Mochi the Shih Tzu Puppy

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Pick a tall pumpkin and map the face

   Choose a large, smooth, ripe pumpkin with a flat front and a strong stem for the storybook look. Wipe it dry, then tape your stencil on and poke or trace the main shapes: the round head, the two draped ears, the muzzle, and the paws resting at the bottom. Mark the dark eyes and nose clearly since those stay untouched. Do not open the pumpkin from the top; work on the intact skin so the surface stays firm for shading.

2. 2

   Outline the shapes with a shallow score

   With a fine detail knife or a small V gouge, trace lightly around the head, ears, muzzle, and each paw. Keep these cuts shallow, just deep enough to separate one area from the next. These score lines act as stops so that when you scrape fur, one section does not bleed into another. Take your time here, because clean outlines are what make the finished portrait read as a dog and not a blob.

3. 3

   Peel the coat to a dim glow

   Switch to a ribbon or loop tool and shave off only the outer skin across the fur areas, leaving a thin peeled surface that will glow soft orange when lit. Work in the direction the hair falls, using short overlapping strokes so you build a layered, feathery texture. Leave the darkest strands as untouched skin and peel the lighter locks a little deeper. This peeling stage is where the silky coat comes alive, so rotate the pumpkin and keep your strokes flowing.

4. 4

   Shave the brightest highlights thinner

   For the palest tips of fur, the light chest ruff, and the tops of the paws, shave the wall thinner so more light passes through and reads as near white. Go gradually and check the thickness often by pressing gently; you want a bright glow, not a hole. Avoid fully cutting through, since open gaps would break the soft painted feel of the coat. Keep the eyes, the button nose, and the shadow under the muzzle as full dark skin for contrast.

5. 5

   Refine the face and add optional color

   Detail the eyes, nose, and the fine hair around the muzzle with a small tool, keeping the eyes rounded and the nose slightly domed so they catch shadow. If you want the tan and brown tones the concept shows, brush thinned acrylic in fur direction over the peeled areas with a liner brush, then wipe back excess. Let it dry fully. Seal the whole portrait with a clear acrylic spray so it holds up in damp fall air.

6. 6

   Light it and photograph

   Set a battery LED puck or string inside through a small hole cut in the back, never a candle, so the peeled coat glows evenly from within. Place the pumpkin on a table runner in warm room light and dim the overheads to let the fur highlights shine. Shoot slightly above eye level to catch the eyes and the paws at the base. Take photos the first night, since shaded carvings soften as they dry out.

Written with AI to match this design