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Description
So a lot of work went into the initial planning and the carving itself.. First I had to find an image that would be cool to carve out yet still be manageable enough to do within a certain time period. (I actually worked on this for about 6 hours... So on that scale, that would be considered a manageable time for me lol) So after hours of searching, I stumbled upon a fierce looking changeling image that would be perfect for my carving.

After the image was chosen, [Reference Image HERE ] I took it into Photoshop to enhance the most basic features of the face, making them stand out better for the next step. After that was complete, I took it into Illustrator and drew with the pen tool around the main facial features to create my own vector of the head. Then one high quality printout later and I'm working on the pumpkin itself.

INFO ABOUT THE "SHADING" TECHNIQUE
The technique in which you achieve the "glowing" effect is rather challenging considering a couple variables. 1) Thickness of the pumpkin walls, and 2) How deep you're cutting. I first started by scraping the inside where the carving would be on the opposite side to "thin out" the walls so light could pass through easier. If you do this after you've already cut your design, there's a high risk of it breaking apart because of multiple stress points where you've already cut. Doing this step first is very critical. (You wanna get the thickness to about a 1/2 inch or so) Second thing to worry about is how deep you're cutting. If you did the first step correctly, then it makes it MUCH easier to cut your design out. But there's a catch... although it makes it easier to cut through, it also makes it more difficult to get under the outer portion of the pumpkin. The way to get under it is to use a flat or sharp tool (I used an x-acto knife and a flathead screwdriver to help me out) Gently cut the pumpkin about a 1/4 inch deep in multiple small sections. If you cut too deep or cut a larger section, you could potentially puncture through the wall and leave a gaping hole where there shouldn't be... So be very careful.

So after all the shading (chiseling basically) was done, I placed a candle on the inside to view my finished work. And I couldn't have been more amazed at it

Finished Carving here www.deviantart.com/warhorse26/…

Description
So a lot of work went into the initial planning and the carving itself.. First I had to find an image that would be cool to carve out yet still be manageable enough to do within a certain time period. (I actually worked on this for about 6 hours... So on that scale, that would be considered a manageable time for me lol) So after hours of searching, I stumbled upon a fierce looking changeling image that would be perfect for my carving.

After the image was chosen, [Reference Image HERE ] I took it into Photoshop to enhance the most basic features of the face, making them stand out better for the next step. After that was complete, I took it into Illustrator and drew with the pen tool around the main facial features to create my own vector of the head. Then one high quality printout later and I'm working on the pumpkin itself.

INFO ABOUT THE "SHADING" TECHNIQUE
The technique in which you achieve the "glowing" effect is rather challenging considering a couple variables. 1) Thickness of the pumpkin walls, and 2) How deep you're cutting. I first started by scraping the inside where the carving would be on the opposite side to "thin out" the walls so light could pass through easier. If you do this after you've already cut your design, there's a high risk of it breaking apart because of multiple stress points where you've already cut. Doing this step first is very critical. (You wanna get the thickness to about a 1/2 inch or so) Second thing to worry about is how deep you're cutting. If you did the first step correctly, then it makes it MUCH easier to cut your design out. But there's a catch... although it makes it easier to cut through, it also makes it more difficult to get under the outer portion of the pumpkin. The way to get under it is to use a flat or sharp tool (I used an x-acto knife and a flathead screwdriver to help me out) Gently cut the pumpkin about a 1/4 inch deep in multiple small sections. If you cut too deep or cut a larger section, you could potentially puncture through the wall and leave a gaping hole where there shouldn't be... So be very careful.

So after all the shading (chiseling basically) was done, I placed a candle on the inside to view my finished work. And I couldn't have been more amazed at it

Finished Carving here www.deviantart.com/warhorse26/…