know a
couple of California firefighters that would fit right in with
that FDNY look (Fire Department of the city of New York,
pronounced FID’NEE*). (*More fireman talk).
53
THE STANCE
Naturally, he’ll be a
caricature and, as with
caricature, you can
exaggerate,
placing
emphasis on both facial
expressions, and body
language. As we move
down to his stance, let’s
look at the body language.
This firemen, let’s call him
“Big Pete”, (Only the name
is similar) is just standing
there.
Now, there is
standing and there’s
standing. From a military
“attention” to a stance that
says, “Yep, I’ve been
there…done that.” With his
weight on one leg and his
whole body leaning to one
side, his left shoulder is
way up there and shows all
the support is being placed on his left arm. Again, the key
word is exaggeration. But not enough…so we show all his
weight resting on his axe. The axe handle is bent from the
weight, almost to the breaking point (Greater exaggeration)
but he’s confident that won’t happen. (Don’t ever refer to
his axe as a hatchet. Firemen can be pretty touchy about
that!)
HANDS
I carve large hands and feet. To me, large hands show the
strength of a working man. No better way to use those large
hands than for saving lives and doing battle with the “Red
Devil*”, as we call it. (*Even more firemen talk!)
Well, enough said about firemen. This chapter was supposed
to be about woodcarving. (I got distracted). By now I guess
I’ve said enough about
both. If you want to
hear some more let’s
do
this
again.
(Remember, I’ve got
over 20 years of fire
stories). We can even
include some talk
about woodcarving.
Thanks for listening
and remember –
Keep your tool sharp
and “Stay low”*.
(*Another fireman phrase I’ll explain the next time I see ya!)
54
BIOGRAPHY: Peter Ortel retired from the New York City
Fire Department, after serving 21 years as a Firefighter and
started carving in 1990.
He always had fondness for
cartooning and love for wood but
when he combined the two by carving
caricatures, it became his passion. His
imagination and humor are reflected
in his carvings of the everyday people
we see around us if we really look.
Peter's work has been featured on
local television, several newspapers
and national and international
magazines. He has won many awards and has taught classes
around the country. His biggest success to date was to win
the Best of Show award and People's Choice award at the
2000 International Woodcarvers Congress. It is considered a
major breakthrough for caricature carving.
He is presently teaching seminars and lecturing at wood
carving clubs, wood carving shows and events throughout
the country and is available for instructing and commissions.
His enthusiasm, animation and shared knowledge inspire his
students to discover their creativity and individuality in a fun
atmosphere. As an instructor, he stresses originality, and he
helps to cultivate the artist within each of us by encouraging
students to stretch their ability and imagination. He teaches
his students the theory behind the wood cuts so students not
only learn how to carve in the classroom but can take and
use that knowledge on their own.
55
56
COACH OFORTEN
Stephen H. Prescott
Being a Texan and hailing
from a hometown that is
nicknamed “Cowtown”, I
suppose it would be an
obvious choice for me to
choose a caricature cowboy
carving for this project. I
expect my fellow CCA
members from Texas and
Arizona will probably
select a cowboy or western
theme so I wanted to carve
something other than a
cowboy. I once learned
some good advice, “Carve
what you know best.” I
have spent nearly twentyfive years in education and
fifteen years of that as a
head football coach. The
subject I have chosen is a
beleaguered football coach.
My favorite about coaches
is from Bum Phillips,
former Houston Oiler head
coach. “There are two
kinds of coaches. Those who have been fired and those who
are going to be fired.” It’s a high stress position.
The pressure to win is tremendous regardless of the level of
talent or resources with which you have to work. In every
contest, half of the contestants are branded as “losers”
regardless of effort or performance. The ultimate
responsibility (blame) falls on the coach and the physical,
mental and emotional strain is usually quite evident in his
expression, posture and demeanor. Long hours and a long
season (winning or losing) really takes its toll on a coach. It
is this pathetic caricature of a football coach that I wanted to
portray in my carving project.
Coach Oforton is a stereotypical coach. He probably will
never be promoted beyond the junior varsity level. He
changes coaching jobs so frequently that he rarely unpacks
his moving boxes. He keeps a U-Haul truck on permanent
retainer. During the night, disgruntled fans have been known
to cruelly plant “FOR SALE” signs in his front yard. His
inept technique and futile efforts belie his sincere love of the
game. Undaunted, he
keeps plugging on even
though he would be
better suited for some
other profession.
By the way, if you are
not familiar with
coaching lingo, a
football coach that loses
every game in a season
is 0 for 10 (0-10-0).
Hence the name, Coach
Oforten.
57
EXPRESSION: To create an
exhausted, worn expression
everything needs to sag and
the facial features should all
be angled so that they are
nearly parallel to each other.
The forehead, wrinkles,
eyebrows, eyes, bags under
the eyes, frown lines and
mouth all show similar
drooping parallel lines. The
droopy eyes need to be deep set under the heavy, sagging
brow. Carve lots of wrinkles and bags under the eyes. The
nose shows little expression except for a few wrinkles across
the bridge or between the eyebrows. Frown lines sag down
and outward. The lips are tense and narrow, turning down at
their corners parallel to the frown lines. The chin and jaw
muscles are set and firm in dogged determination. The hair
should be shaggy and windblown. Light beard stubble might
be added for character. The head was carved separately in
my original carving. Coach Oforten can certainly be carved
in one piece if you prefer.
BODY POSTURE: This figure’s posture should appear
tired and worn. The poor posture is slouchy. The shoulders
are drooping as if carrying a heavy burden. I have chosen to
carve a barrel-shaped body accented by skinny, spindly legs.
His pot belly appearance is from eating too much fattening
concession stand food, a constant health hazard for a coach
who rarely makes it home for a regular meal. His feet are
very large and are staggered slightly to keep the figure from
looking too stiff, like a statue at attention.
