Forum - View topicGiant Annual ANN Pumpkin Carving Contest
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evilnekohilda
 Posts: 166 Location: Wichita, KS |
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Glad you enjoyed it XD I had fun carving it too... Although it was insanely messy... (PIC HERE XD) |
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Wuntvor
 Posts: 9 Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA |
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Ah, the all important Dremel tool! I have been debating trying a dremel for my pumpkins. So far I have been using a paring knife, exacto knife, and some old dentist picks I got from a dentist. If you havn't tried dentist picks yet, go ask your dentist if you can get some used ones from them next time. (scrape, scrape) 
@Batman3777 - What artisitic talent? The only hard part for most of these pumpkins was trying to figure out what part of the picture to cut, what part to peel and what part to leave as is. I guess that is the problem with making a pumpkin recognizable. You need to pick an image everyone knows. Of course, that also means that everyone else ends up using the same image. 
Your most basic pumpkin is a simple cut-through. There are a few cut-throughs in the line-up from this year and previous years. I find these the hardest to do, because you have very little support for the uncut areas. When I look at some of these I just have to ask myself what where they slicing that with, a scalpel? Then I think, I am using dentist picks, maybe I should get some old scalpels. (Just, don't think of where it's been, Wuntvor.)  (shiver)
I think RiderG's avatar is a good example of this type. I also liked Stryyder's Yu Yu Hakusho, and Melissa Mathis's Flonne from Disgaea. Awesome job on both of those. It takes a very steady hand to carve those thin bridges. Pumpkins tend to be inconsistent in their resistance to cutting, I think it is very inconsiderate of them. The most common type you see, in these contests, are the combination of cut-through and peel. Peeling a pumpkin isn't that hard, but getting the correct thickness... well that is a different story. I find it is easiest to stick a few 1 1/4" nails with big heads into the pumpkin in areas that I am, later, going to cut out. I then scoop the inside untill I hit the nails. This allows me to get a uniform thickness. You can use shorter or longer nails, depending on your skill and light source. So how do you get the picture on the pumpkin to start with? Oh.. hard one. I use a stencil.  I take the image I am going to make my pumpkin from and start seperating it into peel areas and cut-through areas. Whatever is left is not touched. Here is an example using the Alucard I did years ago. I think the hardest parts of this one where the brim of the hat as it cuts across the gun, and the cross in his teeth as it has a peel and uncut area around it, keeping the line of the cross straight was difficult.
Once you have created the stencil print it out and then cut around it and make slits where there isn't any carving being done. This allows you to try and tape a flat piece of paper onto a round pumpkin. Use drafting tape or masking tape, it comes off easiest. OK so you have the stencil on the pumpkin, now what? Get out those pins. There are a number of ways to do this part, but the one I use is to start poking holes through the stencil along all the lines, using a sharp push pin, or finish nail. Your hand will cramp up at least 10 times during this tedious process. The industrious members have probably made some form of poking object that is ergonomic. I need to try doing that sometime. 
OK, you have poked holes along all the lines. Put a nice one at every point and intersection, and spaced them all at about 1/4" increments. Now you are ready to remove the stencil. Peel it off, and, viola, you have a pumpkin with a major acne problem. To make it easier to see I have found that taking some babypowder and rubbing it over the surface works wonders. You can also use flour. Tada! instant stencil on the pumpkin. OK get out your carving tools. I think the rest is pretty obvious. When all done it should look like this For a full tutorial go to my daughters deviant art site Hmm. I still have no idea why I am into anime, maybe it is hereditary, I got it from my kids. 
So Batman3777 going to give it a try next year? Oh... who am I? (looks through post) Duh.. I'm the Shugo Chara pumpkin.  Stencils are available, for free, on request.
Oh! SakechanBD, I know my name was drawn from a hat, but thanks for the T-shirt. I am still waiting to see what I got.
To everyone else. GREAT PUMPKIN! (Looks for Linus) All of you, keep up the great work, and I look forward to seeing your endeavours next year. I warn you all, I am going to go all out next time. 
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JamminBison
Posts: 6 |
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I-I didn't use an image that was already created...I think it's a better idea to draw your fanart and then throw it on the pumpkin. I mean, as long as your work looks something like the original characters, then go for it! Originality over an image I've seen a thousand times, right? :] --The alternative to Wuntvor said to carving prep, is to use a projector [cheap art projector from your favorite art supplier] and marker on your design and then begin carving. I used to use his technique, since most of those carving books you get from pharmacies say to use the poke stencil technique. The only problem with that one is that you already poke deep into the pumpkin and the brightness can differ greatly if you have a very thin pumpkin. I used to find the technique a little painful as well [literally] from all the poke-poke-poke-poke, never ending poke until I go slightly insane. It's preference, but I think those are the two main ways to do it. Or freehand it if you're brave. >:O |
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bigcathead
 Posts: 23 |
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This made my day! (& my Halloween) Thanks so much!!
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Wuntvor
Posts: 9 Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA |
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I have been waiting with eager anticipation for my T-Shirt to arrive. Been wondering which one I am going to get. I just received an E-Mail today from SakechanBD asking me for my mailing address. WHAT!! Thinks.
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