I find that it is a real good seller. The pattern can be adapted to fit almost any size log and it still looks cool. There is a big demand for Maritime carvings up here since it is very close to the ocean. I thought I would try a step-by-step and maybe some of you would like to try it. Keep in mind that my presentation will be more for the beginner and novice carver. You artists don't bother following along.

This was my finished product. It was a nice log. Red pine. It measured about 4 feet tall and about 20 inches across.

It will likely take several days for me to get this all together so be patient.
Day ! Startup
I got this pattern from a pattern book. As a matter of fact, I think it was a child's coloring book. I enlarged it with an opaque projector on to a piece of 1/8th inch plywood. I always like to find the center of the log and the four verticals from the top to the bottom. As a matter of fact, I usually run the saw down these verticals to make sure they stay there of a while.

Notice the 2 parallel lines with the center line that I drew!
The first 2 cuts are really easy. You just have to make sure that you stay square with the lines that you drew parallel to the center line. Cutting those diagonal off really start to make the log lighter. That's a Godsend to me.

Notice I turned the log so that now I am drawing on one of those 2 diagonals. I didn't trust my drawing actually. I made a pattern of the sou'wester from cardboard and traced it. Important that you notice that the hat is moved back from the center of the log. That give you more wood in the front for the boat. Notice that the front pattern is still on there.

One more for today.
I added a little to the drawing (Tracing). Notice the little flip in the front of the hat. That's important for the right look. That big chunk of wood in the front of the hat is the front of the boat and the steering wheel. Don't cut it off.

The thing that makes the Old Mariner, at least around here, is the sou'wester. If you get it right, it will sell the carving. I thought that I would spend some time on it.

Remember this picture from yesterday. We'll go from there. It's important now that you get the chunk of wood off the front of the hat and face. The angle of the cut is critical. It is the same as that little flip that you put on the front of the hat yesterday.

Notice as well that I started to set the hat apart from the rest of the log. It isn't really tough. Just make a 1 1/2 inch brim around the hat by cutting some wood out from under it. Also, start to dig a little trench around the flip in the front and down the sides of the hat. Start rounding the hat off too. If you find this confusing, wait for some more pictures. It's important here.

You can notice the trench and the refinements to the side of the sou'wester here. Notice that you can still see those center lines on the top of the hat. Keep them there if you can. I really haven't changed angles much. Just a lot of rounding off. Notice though that I undercut the hat a little bit in the front especially to give it some detail. Better oil that hat or it will check.

Now we are going to mark the width of the head. Take it off the front pattern. The angle that you use to cut the extra wood off with is important. I really wasn't advertising there. If you don't get that angle right (which is the angle of the hat) you might cut into the back, bottom of the hat.

See, the shoulders are coming now.

I wanted to get some shape to the body now and define where the bottom of the coat was. I like the coat to come about half way down the log. That gives me lots of coat and still lots of log for the boat. You cut that chunk off straight across the back. See how it defines the back of the hat as well?

This one just shows it to you cut off. I had some extra film.

Now you should cut some off the front. Be careful that you don't cut too much off. You want to be on a slight angle so that your bar leaves the log at the bottom of the coat. It might be a good idea to mark that point first. At this point you want a nice flat surface to make the ship's wheel from.

You sort of have to do a couple of things here at the same time. Sorry about the picture. That circle was made from an 8 inch pie plate. The horizontal line through it is the top of the hands. You just sort of have to eyeball that I guess. Now is a great time to draw his arms in.

You see how I am working there? A couple of extra things to notice. See the dotted line below the circle. That's the bottom of the coat. See the rectangle in the circle? That's the post or front of the boat that holds the wheel. I know that I kind of screwed up a bit with the horizontal line. I needed to lower the hands a bit but I couldn't take the line off without messing up the rest. That's why I said that you had to eyeball it a bit.