DRESS: I have chosen to
dress my coach in coaching
shorts, a T-shirt, a whistle or
stop watch, a gray hooded
sweatshirt, and turf shoes. He
can be carrying a clipboard or
a playbook, or a map to find
his next coaching job. I am
sure that you will have no
trouble selecting the right
colors and team logos since
we all seem to know a coach
that looks like Coach Oforten.
MODIFICATIONS: It would
be very easy to modify this
pattern by dressing this coach
for different sports (see dotted
lines on pattern), long pants
instead of shorts, a letter
jacked instead of hooded
sweatshirt, or completely
remove the outer clothing to
expose the T-shirt. Different shoes for other sports would be
appropriate changes also.
The use of props such as whistles, stop watch, clipboard,
playbook or sports equipment will aid in identifying the
carving as a coach. The hand in the pocket (left side) can be
changed to hold a ball or a piece of sports equipment. Team
colors and logos can be added for a personalized touch.
58
FINISHING. I paint my carvings with acrylic paints
(CeramCoat by Delta). “Paint” is not the right word. It is
actually more of a wash or stain than painting. The wood
grain should show through the paint. Acrylics thin easily
with water. How thin? What is the ratio of water to paint? I
have no exact formula. If you use old newspapers as a
protective covering when you paint, a good test to see if your
paint is thinned enough is to test the diluted paint over some
of the newsprint. If you can easily read the print through the
thinned acrylic paint, then you are pretty close to creating the
wash or stain effect.
I usually “antique” my
caricature carvings with a
solution of Boiled Linseed Oil
and burnt umber artist oil
paint. Again, I have no exact
formula. This process seals
the wood and gives the colors
a softer, more subdued
appearance. It will also bring
out more of the wood grain,
which will make your carving
really recognizable as a
woodcarving. There are a
number of newer liquid wax
products on the market that
will do the same thing. After
drying and buffing you are
now ready to mount or display
your finished piece.
BIOGRAPHY: Steve began
carving in the 80's. He quickly
specialized in human and animal
caricatures. He began teaching
woodcarving in the mid-80’s and
is much sought after as an in
instructor all over the country.
Steve has also authored several
caricature woodcarving books.
Steve has won numerous honors
in woodcarving, but his greatest
pride is in the formation of the
Caricature Carvers of America.
He served as its first president and is still an active member.
The CCA has evolved into a very influential organization in
the carving community.
Steve and his wife Pat still reach full time in the public
schools near their hometown of Fort Worth, Texas. They
look forward to retirement and being able to devote
themselves full time to carving and traveling. Several more
books are being planned.
59
Coach Oforten©
by Steve Prescott
60
SIDEWALK ENTREPRENEURS
Jack Price
Several other equally inane ideas came to mind but
proceeding with any of these would risk incurring the wrath
of my compadres.
Over the years I have cut out pictures of interesting
characters, amusing situations and appealing faces from
newspapers and magazines. The pictures are pasted in
notebooks that are used as reference books whenever I need
inspiration or a model for a carving.
THE IDEA: Deciding what to carve for a project is always
difficult for me. It is especially hard when the project is for
a CCA exhibit. Being aware of the cleverness and expertise
of fellow CCA members put pressure on all of us to produce
a quality product.
The most arduous aspect of creating any carving is selecting
one idea from many. I would like to do them all.
This project was no different from others except for its size.
Carvings had to fit within a four inch by four inch by twelveinch space. That is not a problem for most carvers but for
me it is because my large characters are only three inches
tall.
In order to fill this space with an upright carving would
require me to do something silly like putting a three-inch
carving on a nine-inch base. Or I could carve a guru sitting
atop a skinny nine-inch mountain.
After looking through my notebooks I decided to create a
street scene with four interesting boulevard denizens titled
“Sidewalk Entrepreneurs.” The four selected individuals are
a bag lady, a beggar, a street musician and a con man.
CARVING THE CHARACTERS: Gertrude, the bag lady
was carved first because she was the easiest to do. Her
hands are in her
pockets and she is
dressed in a long coat.
She is portrayed as a
seller of “previously
owned merchandise”
which
she
has
salvaged from garbage
cans
and
trash
dumpsters. Her goods
include a stick horse, a
broom, a wooden cask,
a baseball glove, a
doll, and old hat and a
paintbrush.
61
The second carving was Arnold, a
beggar who has serious financial
needs because the cost of his
children’s education is several times
more than his take-home pay.
Tuition at Harvard is frighteningly
high.
The most difficult part of this
carving was the hat in Arnold’s right hand. His left hand is
turned rearward behind his left leg.
I tried to carve Gilbert, a street musician, with his horn
included as a component of his character. When I completed
this part of the process the instrument looked more like a
snake than it resembled a horn. I cut out the “snake”, carved
a separate instrument, which I then cut into two units and
inserted into the hole that had been drilled through the hands.
One section went in from the top, the other from the bottom.
Honest John, a minor flimflammer was the hardest to carve
because his display table is incorporated into the figure.
Carving the strap without cutting through it was most
tedious. Carving the little watches to go on his tray was also
a challenge.
PATTERNS: On the next page are the patterns I drew for
this project and they were adequate. I usually carve from
only a side pattern as this allows me to make changes as the
carving evolves.
PAINTING: All the characters in the scene were painted
with acrylics. After the paint dried a hours they were dunked
in a 50/50 percent solution of boiled linseed oil and
Turpenoid.
BIOGRAPHY: Jack Price lives in Cleburne, Texas, is a
World War II veteran and a retired public school
administrator. He became addicted to wood carving in 1975,
discovered the joy of carving small characters in 1978 and
wrote his first book “Carving Compact Characters” five
years later. This book made Jack the guru of small people
carvers. Using his instructions thousands of carvers
discovered that carving little people gave them great
pleasure.
