Clenched Pumpkin Face With Rectangular Pupil Tabs

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Hollow and thin

   Hollow from the back and thin the inner wall to about 1.8 cm across the entire face. The many small cuts in this design require a consistent wall thickness for clean edges. Dry the surface thoroughly before marking.

2. 2

   Transfer the full layout

   Use a poking tool to transfer all elements: slanted brow lines, short furrow holes between them, both eye outlines with upper-rooted rectangular pupils, twin nostril holes, the clenched mouth with ten rectangular gap positions, and eight cheek slit positions. Check every bridge before cutting.

3. 3

   Cut brows and furrow holes

   Carve the slanted brow outlines first using short cuts, then remove the small furrow holes between the brows with a fine detail blade. These are tight cuts, so take your time and prioritize clean edges over speed.

4. 4

   Cut eyes with upper-rooted pupils

   Cut each eye opening, then carefully remove the rind around each rectangular pupil while keeping its upper root fully attached to the top rim of the eye. The pupil should feel stable when tapped gently before you move on.

5. 5

   Cut nostrils and clenched mouth

   Remove the two nostril holes with a small bit or detail blade. Then cut the ten rectangular mouth gaps one at a time, from the outer corners inward, leaving equal rind bars between each gap.

6. 6

   Cut cheek slits and light

   Finish with the eight angular cheek slits. Use a detail blade for these narrow cuts. Insert a bright LED and check that the pupil tabs are reading as dark rectangles inside lit eye fields, which creates the intense staring quality the design calls for.

Written with AI to match this design