Our repairs are complete, now to start. I was once ask how to start a carving. As the Munchkins once told Dorothy it's always best to start at the beginning. For me that means starting at the nose. To me the face of the carving is the most important. If the nose is off center, the eyes not even or set right or the mouth out of place, nothing else will make the carving right.
 Some carvers prefer to work the entire carving at once. I prefer to get the head and face area done, with the look I am after before I move on to the body. As I've said before it may not be the right way, the best way or the only way, but it's how I learned to carve.

 Let me also explain about the tools I use. I am not a tool salesman, so if I mention a tool by name do not think that I am suggesting you need that particular brand of tool. To me tool selection is as much a personal choice as a practical one. There are many brands out there that all do the same job, so use what you have and are comfortable with.

Of all the tools available to a woodcarver, to me these are some of the most important. Laying out, measuring and marking help to keep the carving symetrical. Draw and redraw till you get it right and it looks the way you want it to look. Much better to make a mistake now instead of far into the carving process. Easier to erase a pancil mark than it is to replace wood.

 

Here you can see I have put the outline of the nose on the bear. I may do this several times before I am satisfied that it is correct. The nose has to be correct because as I said it is the beginning. I use the center of the nose as a reference point for lining up the mouth, eyes and ears. Once the nose is done I  move on to the muzzle and mouth area. These need to be set and complete for me to be able to insert the eyes.