This free, in-depth, step by step wood carving project for the Wood Spirit will take you through the carving, cutting, and shaving techniques to create your own Wood Spirit Cane or Walking Stick. During the following steps we will be carving the wrinkles to created a deeply aged, ragged face.
The fifteenth chapter in Lora Irish’s Great Book of Free Carving Projects and Patterns
“Wood Spirit Carving”- Carving Wrinkles
Steps 35 – 37
| Before we begin the carving steps for the wrinkles of our Wood Spirit, let’s take a moment to check the work we have already done.By the end of the last chapter, fourteen, you have worked a smooth, fat cheeked wood spirit face.If you are working on a Santa Claus, or elf carving you will want to stop here and move directly to the hair detailing.Santa doesn’t have deeply set wrinkles, except at the corners of his eyes to make him smile.So at this point in the project you have worked all the steps to creating and carving a Christmas Santa face. |  |
Step 35
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| Since photos often do not show shallow v-gouge cuts, I am working my wrinkles and the definition/dividing lines in the face extra deep so that you can clearly see where I am placing them.Usually my wrinkles and crease line are much more shallow than what you will see me working here.Please remember that this free project is written as a practice piece.Begin by marking where you want your wrinkle and crease lines with a #2 pencil.For my wood spirit I want one main crease line about 1/4″ under the lower eye lid line. I also want to divide the lower cheek area from the top area of the upper lip – this is marked with two lines just below the top edge of the nostrils.My third area for major wrinkles or skin folds is in the forehead area. |
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Step 36
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| Using a small round gouge, cut the top of the cheek above the pencil line for the crease. This creates a concave area just below the lower eye lid.If you lay your finger against the edge of the lower lid you will be able to feel the concave curve that is created between the eyelid covered eye ball and the top edge of the cheek bone. |
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| To define the break between the lower edge of the cheek bugle and the top area of the lip I am using my small round gouge to create a concave curve to the facial area beside the lower half of the nostril.Work the concave curve into the outer edge of the nostril. By lowering this area of the face you are making the nose appear to be more forward in the face than it really is cut. |
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| While I have the wood spirit upside-down I can cut a v-gouge wrinkle line at the bottom of the concave gouge work, below the lower eye lid. |  |
| Personally, I like to cut crease or wrinkle lines in two strokes, working from the high point of the area towards the outer points of the line. |  |
Step 37
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| Using the v-gouge I can cut a deep wrinkle line at the bottom edge of the cheek and along the top edge of the upper lip area. |  |
| Again, please note that these three wrinkle lines are about twice as deep as I would normally work so that you can clearly see the cuts. |
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| The three wrinkle lines in the forehead are cut with a v-gouge. A bull nose chisel is used to roll over the sharp edges of these v-gouge wrinkles. Shallow cut wrinkles do not need to be rounded over. |  |
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| Wrinkles not only run horizontally across the face but also vertically. In fact, wrinkles really can go in just about any direction as long as they are visually anchored – worked from – a major facial feature.Mark your vertical wrinkles with a pencil.I am adding three that run from the concave curve of the lower eye lid down through the cheek area. Cut these wrinkles using your v-gouge. |
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| Repeat the vertical wrinkle lines in the forehead area.Wrinkles can be found at both corners of the eye, along the center ridge of the nose, and radiating from the lips if your wood spirit is clean-shaven. |  |
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Wood Spirit Carving, Free Project by Lora Irish 1 Introduction and Supply List 2 Walking Stick Preparation 3 Exploring the Human Face 4 Planes of the Human Face 5 Carve The Human Face 6 Shaping the Facial Features 7 Sloping the Sides of the Face 8 Rough Cutting the Features 9 Carving the Eyes 10 Detailing the Eyes 11 Shaping the Features 12 Defining the Cheek and Nose 13 Working the Facial Hair 14 Refining the Face Shape 15 Carving the Wrinkles 16 Trimming the Beard 17 Review of the Techniques |
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