Jack is a founding member of
the CCA, a past-president,
current Treasurer, and long time
director of the Texas
Woodcarvers Guild and was
one of the organizers of his
local club, the Nolan River
Chippers. He has been a
member of the National Wood
Carvers Association for twentyfive years.
Jack has authored two other books: “50 Character Patterns
for the Wood Carvers” and “Carving Small Characters”.
The latter replaced “Carving Compact Characters”.
62
Sidewalk Entrepreneurs©
by Jack Price
63
THE RAIL-SPLITTER
Doug Raine
I had always wanted to
carve a Lincolnesque
figure – tall, and rawboned, with big hands and
feet and a big head with
tousled hair.
The figure’s design had to
show action and still fit
within the block format
determined by the CCA for
this piece.
My original vision for the
carving was a tall figure, in
the “Rail-splitter” style of
homespun hero that the
young Abe Lincoln so
aptly represented. With
this thought in mind, I
began to research picture
books until I came across a
painting of a man,
mopping his weary brow
with the back of his hand.
This
provided
the
opportunity to combine life-like action into the required
block proportions.
I began the project by constructing a wire armature mounted
on a 4” x 4” block. I carved a log, split it and added wedges,
and glued it back together. After constructing the mallet I
began adding clay to the armature.
I had my son-in-law pose to “model” the folds on clothing.
In this way I was able to get the feel for the wrinkles and
folds in the cloth of the shirt and trousers.
The figure also presented an opportunity to take advantage of
some unique features of modern digital camera technology
and computer imaging. By photographing the completed
clay model with the digital camera, I was immediately able
to enlarge the photograph to the desired size and trace it
directly onto the basswood block. This capability saves a
considerable amount of effort as it is no longer necessary to
have a photo or drawing photocopied in order to enlarge it to
the desired size. I also used the digital camera to make a
study-photo of my hands.
This piece was done from a
single block of basswood.
Considerable planning and
problem solving were
required in executing the
carving, especially given the
limits of the 4” x 4” x 12”
piece of wood.
After drawing the pattern on
the wood and band-sawing
the blank, I roughed it out using a large, sharp carving knife.
64
The feet, log and mallet
presented a challenge and
became more difficult when I
decided to carve the stump of
a branch on the log. Because
the grain of this block is
vertical, special attention must
be paid to carving the split in
the log which lies across the
grain. Making it look like a real log took some extra care.
I painted the figure with a
light wash of acrylic, which
allows the wood to show
through. I then sprayed the
piece with a Krylon clear,
matte “artist’s fixative” to
preserve and seal the waterbased acrylic. For the finish, I
applied Watco Satin Wax
Natural. When this dried, I
applied a mix of Watco Dark
with Watco Natural to give
the carving an antiqued effect.
The use of this wax gives the
piece a softer luster and a
smooth surface for dusting.
BIOGRAPHY: Doug began carving when not tending to
chores on the family farm. At 16 he shipped out on a Great
Lakes freighter and passed the time during off-duty hours
carving small figures. After college graduation , he joined
the U.S. Air Force and became a jet fighter pilot. He earned
two combat decorations in Korea and again found himself
passing time woodcarving. Doug later worked as an
elementary and junior high school
principal. He was active in Boy
Scouting with his son, and campouts found him carving a caged
ball and chain for the fascinated
Scouts.
Doug recently completed building
his “dream” workshop. In his 20’
x 50’ studio he hosts woodcarving
workshops featuring world
renowned instructors such as
Steve Prescott, Gary Batte, Harold
Enlow, Eldon Humphreys, Dave
Stetson, Deisree Hajny, Ivan
Whillock, and even Doug Raine his ownself.
Doug served as president of the Southwest Woodcarvers and
is a member of the Arizona Woodcarvers, the National
Wood Carvers Association, and the Affiliated Woodcarvers,
Ltd.
65
The Rail-Splitter© by Doug Raine
66
FISHING WITH FRIENDS
David Sabol
THE DESIGN: A signature
piece for the CCA, what a
dilemma!
Ideas were
numerous and ran into the
hundreds, but to choose one,
that was the tough part. I
decided something different
was in order. I searched my
deepest thoughts and decided
I think better when I’m
fishing. (at least that’s what I
tell my wife Laura!). So
fishing I went and caught an
idea, a fishing theme-a foxwith something. A father and
son theme, a Tom Sawyer and
Huck Fin theme, contrast,
texture, size. It happened so
fast. A fishing fox with a frog
sitting in his lap. Straw hat,
checkered pants, bandannathis will be great. I made a
quick sketch and off to the bandsaw I went. I never make
clay models. I just let things happen. This is where I get
into trouble. The size for the CCA piece was 4 inches by 4
inches by 12 inches. I must have traced the pattern on the
wood with a very fat pencil, because it turned out just under
5” X 5” wide.
This was the only carving that grew bigger as I carved it.
(Honest! It just swelled up on me!!) I received the coveted
bent ruler award for it but that’s another story.
CARVING: This is a one piece carving (minus the fishing
pole of course!). I use only knives and chisels and green or
wet white pine and start roughing out from the nose first, and
work my way finding all major elements. As I carve one
area I’m forming the other areas in my mind. I see the
finished carving in the bandsaw blank even before I start.
It’s there, all of it, expression, anatomy, movement, flow, I
see where everything is. With sharp edges and the piece in
my mind, I carve very fast. It’s not what you take away it’s
what you leave, so the carving evolves quickly top to
bottom, bottom back to the top, in stages so I keep the
proportions and features in harmony with each other. I do
exaggerate certain features, but try to keep the forms strong
but not overpowering. All the detail is done with small
gouges and a knife with no sanding. This piece has some
nice contrast with the fir texture of the fox, the wrinkles in
the clothes, and the smooth skin of the frog. Just as I saw it.
