Please feel free to use this material for clubs or teaching, or whatever. I would appreciate an email letting me know, and credit where suitable.

Carving a Fisherman

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Here is my attempt at a step by step guide to carving a simple fisherman figure. Feel free to use it as you see fit, if it is reproduced for others please do give me credit.

The figure will be a bald fisherman with beard, holding a sou- wester in one hand with the other held palm up, as though feeling for rain. There are white stains on the sou-wester and on the fisherman's forehead, and a seagull sits on a pole above his head. The title is "Why Fishermen Wear Sou-westers".

A block of soft carving wood, 4" x 4" x 10" will be used for this example. Other dimensions may be used, simply by adjusting the measurements. The cuts need not be precise and accurate, since they are merely to act as a guide for the placement of features.

On carving in general, I think a series of small steps is the best approach. It's the big leaps that bring about a fall. Take your time, and use a lot of small cuts rather than a few big ones. It may take a little longer, but you will like the result.

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Step 1
Shaping the head:

This is a caricature and I don't normally measure anything when doing this type of figure. Everything is a judgement call, aimed at getting the best affect. However, for this lesson, I think a series of measured cuts should allow even a beginner to end up with a three dimensional map of the main features of the head. Now who said that arts and crafts would be difficult to learn via online education? Nonsense! Here are the directions and illustrations so you can learn clearly and easily. If you have any questions don't hesitate to get in touch! Good luck!

Refer to the illustrations, to help make the instructions clear.

The first cuts will leave a 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" x 3" block that we will shape to be the head. Measure in from the front of the block, 1 1/4" and down 3 1/2" and mark this on the top and sides and front. Measure down a further 2 1/2" and, on the sides mar and angle back up to the 1 1/4" line.

You may make all the marks first and then cut or remove the wood as you go. Your choice.

To remove the front, cut down the 1 1/4" guide lines until the 3 1/2" line is reached. Now cut from the 6" line ( the second 2 1/2" line) at an angle, back up to the 3 1/2" line.

Measure in 7/8" from each side, and down 3 1/2", making the mark along the top as well. The sides can be remove by cutting down to 3 1/2" and in the 7/8".

Measure 1/2" in for the back and remove as with the sides. Now you should have approximately, a 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" x 3 1/2" block at the top of your wood.

The next cuts begin to shape the head. Refer to illustration step 1b below.

Basically we will be cutting a triangle off each corner of our top block.

Measure in from the front corners 1" in each direction and join these marks to form front triangles at the corner. Marks down the front and side of the head act as saw guides. Simply cut down and remove this wood.

The back corners will have 1/2" triangles removed in the same fashion.

The final cuts to the head will define the nose, chin, eyes and ears.

Measure down from the top, 1" and mark the front for eyebrow location and the sides for top of ear location. Measure down 2" to mark bottom of the nose and ears. Measure down 3" and mark the bottom of the chin.

Now for the cuts. The front needs to have wood removed to define the nose. Measure in about 1/2" at the eyebrow mark and down from the top. From 1 1/2" mark a line angled back up to the eyebrow level. Remove this wood reveal the forehead and top of nose.

Cut in 1/2" at the bottom of the nose and cut up from the 3" mark (or chin) at an angle to remove a wedge and define nose and chin.

The final front cut is for the neck. At the base of the neck, measure in roughly 1" and cut at an angle down from the chin, to remove this wedge.

Now for the ears. A cut down from the top, and in about 1/4" will define the top of the ear. The bottom cut is at an angle down to the shoulder, or base of the neck and in about 1/2".

Well, that defines the head and should give you a pretty good idea of what future robot washing machines will look like.

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STEP 2:
Shaping the figure

First turn the figure upside down and we will mark the heels and toes of the feet. From the back measure in 1" and mark a line from left to right to define the heels. A line in 2 1/4" from the back will show the toes. We can return to these later.

The figures left hand will extend forward, so we will remove some of the front. Measure 1" in from the figure's left side and mark down the front. On the bottom measure in 3/4 " and do the same on the left side. Turn the piece so the right side is up and saw down 3". Cut in the 3/4" from the front and remove this wood.

Add some shape to the back by first measuring in 2" and mark a centre line down the back. On each side measure in 3/4" and mark this line. The cut is from top to bottom to remove the triangle wedge on each side of the back.

To define the right arm. measure up from the bottom 3 3/4" and mark the bottom of the elbow. Measure up 2 1/4" to mark the bottom of the hand. Draw a line to join these two points and cut in 1". Turn the figure upside down, and mark in 1" from the right side, making a mark down the front and back to help guide the cut. Saw down to meet the previous cut.

Measure in from the back of the arm, 1 1/4" to mark the shoulder width. Mark straight down 2". Measure up from the hand 1" and join this to the previous 2" mark to show the arm. Measure in 1 1/2" to the front and saw out this triangle shaped wedge, first cutting down 2" and then turning the figure upside down to cut along the top of the arm. Finally measure up 1/2" on the hand and cut straight across to define the bottom of the hand.

Measure up from the bottom on the left side the same 3 3/4" to mark the elbow. Measure up 3 1/2" to mark the bottom of the hand. Join these marks and cut in 1". Cut up from the bottom as with the right side to leave the left arm defined.

Measure 1 1/4" for the shoulder width. Mark down 1 3/4" and in to the front 1 1/2" to make a triangle wedge. Cut down the 1 3/4" and straight in to remove this wood and leave a defined arm.

To show the backs of the legs, measure up 3" from the bottom and cut from the back of the heels, marked earlier, at an angle up to the this mark. On the front cut up from the toes to this 3" mark. Finally separate the legs from each other with a single saw cut up the centre, between them, stopping at about 2 3/4".

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Step 3:
Carving the head

Round off the top of the head, adding more slant to the forehead area. A curved carving blade might be best for this.
To shape out the eye cavity, ear cavity, and nostrils use a round nose or spherical rotary carving burr. For those who prefer to do it all with the knife, a 3/4" spear point blade may work best, making small circular cuts.
In shaping the eye cavity, remember the eyebrow slopes downward at the sides. The ear cavity is simply a hole at the centre of our defined ear.

Of course you know why I shape out the cavities before carving the features. It's just a weird feeling approaching someone's nostril with a rotating rasp!

Continue with a straight blade, cutting from below the ear to the chin, on an inward curve to define the neck. Shape the back of the neck with a more straight cut and not in as far. The neck will be thinned a bit more when we do the shoulders.
Round off the ears at the top and bottom, removing a little more from the lower back portion to taper the ear toward the bottom. Cut a V grove around the outside top and back of the ear to separate it from the head.
Define the hair line and the beard down to the moustache (remember the guy is a little bald). Define the hair line at the back of the neck in similar fashion. Cut from the side of the nose (about midway) down to the beard to define the cheek and edge of the moustache.
A straight cut midway between the bottom of the chin and the nose places the mouth. Finally, make a V cut in the front of the ear.

To finish. simply go over each feature and add as much detail as you are comfortable with and capable of. This will depend on what level you are at.
It is a caricature and some exaggeration is in order, with cuts being a little deeper, to define features more clearly.

I prefer small detail blades for this. Below I show what I have done with the eyes. Note that the eyebrows are high up to give a look of surprise. After all he just received a special gift from his favourite gull.

Simple V cuts help define the beard and hair. After the carving the head, sanding will give a finished look. This can be done by hand or with a rotary, cone-shaped sander.

Here is my finished head.

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On the next page we'll finish the figure and paint it.

I am available for questions and comments.
email:  carver@cliftonsears.ca

Fisherman Caricature Carving Lesson - Page 2