Customer Reviews

Carving Decorative Miniature Flying Ducks: With Patterns and Instructions for 16 Projects

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I own a number of Hillman's works and this one is comparable to the rest. It has patterns printed on heavy paper which can be cut out and used directly to trace on to wood, which is nice in that it eliminates the steps of scanning into a computer and then printing out templates. Carving instructions are minimal and painting instructions virtually nonexistent. As usual in Hillman's books, painting patterns are simply photos of completed carvings showing top and bottom views. In this particular book I found these photos lacking in clarity and spent a lot of time on the internet researching photos of live ducks for details of hue and head details. The book does tell you to research other sources for realistic details, but you don't know this until you have already bought the book!
That said, this book can be a lot of fun! You don't have to be a master carver to produce likable carvings. After cutting out blanks on a band saw I do most of the actual carving with a simple bench knife while sitting in my recliner! If I decide to put in more detail I can add texture with either a burning pen or stone burs and produce miniatures which are quite realistic. Although this book does not provide detailed instructions for each pattern, even relatively inexperienced carvers can read other sources, apply their learning to this handy collection of patterns, and refine their carving skills by simple repetition. A complete novice, however, might find the lack of specific instructions overwhelming.