A friend suggested I carve something on a wooden wine bottle. I’m not a wine drinker, so I made a sketch of a beer bottle and sent it to the guy who makes woodturned carving blanks for me. I carved a woman on a root beer bottle and a leprechaun on a Guiness bottle.

I had taken a trip out west and stopped at Jackson Hole and Deadwood. Cowboys were on my mind, so I carved a cowboy on a Budweiser bottle. In Woodcarving Illustrated Summer 2012 (Issue 59) I demonstrated how to carve one. We did the photo shoot at the Woodcarving Illustrated photo studio near Lancaster, Pa. There were several photos of the carving process that didn’t make it into the magazine, so we decided to share them online. Scroll down to see a gallery of these bonus photos.

The post Carving a Caricature Beer Bottle Process Photos appeared first on Woodcarving Illustrated.

Fantasy caricature hangs out on any ledge

By Floyd Rhadigan

I love to create projects that incorporate my two passions: fantasy literature and caricature carving. This little elf shelf sitter, guaranteed to elicit a smile, blends the two together perfectly. Fantasy caricatures are a lot of fun because they allow you to take creative liberties. While there are generalizations, such as pointed ears on an elf, there are no hard rules that must be followed.

I start with a rough out. If you cut out the blank with a band saw, it won’t take you long to get to this point. Carve in the basic forms using the pattern as a guide.

Materials:
Basswood: 2 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ x 7 1/2″ (65mm x 14cm x 19.1cm)
Acrylic paint, such as Delta Ceramcoat: medium flesh, Hooker’s green, white, pthalo blue, moss green, cadmium orange, burnt umber, burnt sienna, tomato spice red, black
Finish, such as Krylon: matte
Finishing wax, such as Watco: natural
Finishing wax, such as Watco: dark

Tools:
Carving knife
Detail knife
#7 gouge: 3/8″
Gouge: 2mm
#11 gouges: 1/4″ (6mm), 3/16″ (5mm)
V-tools: 1/4″ (6mm), 3/16″ (5mm)

CLICK HERE to download the Shelf Sitter Elf Pattern.

For more information on how to carve fantasy characters read Carving Fantasy Characters by Floyd Rhadigan. Learn to carve 15 different lighthearted fantasy characters such as an elf, troll, pixie and more with detailed patterns and instructions. It is available for purchase at www.foxchapelpublishing.com for $16.99 plus S&H.

For full step-by-step instructions get Woodcarving Illustrated Fall 2010 (Issue 52) here. 

The post Shelf Sitter Elf appeared first on Woodcarving Illustrated.

By Floyd Rhadigan

This adorable little colt only requires a few tools to complete. Novice carvers can expect excellent results in a relatively short period of time and more experienced carvers can finish the project in a single day. 

My first carving project was a horse similar to this one. Back in the 1970s, I worked in my dad’s sign shop. Smokey Joe Briemuiller, a family friend, would often stop in to sell his carvings. He could carve a horse similar to this one in 20 minutes.

Smokey Joe’s work fascinated me and I spent as much time learning from him as I could. Joe taught me how to make a carving knife from an old straight razor and taught me a lot about carving, most of which I still use today.

Materials:
Basswood: 2 1/2″ x 4″ x 5 1/2″
Natural finishing wax, such as Watco

Tools:
Carving knife
Detail knife
#3 gouge: 1/2″
#7 gouge: 1/2″
#9 gouge: 3/4″
#11 gouge: 1/4″
V-tool, small

CLICK HERE to download the Caricature Colt Pattern.

Purchase Floyd Rhadigan’s book Carving Fantasy Creatures for further reading about caricature carving. Learn to carve 5 different lighthearted fantasy creatures such as gargoyles and dragonsmore with detailed patterns and instructions. The book is available for purchase for $12.99 from www.foxchapelpublishing.com.

CLICK HERE to read the full step-by-step instructions and other great articles from Woodcarving Illustrated Fall 2009 (Issue 48).

The post Carving a Caricature Colt appeared first on Woodcarving Illustrated.