Extreme Pumpkin Carving: 20 Amazing Designs from Frightful to Fabulous [Paperback]

Vic Hood (Author), Jack A Williams (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2004

Providing a new twist on a holiday tradition, this book illustrates how to carve three-dimensional faces and scenes in pumpkins using tools ranging from kitchen knives to carving gouges and chisels. Complete information is provided for getting started, including an overview of tools and tips for finding the best pumpkin to work with. Step-by-step instructions are detailed for using handy household tools to carve dramatic Halloween figures and using professional tools for creating more elaborate and intricate details. Twenty pumpkin carving patterns are provided and include full-color photographs of each finished carving.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Vic Hood is the president of Leatherwood, Inc., which specializes in historic restoration. He has been responsible for the restoration of several presidential houses, landmarks, national monuments, and house museums. He lives in Fairview, Tennessee. Jack Williams is a commercial photographer, the coordinator of the woodcarving show at Dollywood, and the president of the Tennessee Carvers Guild. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. They are the coauthors of Carving Found Wood.

Product Details

• Paperback: 89 pages
• Publisher: Fox Chapel Publishing (August 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565232135
• ISBN-13: 978-1565232136
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #793,236 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Something for both beginners and advanced carvers..., October 9, 2004

By 

Okie in Alaska (Alaska USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Extreme Pumpkin Carving: 20 Amazing Designs from Frightful to Fabulous (Paperback)

I had a tough time deciding on how many stars for this book. I really like the book but I was just a teensy bit disapointed. My reasons may be a little bit unfair but I gave it 4 stars instead of 5.

They walk you thru step-by-step how to carve one pattern with nothing but a carving knife and another pattern step-by-step with how to carve with carving tools. The photos on this part are great and close-up in color. For the pumpkin carved only with the knife they used 86 pictures! For the pumpkin done with carving tools they showed 40 (because it's faster and easier to use carving tools hence it took fewer pics). This part is very much for the beginner which is exactly what I needed. Under each photo (which are about 4 to a page) they tell you what tool to use and explain what is happening in the photo. This part is amazing, they did not skip on the photos here!

I am slightly disapointed however, because they only show two pumpkin patterns step-by-step and I admit I am greedy and would have liked more.

The other 18 pumpkins they give shaded line patterns for and a color photo of each finished pumpkin. Depending on how dark the shading is on the drawing is how deep to carve that feature. This will no doubt not bother those more advanced at carving than myself but it does intimidate me.

This book is well worth the price just for the two step-by-step pumpkins they did. I will learn a lot and maybe by the time I do a couple I will feel comfortable tackling the others on my own.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My neighboors all raved about my pumpkins thanks to this book, February 11, 2007

By 

Zach Johnson "ZMan" (Woodinville,WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Extreme Pumpkin Carving: 20 Amazing Designs from Frightful to Fabulous (Paperback)

I got this book for halloween this year. Read through it in a short sitting, and had a clear view of how to create releaf style pumpkin sculptures in no time.

I had some background many years ago in highschool pottery classes doing sculture, and the techniques detailed in this book easily recapped each of the basics and then advanced into the more skilled techniques.

I highly recommend this for anyone with little to no sculpture background.

The draw backs I found with this book are that they focus heavily on how to accomplish the effects with typical knife. Then they transition in to using more specific tools. The issue being that they spend far less time detailing the technique with the specific/advanced tools, it would have been better if they keep the same level of tenique details for the advanced tools. Also on the subject of advanced tools, the author provide teh list of tools he uses(which have been built over many years specializing in the spaced). There is very little time spent on talking about what tools are used or suggestions of locations to get ahold of them. I have found that getting ahold of tools that fit the task have been hard to find and better descriptions or sources would be extremely helpful.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Super carving book, October 31, 2004

By 

Wood carver/reviewer (Texas, the United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Extreme Pumpkin Carving: 20 Amazing Designs from Frightful to Fabulous (Paperback)

This is the best book I've seen on carving pumpkin. There are patterns for everything from scary to comical faces. Carving is done only with knives or for those carvers with tools, good directions are available for a really terrific creation. I would not recommend unsupervised children doing this kind of carving, however. The tools must be very sharp.