The Skull: Step-by-Step Tutorial

Detailed figurative carving — eye sockets, cheekbones, teeth. Outside the “first piece” spirit of the main route: works better as a seasonal project for someone whose hand is already trained on the earlier forms.

This piece can be carved in high-density rigid polyurethane foam (to practice the form without fear of mistakes) or directly in wood, for the final piece. Recommended wood: basswood or light maple — knot-free, to allow fine detail in the eye sockets, cheekbones, and teeth.

From the Shop: V-gouge, U-gouge, and a detail knife. See tools →

What you'll need

Light hardwood blockKnot-free, sized to a scaled-down human skull.
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V-gougeFor the sutures and detail lines.
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U-gougeFor hollowing the eye sockets and internal volumes.
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Detail knifeFor the teeth and fine finishing.
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Beeswax (wood) or gesso and paint (foam)The final finish depends on the material: wax/sealant if carved in wood, gesso and paint or patina if carved in foam.
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Before you start: Fine detail work invites your hands close to the edge — always keep your support hand behind the tool, never in front.

Step by step

Initial block with the outline of the skullphoto coming soon

Initial block

Start with a rectangular block of wood or high-density foam. Draw the front outline of the skull on all four faces of the block, and mark a center line on each.

Cutting the finished front profilephoto coming soon

Cutting the front profile

Remove the excess material following the outline you drew. The piece is still flat, like a cut-out silhouette, but you can already recognize the overall shape.

Stages 3 through 10 are in the Habanaescultura book — currently in the works, with tracing patterns, renders of each piece, and the technical sheet for all 20 projects in the route. In the meantime, this preview shows you how the process starts.

A seasonal project

Perfect for Halloween or Día de Muertos, once you've mastered the forms of the main route.

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Want to keep going? The complete process for this piece — and the other 19 — will be in the book. While it's finished, pick another tutorial from the route, or write to us to be notified as soon as it's out.