Carving the human face is a very specific area of carving. I have recorded the main steps and some of my reflections as I was learning. I have been fortunate enough to be working with Master Carver Michael Painter to develop my skills in this area.
I started by carving half faces (left or right side of the face) under his guidance. This allowed me to start to understand the profile of the face, the relative proportions of the face and how to carve the eye, nose and mouth. I then went on to carving complete male and female faces as the feature are significantly different.
There has been much written on the proportions of the face and it is worth reading up on this to start to appreciate some of the basic rules. The eyes are about half way down the face. The nose is about half way between the eyes and bottom of the face. The area below the nose can be divided into three and the second line is where the lips part, the third line is the top of the chin.
For a half face I started by drawing the profile onto the side of the wood. The profile of the face can then be cut with a band saw or roughed out, keeping the point of the nose as the high point, and dropping the forehead, cheeks and mouth areas.
The forehead can be rounded to form the top of the head, and the cheeks taken down and sculpted back towards the jaw. The cheeks lowered and the eye socket formed. The area to the side of the eyes can be cut away towards the temple, the face does this to allow for peripheral vision.
The nose will have started to form and can be shaped so that is is like a triangle , the tip is the high point and it gets lower towards the bridge of the nose. The bridge of the nose can be formed carving it lower than the brow area. Either side of the nose is dropped away (always further than you think). The nose is half on and half off the face, and when looked at from below forms a 90 degree angle with the rest of the face, as shown on the third diagram below. The cheeks must have been dropped away low enough so the nose protrudes appropriately.
The cheeks and eye socket adjusted and further defined. Getting the eyes right is really important as they are a major focal feature of the face. The eye socket can be carved with a gouge. It is larger than the eye and the eye ball can be shaped and rounded like the front of a golf ball with visible curvature from side to side, and less curvature from top to bottom as this dimension of the eye is smaller so the curvature is less visible. The face is about 5 eyes wide at this point, and the two eyes are about an eye apart. Checking for symmetry on each side is essential, as is ensuring the depth, size and shapes of the eyes are the same. Mark the centre front of the eyeball so that the eye is looking ahead and the high point of both eyes is symmetrical.
The upper part of the eye leading up to the brow can be shaped. Women have higher, more arched, lighter brows than men.
The eyelids can now be carved, draw in the position of the eyelids ensuring symmetry. The angle of the eye changes with the expression on the face. Eyes are angled slightly upward on a smiling face. Eyes are not simple almond shapes. the highest point of the upper eyelid is not in the middle of the eyelid, it is a little towards the nose. The lower eyelid is not just a regular curve, it has an upward curve near the nose and a downward curve towards the outer edge of the eye so the chisel needs to be turned upside down to get the inner curve of the lower eyelid.
Once you are sure that the eyes are correct and symmetrical on each side of the face cut the inside line with a small flute to get the shape and recheck the size, shape and symmetry. Now use a bullnose gouge with a curve that matches the curve of the eyelid to cut the lines sharply. Use the same chisel to slice into the cuts and reduce the level of the eyeball. The lower eyelid tucks under the upper lid on the outer side of the eye so the lower lid needs to be cut away a little at the outer edge.
The iris can be carved by carefully cutting its outline, keeping it centred on the cross drawn on the highest point. the level of the iris can then be lowered slightly, maintaining the rounded shape of the eyeball. Remember the iris is not a complete round as the upper part is hidden under the eyelid. Finally redefine the socket above the eye with small flute to form the crease of the upper eyelid and use a small flute to carve below, close to the eyelid to define the eyelash area. Smooth into the face gently.
Stop carving and have a good look at your work at regular intervals to check for symmetry from every angle and check and the relative heights of the different features of the face.
Now refine the shape of the nose, use a chisel to cut in the groove between the nose and the edge of the mouth on both sides. These drop away below the level of the cheeks, and start by forming the crease of the nostrils. The nose has bone and cartilage along the bridge and therefore is wider at this point and so is not quite straight (as on the first nose drawing earlier in this blog). The nose also tapers towards the bridge, and the bridge is lower than the rest of the length of the nose. Once shaped the length of the nose can be blended into the side of the nose and then the cheeks. The nose tapers just below the tip before the columella (flesh between the nostrils) starts. The nasal wings are angles back from the columella. I would leave carving the hollowed out nostrils until the end incase further adjustments are necessary. A small flute can be used to extend the crease of the nostrils around the back of the nasal wings a bit. Keep checking for symmetry throughout.
Make sure that the mouth level has been dropped enough and is rounded like a half barrel to form the profile of the mouth area (think Homer Simpson). Draw in the outline of the lips. In men the outer edge of the lips are in line with the pupils, in women the lips are slightly narrower and the lips are fuller (although this changes with age). Boldly cut the philtrum (the furrow below the nose) as this helps to form the shape of the top off the lips.
Cut in the central line of the lips quite deeply using a bullnose chisel with the right curve, a number 3 is about right. To create a smile curve the mouth up at the outer edges, to frown down a little. Then use the chisel to curve the upper lip into this cut. Cut away the lower outer area of the lip with a large flute and cut away below the lower lip and shape the chin. Carve the curve or the lower lip. The lips are not exactly smooth, so cut grooves into the lips were I have shaded on the diagram and then blend into the lips. Look at your work from below the chin to check the curvature of the mouth and chin. Redefine the edges of the mouth if necessary.
Details can be added, such as the the dimple when a face smiles, the eyebrows, the nostrils and the hollow at the temples. A C shaped groove either side of the mouth and then blended helps to create the smile muscles around the mouth. A groove being and under the chin can be added to indicate the transition from the chin to the lower cheek. These details start to make the face more cohesive and increase the reality.
Your work can be finished with a more refined chisel finish or using scrapers to create a really smooth finish, this is a matter of personal preference. Two coats of half and half Danish oil and turpentine will protect the wood and enhance the grain. Leave to dry after each coat for 2-3 days. Applying wax over the dried oil created a lovely lustre and tactile finish.
I will be blogging about carving ears and hair in the near future.