Planning & Whittling a Scene

Whittling or carving a scene can be a lot of fun. Or it can be a real challenge. In order to keep the effort fun I like to do it in stages. First I get the general theme in my head. I'll next think of what I want in the scene. Next comes a very important part of the process. I like to make a mock up of the scene. This mock up should be to scale, and quick to do. The mock up will let you see what the final scene will look like. It will allow you to make adjustments, add /delete scene elements, and/or modify the scene; before you have spent a lot of time and effort. Once you are satisfied, you can move to whittling or carving the final pieces. In the above scene I followed this process: 1. Wanted a miniature scene to fit inside a 2" x 2" cube. 2. Wanted a gnome(s). 3. Wanted a moonshine still. 4. Whittled two gnomes, a still, moonshine jugs. 5. Assembled the pieces on a 2" x 2" square. 6. Determined the two gnomes were too crowded. 7. Added a barrel and some extra jugs, and some logs with fire under the still. I'll let it sit for a while then take another look at it. If I am satisfied I'll whittle the final pieces, paint and assemble.