Carving Faces in Wood by Alec Lacasse

Carving Faces in Wood

by Alec Lacasse

Carving faces is arguably one of the hardest things to do when woodworking, but it is an essential skill. This guide will help carvers master the fundamentals of faces in either realistic or stylized pieces. Carver and author, Alec LaCasse, teaches beginners how to simplify the complex forms of the human countenance, using the rules of proportion to guide readers through every aspect of the face and then teach them how to put it all together with the correct cutting sequence. This comprehensive book features chapters on basic tools with sections on sharpening, handling and safety; remember circles; eyes, nose, and mouth; carving hair and much more. With tips, techniques, and exercises galore, this book gives wood carvers everything they need to build their skills and have fun in the process.

Reviewed by annieb123 on

5 of 5 stars

Share

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Carving Faces in Wood is a detailed, well written, accessible tutorial guide to carving faces by Alec Lacasse. Released 18th Sept 2024 by Fox Chapel, it's 120 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. 

This is a stunning collection and the author is a gifted woodworker and his voice throughout the book is encouraging and supportive. He asserts that it's a book which should be accessible to beginners, but readers really should have at least a basic grasp of (and access to) woodworking tools and techniques before starting, in order to achieve the best results. 

The book is arranged logically, including an inspiration gallery of the author's own work, a primer covering tools and supplies (and safety), reference & design, general features (mouths noses & eyes), distinct features (age, male vs female), hair, and combining the previous tutorials to produce a finished refined project (including photography, lighting, and video), and three start-to-finish project tutorials. 

The patterns are given without scale templates, line drawings are detailed and given from several views to help carvers visualize the dimensions and plan carving. The author/publisher have also placed QR codes throughout the book which link to online videos and additional materials.

It's well illustrated in color throughout, and "action" shots are well posed, without hands or tools obscuring the view. 

Four and a half stars. This would be an excellent choice for public or school library acquisition, for home woodworkers, for makers' groups and studios, and for gift giving. It's not precisely a beginner tutorial guide, but intermediate to advanced woodworkers will find a lot of good information, and beginners will too, but probably will need additional help. The author's website *is* beginner friendly and full of good information for all levels of expertise. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • 1 November, 2024: Started reading
  • 1 November, 2024: Finished reading
  • 1 November, 2024: Reviewed