Carving Bojji: Six Guide Lines for a Wooden Character
Bojji’s small crown, wide face, and layered clothing make this an advanced character project. The useful starting point is a set of six horizontal lines that carries the proportions around the basswood block. The photographs show the main stages from drawing to painted figure.
Locate the six horizontal guides
Draw a front view from your reference, then add a vertical centerline for symmetry. The six horizontal guides locate these features:
- The highest point of the hair, excluding the crown.
- The lower edge of the bangs, where hair meets face.
- The center of the eyes, through the pupils.
- The level of the mouth corners.
- The bottom of the head, where it meets the body.
- The lower edge of the collar.
Extend these guides onto the side faces. The crown sits above the first line; counting its tip as the top of the hair would change the rest of the proportions.
Establish the silhouette and redraw the side
Cut away the larger waste around the front outline with a small saw, leaving room to refine it with carving tools. Once that profile is established, redraw the side view on the newly exposed surface. For saw choice and secure support, use our saw and workholding setup guide.
Continue shaping the sides and back, using the horizontal guides to keep the head, face, and clothing at matching heights. Check the large head against the smaller body as the form gains depth.
Refine the head and clothing
Round the head while retaining the separate hair mass. Restore the clothing lines on the body as needed, then define the coat and neckwear beneath the face.
These photographs show the broad progression, rather than every cut in the crown or facial detail. Use them as references for the relationships between forms while applying the figure-carving skills you already have.
Finish the surface and expression
Sand where needed to soften unwanted corners and tool marks. You can keep the wood color or use the painted version as a color reference.
The finished example has dark hair, a small yellow crown, and green outer clothing. The face remains the focus, so return to the eye and mouth guides when placing the painted expression.