PAINTING: As much as I
enjoy the challenge of this
fox, painting it should be a
blast! These guys have it all.
Checkered pants, buckeye
bandana, beat up straw hat
and color balance. I use old
Holland oil paints thinned
with Minwax natural stain.
67
I first start with a color scheme and try to balance the colors.
I want the painting to enhance the carving, but not compete
with it. I dance the colors around so they are echoed
throughout. The yellowish green of the frog is echoed in the
hat and vest, and the blue is balanced in the water, the brown
tones
reappear in
the fox’s fir.
Most of the
colors I use
are
earth
tones
or
colors that
have varying
shades
of
brown added
to them. This
eliminates the
starkness of
color
and
softens them.
I work from
thin washes
of oil stain
and paint the
entire piece to
get a feel for
the colors. Most noticeable are the pants. First a wash of
white, mars yellow and a faint raw umber are applied then a
light slate gray mixed creamy. This starts the lines using a
thin curving horizontal line. The next line establishes the
distance with the checks and parallels the first line.
All the horizontal are painted on both legs. The vertical lines
criss-cross the horizontal lines keeping the width equal.
Now the checkered pattered lines are finished. Using
various shades of brown, I fill in the squares. Light and dark
shades of brown go corner to corner. Now the light squares
are also shaded so some are darker than others. When
complete, I go back and repaint gray lines with black and
tighten up the squares. The rest of the carving is painted
with subtle shadows and highlights. When my eyes are
blurry and I can’t focus anymore, I’m done and finish with a
spray varnish called Deft.
B I O G R A P H Y : David Sabol, a resident of Cannan,
Connecticut has a carving career spanning over 30 years. He
has authored 6 books on carving and has many articles in
Wood Carving Illustrated.
David’s work not only includes
caricatures, but also realistic
bird and floral compositions
and a diverse spectrum of
animals, fish, and sculptured
themes. He conducts carving
seminars and attends shows
throughout the country. His
unique style of carving in green
wood, expression and animation
has brought him acclaim in the
carving world.
68
69
“FROG” THE HOBO KING
Harley Schmitgen
THE STYLE: Welcome to the
art of caricature thin relief
carving. The intent of this style
of woodcarving is to create a
carving that has an illusion of
depth and roundness. The
carving appears to be carved
“in-the-round” but, in reality, it
is actually carved from a piece
of basswood that is only _ of an
inch thick.
THE IDEA: In a small town
in Iowa they celebrate National
Hobo Days. While I was there
visiting, I discovered some
pictures of Hobo Kings and
Queens in an old coffee shop.
It was these photos that inspired
me to create a carving of a hobo
standing on the railroad tracks.
THE PATTERN: I did some small drawings and made
improvements on them until I had the look I wanted. I then
made a full-size drawing from which I made a transparency
to use as a reference. I started by transferring my pattern to a
piece of _ inch basswood. I then cut around the outside of
the wood, using my pattern as a guide.
CARVING: Before beginning to carve, the basswood
cutout must be attached to a carving board. This board
should be about 10 inches wide and 14 inches high, and
should be made out of _ inch plywood. The basswood
cutout should be attached with drywall screws from the
backside, with the screws located on the thickest part of the
carving.
I prefer to work with my carving in the horizontal position at
a bench. For me, it is easier to carve when I am face-to-face
with the carving. I now begin to block out the carving and
shape the basic form. After it is all blocked out, it is time for
some detail. This includes the nose and eye sockets, the
hands and walking stick and the shoes.
As I work the carving and keep adding detail, I will
frequently stand back from it several feet to make sure that I
am getting the proper dimension. It is important to
remember to do several undercuts by the coat, and where the
arms are next to the body, and the neck area. When I have
followed all the steps
properly, the carving will
“come alive” with a look that
suggests that it was carved “in
the round.” It may take lots of
refinement to get the desired
look. It is important to
remember that it must look
like it is “in the round” before
it is painted. Painting alone
will not produce this style.
70
PAINTING AND FINISHING:
To begin the painting and
finishing process, wash the entire
carving with a water-base stain.
The stain is made by diluting 1
tablespoon of stain (such as
honey maple) in 1 cup of water.
When the carving is dry start
adding color to the pants, shirt,
hair, shoes, etc. with acrylic
paints which have been thinned
with water. It works better to
“color the water” rather than
“thin the paint” – so it looks like
a stain. When the carving is
completely dry, brush on a waterbase clear varnish over the entire
surface.
To achieve highlighting effects,
dry-brush in acrylic burnt umber.
Use it full strength, but be careful
to use only a minimal amount as
too much will give it a very dark
cast. Do this dry-brushing while
the carving is still wet from the
varnish. It’s best to use it only in
the recessed areas to create
shadows. When this is completely dry, dry-brush in a small
amount of off-white to create highlights on the clothing and
shoes. When this has completely dried, spray the carving
with 2 to 3 coats of semi-gloss Deft. Allow this to dry
completely and then apply a coat of wax. This wax is made
up of 3 parts of clear Watco wax to 1 part dark Watco wax.
Brush this on and let it dry for 5 to 10 minutes then wipe off
the excess. Finally, buff the carving with a soft cloth.
MOUNTING THE CARVING: The carving was mounted
on a base that was carved to resemble railroad tracks. The
railroad tracks can be painted and finished the same way as
was the carving.
BIOGRAPHY: A woodcarver for over 30 years, Harley
Schmitgen is a self-taught artist and enthusiastic instructor
from Blue Earth, Minnesota.
Harley has won top honors at
many of the major woodcarving shows, including the
International Wood Carvers
Congress.
