A Beginner's Guide to Animal Woodcarving (9784805318942)

Learn to carve and paint expressive animal figures from simple blocks of wood!

In this book, talented sculptor Mio Hashimoto reveals the techniques behind her rustic, whimsical and lifelike animal sculptures. She teaches you the entire process of creating an endearing animal sculpture—from the preliminary sketch and wood selection, to the techniques needed to saw, sculpt and paint it. She even recommends the tools and materials to buy.

The book provides 5 detailed tutorials with hundreds of color photos for the following animal sculptures:

• A sweet Kitty with a curlicue tail and soulful eyes
• A Baby Penguin with downy feathers
• A Dozing Cat with its eyes pinched shut and its paws curled over
• A whimsical Bear on a Swing, ready to put on a show
• A delightful Donkey with a round belly and stubby legs

Also included are dozens of inspirational photos of wooden animals from Hashimoto's extensive portfolio. Learn the process, practice with the 5 detailed tutorials, then make your own wooden animal sculpture.


About the Author:
Mio Hashimoto has always had a special affinity for animals. At age 17, she began studying art under Hiroyuki Nishimura and Shiro Tamura at the Zokei Art Academy in Tokyo, where she learned to carve warm, expressive creatures. Upon graduation, she began receiving commissions for animal sculptures and held solo exhibitions across Japan. In 2010, she was commissioned to create sculptures of desert animals during a stay in the UAE. Recently, she has organized traveling events featuring woodcarving workshops and exhibitions featuring touchable animal sculptures in collaboration with her sculptor friend, Emiko Honda. Mio lives in Japan, where she continues to create sculptures with her black Shiba Inu dog, Tsuki-kun, by her side.