Monster Head Study No. 5 - A Nasty Little Devil!

Has it been since last November that I last shared with you one of my little monster head studies? Wow. For a some background, here is where you can catch up on my posts about Monster Head Study No. 1, Monster Head Study No. 2, Monster Head Study No. 3, and Monster Head Study No. 4. This one is No. 5.

As with the all of the wooden monster heads thus far, this one started out as a 1 inch diameter hardwood ball. These come in packs of 12. Though they have no knots, they are very hard and difficult carve with hand tools. As with Monster Head No. 4, much of this one was shaped by holding it against a 1 inch stationary belt sander. Mine is an old homemade tool, but it's basically like the one shown below (but not quite as nice). It's amazing how much "carving" I do on this machine.

Once again, the head is a sphere. Two of flat planes form the nose and eye areas. The mouth was also shaped on the sander by using the edge of the sanding belt to notch into the wooden ball. I like the downward turn of the lower part of his mouth. I think it makes him look like he may be saying something unfriendly.

The eyes are a little different on this one. I found a package of assorted wooden beads and selected a dark spherical one about 3/8" in diameter. Using an Xacto Razor Saw, I somehow cut slices off of opposite sides where the hole is located. I then cut angled pieces off the top of each one to give they eyes that angry look. The bead slices were then glued on either side of the nose.

I cut a tiny wooden wheel in half and those became the ears for the monster. They are like these wooden wheels, but even smaller -- only about 1/2" in diameter. The ends of a 10" bamboo skewers became the horns. These pieces were glued into holes drilled into the top of the head.

Of the five monsters presented so far, I like this one best. He looks like a nasty little devil, but still has a whimsical quality. He'd be fun to watch from a distance, but you wouldn't want him running loose in your house. I like the proportion and placement of the horns. I also like bulging, dark eyes. And, those tiny wooden wheels make surprisingly good ears!

That's all for now. There are many more monster head studies to come so stay tuned.

---

Monster Head Study No. 4 - The Aquatic Creature

Dug North's Monster Head Study No. 4

Yet again, it's been a while since I shared with you one of my little monster head studies. For a little background, here is where you can catch up on my posts about Monster Head Study No. 1 and Monster Head Study No. 2. and Monster Head Study No. 3. This one would be No. 4.

As with the other  monster heads thus far, this one started out as a 1 inch diameter hardwood ball. These come in packs of 12 and are free of knots. They are quite hard and difficult carve with a carving knife or gouges. Whereas for Monster Head No. 3, I used Kutzall carving burrs in a Dremel rotary tool, this time I took a different approach altogether. Actually, for this head I didn't really "carve" at all! The entire thing was shaped on a 1 inch belt sander. Mine is a sturdy homemade unit that my friend gave to me. It belonged to his grandfather, who was an engineer turned toy-maker. Not only is it a great tool (the motor is bigger than most), but I enjoy the thought that it has been used to make mechanical wooden things for three generations.

As you can see, the head is basically a sphere with a number of flat planes sanded into it. Even the mouth was shaped on the sander. By using the edge of the sanding belt, I could notch into the wooden ball. It's not the most detailed mouth ever, but it gets the idea across.

I cut a tiny wooden spool in half and those became the ears for the monster. The eyes were drilled into the front of the face. Into the resulting holes, I placed glass beads tinted just a little bit blue-green. I finished off the eyes by pressing small brass grommets into the eye sockets and securing them with a bit of cyanoacrylate glue. I tend to use Krazy Glue Advanced Formula Gel. It dries just a bit slower than regular Krazy Glue and can be spread easily with a toothpick. I drilled two small holes into the roof of the monster's mouth. I cut the heads off of two short brass brads and glued them into the holes to form a pair of crude fangs. I used an awl to press tiny nostrils into the front of the face. Finally, I sanded a curve into a 1 inch wooden disc using a 1/4" drum sander (see right). This formed the crest that I glued to the top of the monster's head.