Harley shares his expertise in
carving the human face and
form by instructing seminars
throughout the country.
Harley is a member of the
National Woodcarvers
Association,
the
International Woodcarvers
Congress, the Minnesota Woodcarvers Association, and the
Royal Chislers Woodcarving Club. He is one of the founders
of the Upper Midwest Woodcarvers Expo, which has been
held in Blue Earth Minnesota for the past 17 years.
71
“FROG” THE HOBO
KING©
by Harley Schmitgen
72
FRIEND OF BUFFALO BILL
Dave Stetson
The cowboy depicted in
this
carving
is
representative of Dave’s
Great
Grandfather,
Alvenas Stetson; son of
Zenas who was a
prominent woodcarver
from Lemonster, Mass.
Alvenas went west to sell
diamond drills to the
mining operations and met
and became close friends
with William Cody
(Buffalo Bill).
After
several years of excitement
and tales to last the
remainder of his life,
Alvenas retired to a farm
in Pomfret, Vermont.
While in the west, Alvenas
dressed as the cowboys did. Remember, wearing a Stetson
doesn’t make you a cowboy any more than standing in a barn
makes you a horse. But it’s the cowboy creed of working
hard and playing even harder that comes across in the
carving. Originally designed to be a figure holding a small
sample-size whiskey bottle, this figure is holding a bottle of
the famous Arctic Banana Oil that was used in the mines to
cool the drills.
Carving one of these figures begins with laying out the
skeletal framework. The foundation for the skeletal system
is the spine. Without movement in the spine, the figure will
stand without the natural look of life. The spine cannot be
over emphasized when designing a human or animal carving.
Even birds and ducks have spines that denote life like
movement. It is also important to have the distances from
shoulders to elbows to wrist and hips to knees and ankles
equal on the left and right side of your figure.
The challenges in this carving are primarily at the area inside
the figure's right hand. The first step is to get the bottle to fit
into the wood and then carve with what remains.
Dave’s process developed through the years. Early on he
drew on the block and developed his idea in wood. “I did it
backwards.” “I would do the carving and then do a drawing
from that.” In observing other artists he learned that it was
helpful to develop his ideas in
clay, sketch out a pattern and then
carve it in wood. You can move
the clay around and try different
poses to develop a clear mental
picture of what you want to carve.
Dave believes that carving is 80 to
90 percent in the mind. You have
to be able to visualize what you
want to carve. Like most
caricature carvers, Dave’s main
tool is a carving knife, though he
also uses palm tools for specific
cuts.
73
The finish is accomplished
with an acrylic wash thinned
with coffee.
The coffee
replaces water as a the
working medium and adds a
slight umber tint to each of the
colors and promotes an
earthly natural appearance. I
call it “Painting the cowboy
way.” Anything accomplished
in a way contrary to the
mainstream, acceptable
method, can be considered
“The cowboy way.” Give it a
try. If it works, go for it. If it
feels good, do it. If not, try
something else. He finishes
them off with a clear coat of
satin wax and antiques them
with a colored wax finish.
BIOGRAPHY: A professional carver from Scottsdale,
Arizona, Dave specializes in carving the American cowboy
whom he admires as a "vanishing
breed." Dave works to help the
general public and the carving
community recognize that
caricature is an art form.
For aspiring carvers Dave
suggests, “Learn your subject
matter. Your hands are tools
of the mind and you can’t carve what your conscious mind
doesn't know. Observe your friends, read books and
magazines (Mad magazine was the inspiration for more than
one caricature). Take an art class, learn about form and shape
and apply them to your carvings. Form and shape are the
basis for good carving-details are secondary.”
A co-creator and founding member of the Caricature Carvers
of America, Dave served as its first vice- president and
second president. Besides teaching classes at his studio in
Scottsdale, Dave travels North America giving classes and
seminars.
Dave began carving in high
school when his grandfather gave
him a pocketknife. He “deep
relief carved” his name in his
forth-grade school desk. Soon,
Dave also received his first
lesson in furniture restoration. He
was handed a single sheet of
sandpaper, and during every recess, lunch break, and afterschool free period he sanded. Dave said he hasn’t done a
relief carving since. Most of Dave’s ideas come from
observing people that he meets in daily contact.
For more information contact Dave Stetson at 5629 E. Sylvia
St. Scottsdale, AZ 85254, Phone: (480) 367-9630, E-mail:
lcnmichele@aol.com
74
FRIEND OF
BUFFALO BILL©
by Dave Stetson
75
WRONG THING TO SAY?
Cleve Taylor
Once upon a time in a little bar in a little Texas town just a
little west of the Pecos River, Dave Dunham, Will Hayden,
Randy Landen and I were cooling our heels and sipping RC
colas and eating moon pies. We were discussing, among
other things, the heroes each of us held in the highest esteem.
Dave was telling us that the person he most admired was
Black Bart, when this ole cowboy strolled over to the table
from his perch at the bar and said to all of us, “Black Bart is
a pansy.” From the look on Dave’s face and the body
language of the cowboy I felt a strong need to exit that little
bar. And it was a good thing I did or else I and you folks
reading this would have missed seeing the outcome of the
exchange between the ole cowboy and at least one of the
three men remaining at out table.
Somebody hit that cowboy so hard he burst through the one
window in that little bar and wound up on the muddy street
outside. It is the moment he sailed through the window that I
captured for the world to see. While I didn’t recognize the
fist that provided the thrust for the ole cowboy, Dave and I
felt comfortable that the integrity of Black Bart had been
upheld.
I carved the cowboy’s body
with the grain of basswood
running parallel with the
legs.
This orientation
leaves the arms somewhat
vulnerable to breakage,
therefore to keep as much
pressure as I could from the
arms; the hands were
carved separately then
inserted into the arms. The
gun belt, holster and gun
were carved monolithically
and the head separately.
