Over 270 clear, color photos and 53 pattern drawings show how to creature sculpture from soap, using simple wooden tools. You can learn to carve twelve well-known and much-loved dwellers of the oceans and coral reefs, including the clownfish, starfish, octopus, seahorse, penguin, orca, sperm whale, sea otter, manatee, queen angelfish, sea lion, and beluga. The projects begin simply with the starfish and increase in complexity. Carvers will produce soap carvings in low and high relief, in the round, single piece style, and figures created from fused raw material. Several methods for finishing and mounting are also discussed. Additionally, the natural history of these fascinating creatures is included.

The first comprehensive book for carvers of aquatic animals! It includes practical tips for carvers as well as the anatomic and behavioral information vital to their search for realism. Detailed drawings, patterns, and photographs of the animals in their natural environments fill the book. In addition, examples of Howards wood sculpture are offered as models and inspirations. This book will inspire you to create your own original designs. Included are the Great White Shark, the Tiger Shark, the Manta Ray, the Spotted Eagle Ray, the Loggerhead Sea Turtle, the American Alligator, the Great Sperm Whale, the Orca, the Bottlenose Dolphin, the West Indian Manatee, and the Humpback. In addition to general carving considerations, there are special carving/sculpting suggestions for each of animals. For the Humpback Whale, detailed photographs and captions document each step of the sculpting. These can be readily adapted to other subjects.

Soap carving is a fantastic confidence-builder for novice wood carvers, and a challenge for carving veterans who would like to explore a new medium. This fascinating book takes carvers to an advanced level, showing methods of making multiple-bar soap carvings of selected North American mammals. Beautiful color photographs and the text move step-by-step through the creation of eight animals: a bear and cub, wolf, cougar, prairie dog, harp seal, killer whale, and otter. Art, natural history, and environmental issues are integrated into the instructions to produce a super learning experience. Expert wildlife carver Lila Gilmer also makes an appearance to contribute her different approach to realistic soap carvings.

When first invited to give talks and demonstrations on carving techniques to school children, Howard K. Suzuki quickly found out that wood was not the most suitable medium. It took too long to show much progress in the limited time available. He decided to use bars of soap to demonstrate basic techniques on carving and sculpturing. Soap is an inexpensive and very desirable carving medium. Soon demonstrations developed into hands-on experiences for his students. In this book, Dr. Suzuki describes and illustrates with color photographs how to make safe and simple wooden carving tools. He demonstrates basic soap-carving techniques using several stepwise how-to examples, from a simple heart to a more complex turtle. Dr. Suzuki integrates art and science into his instructions and combines them to produce a super learning experience for children (of all ages) who do learn to carve through his methods.