Читать книгу Weekend Whittling Projects - Sara Barraclough - Страница 5

I am so excited to introduce these four little carving projects! They are designed to be made with just a carving knife and some imagination—no cutouts or power tools, just good ol’ fashioned whittling. There’s plenty of room to add your own flair and personality once you get the general shapes down.

People who know me know that I carve in my car—A LOT. All of these creatures were created in my car, so all I had were a detail knife and a rough out knife. I like my carvings to be easily transportable, so you can carve one anywhere—from a campsite to a baseball game. Although these are “small” carves, there is plenty of material to take off, so MAKE THOSE CHIPS FLY!

One of my main goals when carving is to make the end design look nothing like the original block—so don’t be afraid to make deep cuts and take off more material than you might be used to. The projects are meant to be on the “cartoony” side, with exaggerated details and features. With a few strategically placed cuts, you’ll have a myriad of options for little changes and personalization. The #1 goal is to have fun (and maybe impress your friends with a cute little creature)!

Before You Begin

I get a lot of questions about painting and antiquing. As a general rule, I water down my paints substantially. It is much easier to add an extra coat of paint than it is to take paint off. Plus, I like to see some of the wood grain when it’s all said and done. I usually follow approximately a 10:1 ratio (10 drops of water to every one healthy drop of acrylic paint).

I also get many questions on shading/antiquing. I liken it to the peaks and valleys of a mountain range. Mountain peaks are always in the sunlight, so they will look lighter; valleys are shady and dark. The same concept applies to carvings. In the places with deep cuts (under hat brims, arm creases, between pants and shoes, etc.), you want to apply a darker shade of antiquing wax, leaving the high spots alone. Working with the peaks and valleys will add lots of personality and depth to your finished carving.