Notice on the front view of
the head that the centerline
is curved to the cowboy’s
left side. This lean is the
result of having been belted
so hard by the courageous
unknown idolizer of Black
Bart.
76
Biography: Cleve started carving in 1986 after receiving a
knife and a few gouges as a Christmas present from his wife
and son. His first carving, completed under the lights of the
family Christmas tree, was a cowboy caricature. Cleve has
been carving caricatures since that Christmas day.
Cleve has authored 5
books on caricature
carving: Cowboy
Carving, Hanging in
There,
Carving
Fishermen and the Tall
Tale,
Carving
Motorcycle Riders,
and Carving Mountain
Men. He regularly
teaches classes and
seminars, and judges
shows when time will permit.
In his normal life, Cleve is a retired Professor of Adult
Education at the University of Idaho. He lives in Boise,
Idaho with his wife Sandy and their three little four-legged
critters, Muffin, Hazel and Sammy. Cleve is a member of the
Idaho Woodcarvers Guild, Pacific Northwest Caricature
Carvers Society, National Woodcarvers Association and the
Affiliated Woodcarvers, Ltd. Cleve became a member of the
Caricature Carvers of America in October, 1995.
77
TOO MUCH COORS
Bob Travis
This cowboy has spent too
much time leaning on the
fence with a can of Coors
when he should have been
helping with the roundup.
The idea came from a verse
in a country song that I
heard several years ago. It
went something like this:
“Lord, I wish hard livin’
didn’t come so easy for
me.”
I usually carve
figures like this in several
pieces. That makes it a lot
easier for a number of
reasons. For one, it’s
easier to get your tools into
most areas if you have a
less complicated blank. Of
course, when you carve the
head separately you can
twist it to just about any position after it is carved. Or, if
worse comes to worse, you can always toss the head in the
fireplace and start another one. With a one-piece carving
though, it’s a little different. You only have one shot at it.
Well, almost. I carved this guy twice before I was happy
with him.
THE PATTERN: I usually begin a carving by sketching
the character in the position that I want him/her in the final
carving. It may take a few tries before I am satisfied, but it
usually works out. I may even make a clay model for a more
complicated figure. This time though, I took a different
approach. The idea was clearly entrenched in my mind, so I
just cut out a piece of wood in the prescribed size and carved
the cowboy on the fence. I didn’t work it out in clay first, as
I should have, nor did I use the band saw. I just carved it.
One of our members, Keith Morrill recently purchased a new
digital camera. Keith photographed my completed carving
from the front and side views. I then loaded the images on
my computer and printed them on white paper. I used a
photocopy machine to adjust the two views so they were the
same height. If I ever decide to carve this guy again I will
just trace the two views on to the front and side of the
basswood block and cut out a blank. (Note: you need
exactly straight on photos of the front and side views for this
method to be successful).
CARVING: Carving this
guy is fairly straightforward.
I have carved cowboys in just
about every position you can
imagine over the years. This
one has one heel up on the
bottom rail of the fence, a can
of Coors in one hand, and his
head tilted down. I really like
the look of a caricature figure
that has its head buried down
in its chest.
78
It is sort of a no-neck
appearance. That affect
is
difficult
to
accomplish if you carve
the head separately, so
the one-piece approach
is a definite advantage
here.
I mentioned earlier that
I had to carve this guy
twice to get one I liked.
That was because I
carved away the wood
for the fence post the
first time. Work it out
in clay first. It will save
time in the long run.
I used hand tools on this
carving but there is no
reason why it could not
be accomplished with
power. In fact, if one
were to rough it out with
a Fordom-type power grinder it would certainly save time. I
have access to a power grinder as my wife is a bird carver,
but I only use it for such things as shaping the inside of a
closed hand or to get into tight places that I can’t reach with
hand tools. I recently acquired a knife with a _” x 2 _” blade
in a long, thin handle. This knife is excellent for getting into
those hard to reach places.
PAINTING AND FINISHING: If you have read many of
the other chapters you will know by now that most of us
paint with light washes. The reason is simply that we like to
see the wood grain through the paint. It really doesn’t matter
whether one uses oil- or acrylic-based paints. The effect is
the same. I prefer acrylics because they dry fast, clean up
easy and come in many colors, but I have used oil-based
stains. The key here is to use light washes. Dilute the paint
in water and when you think it is thin enough, add some
more water. I use some colors that come in tubes, and some
that come in little squeeze bottles. Brand names are not
important. For the tube acrylics I squeeze a drop about the
size of a garden pea in a small cup and add about 2-3 ounces
of water. Begin by adding a few drops of water to the paint,
then blend it into the water with a stiff brush. Then, add
more water. If you add all of the water at first you will just
chase the paint glob around the cup.
The paints that come in little squeeze bottles are much
thinner. Use the same mixing technique, just add less water.
Once you have the paint diluted to what you think is the
proper ratio, try it on a piece of basswood.
Exceptions to the rule: I, as well as several others in this
book have stressed the need for using light washes. We have
all seen many fine carvings ruined by too much paint. But,
there are exceptions to the rule. For example, if you are
painting a clown, a classy female, or anything other subject
where bright colors will enhance the carving, then use a little
more paint. Be careful though, as it is easy to get too much
paint on even when greater color intensity is desired.
79
I have always had trouble trying to mix flesh tones.
Fortunately, CeramCoat by Delta comes in several flesh
tones. I prefer medium flesh and dark flesh. Medium flesh
is great for a female face, but it is a little too pale for a crusty
old cowboy. So, I add a few drops of dark flesh to the
medium for the cowboys and similar characters. The dark
flesh works well on Native American caricatures and old sun
burned cowboys. I use a wash that is not nearly as dilute as
described above for the flesh tone. It should be thick enough
so the antique mixture will not darken the color and thin
enough so that it doesn’t appear crusty. I suggest you
practice on a stick before painting your carving.
