Count Dracula: A Halloween Wood Carving Pattern

HALLOWEEN WOOD CARVING PATTERN & PROJECT

A regular contributor of Woodcarving Illustrated Magazine, Dwayne Gosnell has been making caricatures for over 14 years.  In February 2020, he was inducted into the Caricature Carvers of America. He is president of the Catawba Valley Woodcarvers and teaches classes around the United States. While he’s a master caricature carver, he came from humble beginnings.

Dwayne’s first experiences with wood carving resulted in two visits to the emergency room before a local woodworking shop worker suggested he visited the Catawba Valley Woodcarvers.  Fast-forward more than a decade, Dwayne is now sharing what he’s learned in his first two book series, Woodcarving a Halloween Chess Set and  Woodcarving a Christmas Chess Set!

Here’s a preview of his tutorial style with this Dracula caricature wood carving  and free pattern below. 

By Dwayne Gosnell, CARVING CLASSIC HALLOWEEN CHARACTERS

As a child, I would often plan a Halloween costume for weeks in advance, and for many years Dracula was my character of choice. I’d read volumes and volumes on the lore behind this fascinating (and fearsome) character! Now, as an adult, I still have a soft spot for the Count—and when the cooler weather hits, he becomes a carving staple for me once again.

Getting Started

Cut your blank vertically in half from corner to corner; use a band saw. This will result in two
long triangles, one of which you can save for a future project. Photocopy the pattern, cut it
out, and fold down the centerline. Trace the pattern onto one of the blanks, making sure
the grain runs vertically from head to chest. (This gives more support to delicate areas,
such as the nose.) The center of Dracula’s face will correspond exactly with the corner
of your blank. Cut around the perimeter of the pattern with a band saw; I use a 1/4″ (6mm)-wide blade with 6 teeth-per-inch (TPI). If you don’t have a band saw, you can use a coping saw or scroll saw. Save the paper pattern for future use. Make sure all your tools are sharp, and
periodically stretch your hands and wrists while carving.

  Materials & Tools:

•  Basswood, 2″ square: 6″, cut vertically in half
•  Pencil or marker
•  Acrylic paints, such as Plaid Apple Barrel: black, bright red, grey, white; such as FolkArt: metallic black, midnight blue
•  Water-based stain, such as Minwax: tinted honeycomb
•  Boiled linseed oil
•  Water-based polyurethane, such as Deft
•  Band saw with blade: 1/4″ (6mm) wide
•  Knife
•  V-tools, 45°: 1/8″ (3mm), 1/4″ (6mm)
•  V-tool, 90°: 1/2″ (13mm)
•  #9 gouge: 1/4″ (6mm)
•  Hair dryer (optional)
The author used these products for the project. Substitute your choice of brands, tools, and materials as desired.

1. Mark the Nose & Chin.

Holding the pattern over the surface of the blank, cut small triangles under the nose and chin, and mark the lines with a pencil. Use a knife. Remove the chip from the neck and chest area. Make a stop cut below the nose and carve up to it to form the mouth and chin area. Then determine how big you’d like the nose to be and where the hair will lie. Use the same stop and relief cuts to establish what will later be the eye sockets and bottom of Dracula’s widow’s peak.

3. PLot Details & DefinE eyebrows.

Draw reference lines for the upper brow, upper eye area,
teeth, and clothing with a pencil. Redraw the centerline. Carve
grooves above the brow line and upper eyelid area with a 1/4″ (6mm) #9 gouge. Make sure that you carve the inside (nose
side) deeper so the grooves aren’t the same depth across. Add nostril holes, pushing them straight into the sides of the carving and not upward into the nose. Clean up all cuts with a knife.

5. Shape the Hair.

Use the knife to add waves and movement as desired. Remove all hard lines from the carving, and round and soften the forehead and nose.

7. Gently shape the eyes.

Use the knife. You want a nice, round area to paint, not a flat, football shape. Remove a small amount of wood at a time.