As a whittler I whittle where ever I am. This is why I tend to whittle "small". It's just easier to carry a small piece of wood in my pocket. I also tend to whittle "fast", because my attention span is about "0".
This small Gnome is whittled out of a piece of Basswood that measures one inch thick.
First, trace/draw your Gnome side view on a piece of Basswood that is one inch thick.
This is the front view. Notice that I have drawn a center line. I've learned to do this after having several noses that were way off center.
This is the back view of the Gnome.
First cuts are stop cuts at the corners/bottom of the hat. Then remove the "chips" at these corners. In removing the face corner chips, start your knife slice cut near the bottom of the beard and slice up to the corner stop cut . Angle these cuts to go between the ears and the bottom of the nose sides. Be sure not to cut into the ears. Leave enough wood for a good Gnome nose.
Here's a different view of the results of the slice cuts as described in the previous step.
Complete the stop cut around the bottom of the hat. Define the nose by making stop cuts at the nose sides and across the top of the eye area. Remove the "chips" that are defined by these stop cuts. Begin to shape the Gnomes hat. Be careful of the wood grain direction. Take small slivers by slicing with the knife. This Bud Murray/Don Mertz knife was designed for this.
Close-up of knife placement for making stop cuts at the sides of the nose. Start by "plunging" the knife tip into the wood at the top side of the nose, then "rock" the blade down.
Close up of knife placement for making stop cuts across the tops of the eyes.
We'll continue tomorrow!
First cuts are stop cuts at the corners/bottom of the hat. Then remove the "chips" at these corners. In removing the face corner chips, start your knife slice cut near the bottom of the beard and slice up to the corner stop cut . Angle these cuts to go between the ears and the bottom of the nose sides. Be sure not to cut into the ears. Leave enough wood for a good Gnome nose.
Close-up of knife placement for making stop cuts at the sides of the nose. Start by "plunging" the knife tip into the wood at the top side of the nose, then "rock" the blade down.
Close up of knife placement for making stop cuts across the tops of the eyes.
Nice start, Tom. I like the way you are doing this. Am I correct in inferring from the photos that in addition to cutting straight up from the bottom of the beard to the hat that you also did a scoop cut or triangular cut from the outside toward the nose? Or from the nose to the outside?
ReplyDeleteIf I understand your question, the knife cut you are asking about was made from the top of the nose to the "outside". I lay the knife blade to the angle I want at the top of the nose, cutting edge facing the ear. I push the blade tip into the wood and cut towards the ear, with a rocking motion. Then I remove the chip that is created by this stop cut and the nose side stop cut.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy your work I have always worked with canes and walking sticks started doing figures after I came to your page. Next thing I know I'm buying basswood to carve these guys. Thanks
ReplyDeleteRusty Wagner
Thanks for your very nice comment, Rusty. I am always glad to hear that someone felt that this blog helped.....
ReplyDeleteTom H
How did you get the initial shape? Did you take some saw to it?
ReplyDeleteYes! traced the right side view of the gnome onto the wood, then used a scroll sae to cut it out.
ReplyDeleteThis there a pattern for this project? Where would I find it?
ReplyDeleteThanx!
As to a pattern! The best thing to do is to just print the photo and change the size. I'll post a photo of my pattern....Thanks Phillip.
ReplyDeleteI can't fin Tutorial B.....anybody?
ReplyDelete