Facial Carving

Nose Learning Stick

11/11/19 cws

Notch in the brow and the bottom of the nose. The nose is about 1 ½ times as long as it is wide. It is better to make it a little longer as you can shorten it later. Taper from the tip of the nose to the brow to get a good side profile.
Define the width of the nose at the top and the bottom. The width is ~ one eye. Put a dot in the brow line to indicate the inside of the eye cavity and a couple of lines at the base of the nose. You want symmetry on both sides of your centerline.
Using a gouge (~3 to 6mm; #7 or #9) start about 1/3 of the way up the nose (above the wings) and cut along the sides into the eye cavity at ~20 degree angle. Blend the nose into the cheek and “round” top of nose.
Establish the final length of the nose and shape the bottom of the nostrils so that you see the septum from the side. This can be a straight cut with a knife or a round cut using a gouge. Slightly round over the tip and bottom of the nose. Check the profile.
Set the wings with a gouge (~6mm #7 for learning stick; size can vary with size of the nose). Do not push the gouge straight in, but push slightly outward. Remove the area behind the wings with the gouge.
Refine the shape of the nose. Check the profile and modify as needed, you may need to set the brow deeper. Refine the wings using the gouge upside down or your knife. Extend the wings toward the tip of the nose.
Make a stop cut around the wings to the underside of the nose. Carve in the smile lines. They start above the wings and angle toward the corner of the mouth. Remove the small triangular shape above the mouth barrel and the two cuts you just made for a shadow. About ½ of the nose is off the face; ½ is on the face.
Cut in the nostrils using a small gouge or your knife. Taking care not to break out the wings.
Shape the mouth barrel; add mustache and lower lip as desired.