Goldie the Grinning Golden Retriever

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Prep the pumpkin and transfer the face

   Pick a large pumpkin with a smooth, pale front and wipe it clean and dry. Since this is a shading portrait, you do not need to open the top yet; you will hollow through the back instead. Tape your dog stencil flat over the front and poke closely spaced dots along every line, then lift the paper and connect the dots with a washable marker. Take your time here because the eye and nose placement is what makes it look like a real golden retriever.

2. 2

   Hollow through the back and thin the front wall

   Cut a lid or a round access hole on the back of the pumpkin, not the top, so the front face stays uninterrupted. Scoop the insides fully and scrape the inside of the front wall down to about one inch thick and even. A thinner, uniform wall lets light glow through the peeled areas predictably. An adult should handle all the sharp scooping tools.

3. 3

   Set the eyes and nose first

   Using a small detail loop or gouge, carve the eyes and nose before anything else, since these anchor the likeness. Keep the dark rims and pupils as untouched skin and peel a shallow highlight where light should catch. Shape the nose with a soft peel on top and leave the nostrils dark. Step back often to check the expression before you commit deeper.

4. 4

   Model the fur, ears, and wrinkles in shading

   Work outward from the face using different peel depths to suggest fur and folds. Leave the deepest creases and the outlines between the ears and cheeks as untouched skin so they stay dark and separate the shapes. Peel the cheek fur and forehead to a medium depth for a mid tone. Use short, curved strokes that follow the direction of the fur so the coat looks soft rather than scratchy.

5. 5

   Carve the tongue and chest the palest

   Shave the tongue and the chest area the thinnest of all so they glow brightest when lit. These are your lightest values, so remove the most skin here without cutting all the way through. Keep a thin line of untouched skin around the tongue and along the mouth so those shapes stay crisp. Blend the edges of each depth change with a light scrape so the tones fade smoothly instead of stepping abruptly.

6. 6

   Light it and photograph

   Drop a battery LED puck inside and use no candles, since an open flame can scorch the thin front wall. Try warm white for a sepia photo look and dim the room to see the tonal range appear. If any area looks muddy, scrape it a little thinner to brighten it. Mist the carved face with water and store it cold between viewings to keep the shading fresh for photos.

Written with AI to match this design