I use tube acrylics without dilution for such features as
eyeballs, teeth and buttons. Paint the eyeballs with titanium
white directly from the tube. Then lighten a dab of
ultramarine blue, raw umber, or hooker’s green with white
for the iris. Before doing this though look at your eyes in a
mirror. Notice that unless you have your finger in a light
socket, or you just unknowingly stepped on a cat’s tail, you
can only see part of your iris. It is usually not right in the
middle of the exposed white area. Paint it like the image you
see in the mirror. Add a spot of black for the pupil and a tiny
speck of white to show the light reflection. A sharp-tipped
dental tool will work well for adding the light reflection.
When the paint is completely dry use a 0.02 or 0.03
permanent ink drafting pen to put a black line around the
edge of the iris. This will bring the eye to life. Paint the
buttons with paint directly from the tube, using the same
color from which you prepared the wash, after lightening it
with a little white. The dental tool can be used to add thread
(usually white or black) to the buttons after they have dried.
Antique with a mixture of about 4 parts natural Watco oil
with 1 part medium walnut Watco oil. The natural is too
light and the medium walnut is too dark so I use the 4:1
ratio. Blot dry with paper towels. Make sure you get the
drops out of recessed places like eye corners and nostrils as
they will dry in a glob. Discard all paper towels or rags in
wet storage or in an airtight container to prevent spontaneous
combustion.
One question that we often hear is “How do you manage to
paint so well?” Well, in addition to the above suggestions,
the real secret is sharp tools. My rule of thumb is that if I
can cut cross grain with a knife or chisel and leave a cut
surface that looks wet, then the tool is sharp. It the surface
appears cloudy, or scratchy, then the tool is not sharp.
Surfaces carved with dull tools will have a more open grain
and will absorb more paint. This is what gives some painted
woodcarvings a blotchy appearance. I do not use pre-stain or
sealer before painting. I just add the paint, or light washes
directly to the surface of the carving.
80
BIOGRAPHY: Bob, a resident of Davis, California is a
Professor of Agronomy at the University of California,
Davis. He is a founding member, Past-President and the
current Vice-President of the Caricature Carvers of
America. He was the CCA exhibit chairman for several years
and the project editor for the CCA's first two books.
Bob is also active in local and state carving activities in
California. He is seminar chairman for Capital Woodcarvers
in Sacramento and he was the Chief of Education for the
California Carver's Guild for eight years. During his term as
Education Chief he wrote a monthly column for the Guild
publication, The Log, entitled "Talking Things Over." He
continues to write a monthly
column "The Art of Caricature
Carving" for The Log. He has
taught at the Doane Workshop
in Crete, Nebraska for many
years as well as at several
other workshops around the
country.
Bob's primary carving interest
is Western humor, but he has
been known to carve other
subjects from time to time.
This only happened after
somebody told him that "Not
all caricature carvings must be cowboys." When not in
California, Bob can often be found in his studio in Montana.
Too Much Coors©
by
Bob Travis
81
AFTER THE LONG NIGHT
Tom Wolfe
According to Tom, his
first show was the 1953
Scholastic Art Show held
in Charleston, West
Virginia. He also
attended one semester at
the American Institute of
Art at Chicago, but
fortunately, according to
Tom, he didn’t have
enough formal training to
interfere with his
creativity.
Tom typically carves
using a long-handled
knife of his own design.
In addition a knife, Tom
uses palm gouges. His
best advice it to “keep
your tools sharp”. The
only thing worse than
not having the right tools
is having a dull tool. Tom
typically does a single
side cut out, drawn from
the most difficult profile.
He uses the template pattern, cut the exact size of the
carving. Once the pattern is cut out on the band saw, he uses
a drill press and Forstner bit to drill off the unwanted wood
in the larger areas.
Since this carving was to be painted, Tom chose to use
basswood, because it accepts paint well. Tom uses oil based
paint, and mixes the raw paints with turpentine to form an oil
wash. It gives Tom’s carvings a light touch of color without
the use of an antiquer.
BIOGRAPHY: Tom began carving at the age of 12. Today
he has become one of America’s
most recognized and respected
carvers. Tom has helped
thousands of people develop
their carving skills through his
seminars and his many books.
Tom’s books take both the
beginning carver and veteran
through a project, step-by-step.
The popularity of Tom’s books
are attributable to his straightforward teaching style and the obvious enjoyment Tom
extracts from the art of wood carving.
Tom’s books are available through most bookstores and
woodcarving supplies, and his original carvings and cast
models are available through finer gift stores.
Tom prefers to work without a PATTERN, so looking on
the next page for it won’t help you a bit.
82
THE RAINBOW PAINT COMPANY
Joe You
Greetings from the new kid on
the block. The following is how
I go about developing a new
carving, but it’s not the only way.
I’d recommend it to any carver.
Even though it’s a lot more work,
it is very satisfying coming up
with an original piece.
THE CONCEPT: The challenge
of carving anything of our choice
out of a piece of wood 4” x 4” x
12” was intriguing. I wanted to
carve something that would make
maximum use of the size of block
and soon realized that the subject
would be relatively upright. A
painter reaching into the last little
corner spot seemed to be a
definite possibility. Give this
planning stage lots of thought
because that will make or break the carving.
First, I drew a picture of a painter on a stepladder reaching
into a corner. If you could have seen me in my garage
posing for the position, you would have thought that I had
been smelling a bit too much paint thinner. Remember that
caricature is exaggeration based on realism, so it’s important
to know what it does look like before you exaggerate it.
