Table of Contents

About the Author iv Chapter One: Getting Started 1 A Word about Knives 1 Other Supplies 4 Characteristics of Good Wood 4 Wood Species 7 Chapter Two: The Basics of Making Curls 9 Ten Rules for Branch Carving 9 Basic Cutting Strokes 10 Curling Cuts 11 Tail Curl How-to 12 Tail Curl Tricks 14 Chapter Three: Whittling a Rooster 15 Rooster Body 16 Rooster Tail 24 Painting and Finishing a Rooster 25 Choosing a Base 27 Hens and Chicks 28 Tips for Correcting Splits and "Mess-ups" 29 Chapter Four: Pheasant, Heron and Roadrunner 30 Pheasant How-to 31 Heron How-to 35 Roadrunner How-to 40 Chapter Five: Miniature Trees and Flowers 44 Whittling a Tree 45 Whittling a Flower 47 Chapter Six: Whittling a Letter Opener 49 Gallery 52

About the Author

Chris Lubkemann was born in Brazil and remembers his earliest attempts at woodcarving at age seven, deep in the Amazon rain forest. His appreciation for wood and love for making things from it never stopped.