I made this one very, very quickly. The overall effect suggests that this is some kind of aquatic monster. I never start out with a plan for these little guys, so this was a surprise -- even to me! While I like elements of this one, it's not quite as sinister or dangerous looking as some of the others. It almost looks friendly! GASP!

I hope you liked learning a bit about this little carved monster head. There are many more to come so stay tuned.

---

Monster Head Study No. 3 - Wizened Old Man

Dug North's Monster Head Study No. 3

It's been a while since I shared with you one of my little monster head studies. The weathered and wrinkled old face shown here was the third that I made last winter. For a little background, here is where you can catch up on my posts about Monster Head Study No. 1 and Monster Head Study No. 2. Basically, I carve these heads when I feel stuck.

As with the first two monster heads, this one started out as a 1 inch diameter hardwood ball obtained in a package of 12. I believe they are birch. The are free of knots, which creates a nice clean look. However, they are very hard and difficult to hold and carve with conventional carving tools.

To deal with the hardness of the wood, I tried for the first time my tungsten carbide carving burrs. These 1/8 inch shank Kutzall carving burrs are made for rotary tools such as the Dremel or something like the higher-end Foredom rotary tools (also on my wish list). I used an inexpensive Dremel tool. I have a cylindrical one and a long tapered like the one shown in the photograph to the right. As advertised, the teeth on these burrs are sharp, remove material rapidly, and do not become clogged easily. Isn't it nice when advertisements turn out to be true? I am impressed with these burrs; I plan on buying the other shapes in time.

This carving didn't take me long to make, though I removed a lot of material -- probably because I was power-carving most of the time. For the dark lines above the eyes, I used a Dremel with a 1/4 inch Dremel sanding drum mounted in it. I allowed the spinning drum to burn the wood a little bit by leaving it in one place for a few moments. I like this technique for doing eyebrows, while simultaneously carving out the hallows for the eyes and defining the cheek bones. The squinty eyes were done with a basic woodburing tool.

By far the most human of the faces so far, this figure looks to be an old man. While experimenting with various things, used some black masking tape to create the pieces on his chin and sides of the head. I got used to seeing the head that way, so I eventually replaced the tape with thin pieces of black leather from an old wallet. In truth, I am not sure what those things are. The black piece on his chin might be a beard, but it could also be some sort of ceremonial false beard like those worn by Egyptian pharaohs as a sign of their divinity. In this fellow's case, I don't think it has anything to do with divinity! The pieces on the sides of his head could be ears or radically styled hair. Once again, my impression is this is a headdress of some sort. Together, the beard, headdress, weathered face, and grimace give me the overall impression that this must be some type of wizard, warlock, or alchemist. Whatever he is, I don't trust him.

I hope you enjoy these little carved monster heads; there are many more monsters to come. I have even worked on a new one recently, though I didn't do it because I felt stuck!

---

Monster Head Study No. 2 - beady-eyes & fangs

Back in April, I told you a bit about a creative block that I experienced during the winter months and how making little wooden monster heads saved me. My idea was to get into the workshop, use my tools, maintain my tools as needed, and produce something in during each short session. I promised to show you more of these studies. This post is about the second monster head I made.

I would often start with a small hardwood sphere, commonly found at craft stores. These 1 inch unfinished wood balls come in packages of 12 and are a light, clear-grained wood -- probably birch. These seemed like a good place to start since they are already somewhat head-shaped. What I didn't fully realize is how hard these balls are! Power carving with a Dremel tool worked fairly well, though I had to be careful about burning the wood. Working with a carving knife proved to be very difficult -- not only because the wood was far harder that the basswood (lime) I usually carve, but also because they were difficult to hold. The latter problem was solved by drilling a 1/4 inch hole in the ball and inserting a length of dowel. This provided a handle so I could hold the piece while working on it.