I liked the pose because both arms and both legs were in
different positions. The shoulders are pointed toward the
paintbrush. The whole carving is actually directed toward an
imaginary spot with the right arm, brush, and eyes centering
on that spot.
My next step was to visit the local paint store. There I found
out about coveralls and what a painter might also be
carrying, which included a rag, painter’s hat, and a duster.
CLAY MODEL: Now I am ready to make my model. It is
helpful for most carvers, myself included, to have a 3-D
model on which to base their carving. The first thing made
was the stepladder from basswood pieces glued together with
wood glue and a touch of cyanoacrylate cement. This is
needed first to provide support for the clay model.
A wire armature is made for the painter himself to keep the
clay from sagging. Three pieces of wire(10-12 gauge
electrical wire with the
insulation left on) are pieced
together into the basic position.
Remember that the feet have to
fit on the stepladder.
Because this project has to fit
into a 4” x 4” x 12” box, before
I added Super Sculpy clay to
the wire armature, I confirmed
that the size requirement was
still being met.
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Super Sculpy clay is a polymer clay that is clean and easy to
work and mold. It will not harden until baked. Cover the
wire armature and form the body, legs, and arms. Use your
fingers and any instrument that might help – pen, fingernail
file, etc. You can slightly reposition the arms and legs if
needed. Take your time, have fun with the clay. Put in as
much detail as you would like: eyelids, eyebrows, fingers,
bucket, rag, pockets, duster, clothing items, etc. The more
detail you put into the clay model now, the easier it will be to
carve later. Bake the clay model at 275 degrees F for about
30 minutes to harden the clay. Glue the stepladder and the
clay model to a 4” x 4” x 1 _” base for stability since this
piece is top heavy.
FROM CLAY TO WOOD: After the model is completed,
I drew outlines of it from the 1) front (back) view and 2) side
view from the carving’s left side so I can cut out the blank on
my band saw. It helps to have a ruler or divider to measure
distances on the model.
Place the front, rear, and left side outlines on a 4” x 4” x 12”
piece of basswood. (I also placed the outline from the rear
on the block). Before cutting out the outlines on a band saw,
I drill holes for internal spaces from the left and rear of the
carving. This is done for accuracy and making sure that the
stepladder can be located correctly. Carve the piece with
your normal selection of knives and gouges. Cleaning out
the stepladder is tedious and tries your patience. I find that
fishtail gouges about 4-5 mm work relatively well, but use
whatever works for this. After the carving is completed, I
wood burned the words “RAINBOW PAINT CO.” and the
texture of the cat’s tail.
PAINTING: As most caricature painters do, I use watered
down acrylics. I paint under magnification (reading glasses
1.5-2.0) and a good light.
One day before painting, I
apply Bix Pre-Stain. This
helps even out the paint and
prevent blotching. I prefer to
use different shades for most
objects. For example, the
paint bucket on the drop
cloth is gray, but the gray is
darker near the base. The
blue T-shirt is darker near
the coverall and creases
because those areas are
darker from the shadows.
The face has red/pink
highlights on the lips, ears,
cheeks, eyes and nose. I
highlight with white paint on
a dry, stiff brush. After
painting, I antique all my
carvings in a mixture of 80%
clear Watco and 20% Watco
Dark Walnut.
To me,
antiquing improves the look 100%. Let it sit 15-30 minutes
and then apply Watco Satin Wax. Let it sit 30-60 minutes to
dry and buff with a soft bristled brush. Leave for a few days
in a well-ventilated area. As with most forms of art and
creativity, there is no right or wrong. That is the beauty of
“individual style.”
84
THE STORY OF THE RAINBOW PAINT COMPANY
Kohler knew ever since childhood that he loved anything to
do with paint and painting. Finger painting, face painting,
painting model airplanes, you name it, he loved it. In fact, as
a child of
11, he helped
his father
Dr.
Bob
Liend, an
orthodontist
paint their
entire house
inside and
out. By the
time he
was
16,
Kohler was
so good with
a brush he
could dot the
eyes of a fly. It was just meant to be that Kohler would start
his own house painting company. Business was good except
for one problem. As well as Kohler could paint gutters, trim,
eaves, and shutters, the color combinations never seemed to
match. It was frustrating to see the blank stares that his
quality painted houses would generate.
One day Kohler would see the last of those blank stares. He
formulated his own paint with multiple, rainbow colors. It
was revolutionary within the industry because the different
colors flowed independently without bleeding or fading.
Overnight, Kohler’s paint company became a sensational
success. People loved the rainbow colored paint. Kohler no
longer had to worry about matching colors or blank stares.
In fact, there was such an overwhelming demand for his new
“rainbow paint” that he changed his business name from
“Kohler B. Leind Painting” to “Rainbow Paint Company.”
Now, everyone is happy!
BIOGRAPHY: Joe first started woodcarving in the early
1990's by carving folk-art style Santas. He became "hooked"
on caricature carving when he saw his first exhibit of
caricature carvings sponsored by the CCA. The whimsical
moods and subject matters of caricature are what appeal to
him.
Joe's background is in all
forms of art including,
drawing, cartooning, painting,
and calligraphy. He especially
enjoys carving everyday
people in interesting positions.
Joe has successfully competed
in woodcarving competitions
and was elected into the CCA
in 1998.
Born in 1953 and raised in
Sacramento, California, Joe
has been married to his lovely
wife Chris for over 23 years,
and together they have three beautiful children; Kelly 18,
Jarod 15, and Travis 13. A dentist for over 22 years, Joe
practices general dentistry in Elk Grove, California.
85
The Rainbow Paint Company©
by Joe You
86
Emeritus and Former CCA
Emeritus and Former CCA Members
Harley Refsal
Joe Wannamaker
87
Desiree Hajny
Gerald Sears
88
Dave Rasmussen