Dug North's Monster Head Study No. 2

Once I had nearly finished this guy, I thought it had a somewhat bat-like appearance. So, I found some round red glass beads I had, drilled eye sockets, and glued the beads in place. The pupils are actually the holes used to string the beads. I did a little bit of wood-burning to create those angry eyebrows. Like Monster No. 1, this one has that under-bite of which I am so fond. The two small upturned canines are made of tagua nut -- a hard white material often used as a convincing ivory substitute. The ears (horns?) are made from some scraps of Baltic birch plywood I had sitting in the scrap pile.

As with the first, this monster has no name other than "Monster Head Study No. 2". Taking photos of these monsters is not easy! The wood is so light, they tend to wash out under the lens. They probably need some type of finish to tone them down and give them some depth. I may also need to spend some time learning how to photograph such things.

I liked this one when I made it, but having made many more monster heads since that time, this one has slipped down the list. Still, it served a valuable purpose: I was creating, exploring, and -- most importantly -- getting out of that rut. Hopefully, there are a few useful ideas, tools, techniques, and materials mentioned in this post. There are more monsters to come, so stay tuned.

---

Me...and a bunch of little wooden monster heads

I don't tend to share a lot of what I (Dug North) do in my own workshop on this blog. When I started The Automaton / Automaton Blog in 2006, I just posted about things that fascinated me: antique automata, contemporary automata, mechanical toys, kinetic sculpture, books, and tools. After a while, it felt strange to post about my own projects.

I guess the time has come to start to include more of my own work on the blog now and then. Writing about yourself and what you are up to is sort of what blogs are all about. That's what I've been told, anyway. And so, this is my first tentative step in that direction. Here we go...

While working on a new automaton this year, I got stuck. Very badly stuck. This was a new and frustrating experience for me. When it comes to creative projects, I generally know what I want to do and then do it. Sure, I make changes along the way, but I've never really hit a dead end. This project was different. The situation became so bad that I found myself avoiding the workshop more and more. Not good.

I struggled to think of a way to break out of the vicious cycle I found myself in. But, the more I thought, the worse things became. Thinking hard about something -- historically something I've used to my advantage -- became a big part of the problem. I needed to use my hands again. Get out of my own head. Make something.

I once heard that writers with writer's block should just sit down and force themselves to write. Write anything at all. Just keep writing. No editing, no planning, no rereading what was written, just write until the block is cleared. This process may take minutes, hours, days, or weeks. Maybe even longer.

I wondered if I could apply a similar technique. Making a stream-of-consciousness automaton (while perhaps possible for some) seemed far too daunting. So, I resolved to make little wooden monster heads. Does that sound odd? Well, I like monsters -- at least small wooden ones. I figured that the task would get me to use my hands and tools again. I chose carving because, for me, it is the most right-brained aspect of making an automaton. I can lose all track of time while doing it. Perhaps I would come up with a few characters that I could use in a future automaton.

I chose as my starting point either a 1 inch wooden sphere or a 1 inch wooden cube. The idea was to go into the workshop and just start carving until something happened. No sketches, no pictures, no modeling clay. Gluing things on, I decided, was permissible. My task was to add and remove wood until a little monster head was formed. I'd come out of the workshop when it was done.

So, how did it go? While it certainly wasn't the answer to all of life's problems, the technique worked to a large extent. Over the course of a few weeks, I started to enjoy the process. I never knew exactly what would come of each session. I like some of the monsters better others, but I've come to appreciate them all for helping me to get unstuck. Without further ado, let me introduce you to Monster Head Study No. 1:

Dug North's Monster Head Study No. 1, 2011

The head is basswood, carved with hand tools and a Dremel. The horns are made of 1/8 inch thick Baltic birch plywood that I stained with a wood-stain marker. I drilled holes for the eyes and did a tiny bit of wood-burning to define the eyebrows and nostrils. I don't recall how long this took me to make, but it was less than an hour. This creature doesn't have a name (in fact, none of them do), but I am open to suggestions! I'll share more of these in the weeks to come.

----

UPDATE: April 27, 2011 - Reader Les submitted this digitally enhanced version of Monster Head Study No. 1 (below). Check out the red cat eyes! Thanks Les!

Dug North's Monster Head Study No. 1 with red cat eyes

---