Start Carving Today
Vic Kirkman Originals
DBA Vic Kirkman School of Wildfowl Art

Register for a Wood Sculpture Class in Raleigh, NC

Attend our studio sculpture class in Raleigh, NC, designed for beginners, intermediate where we’ll teach you simple wildfowl carving methodologies, emphasizing artistry, detail, and professional finishes on species like waterfowl, hunters’ decoys, and more.
In this studio-based class, carvers are taught the fundamentals of wildfowl carving on a suitable species of their choice. No prior experience or special talents are necessary to learn this fascinating art form, as the methodology is straightforward and the techniques applicable to carving most North American bird species can be learned by anyone. The emphasis is on artistry, fine detail, and the professional touch.
Those who have had some carving experience and have produced several completed works will learn advanced techniques and receive instruction on how to carve more complex and realistic attitudes of wildfowl.

Getting Started

Email Address: vickirkman@gmail.com
Get started for our studio session by first reading the following from Vic Kirkman’s “A Dozen Things The Beginner Needs To Know”:
  • You can do it if you have the desire to do it, and regardless of the amount of “talent” you were supposedly born with or without…
  • It does require a lot of patience, but patience is learned, and your desire must overcome your lack of patience initially.
  • You can spend anywhere from $300 to $ 3,000 in the first year starting out to learn this art form. Throwing money at it, buying all sorts of equipment and supplies you think you might need, will not help you learn faster. Buy them only as you really need them.
  • It is important to get direction from a proven advanced carver who does work you truly admire.
  • Attend shows and competitions often. You learn an immeasurable amount from them.
  • Buy good reference books and collect photos continuously of your intended subjects and file them in an orderly way for future reference.
  • Learn waterfowl anatomy, their forms, and the functions of those forms. Learn why the structures are there.
  • Learn color theory and observe colors in nature, and notice the subtle colors of your subjects, the natural harmony of their colors Live birds are best to observe and study.
  • Don’t be afraid to make mistakes in your carving. You will learn how to recover from mistakes, and this leads to confidence. Don’t be afraid to start over and learn more; it’s just wood, and you are not being commissioned to carve a piece for the Smithsonian.
  • Don’t let your ego get in the way of keeping the right attitude. If you just want to carve a duck to display on the mantel, win a ribbon, or to show off to people who don’t know what excellence is, then this is the wrong approach. The true artist understands this and has nobler motives and direction in his or her work.
  • It takes time, endurance, drive, and some financial investment to get to where you can produce something presentable and artfully done. You will be glad you did this for sure after you have paid those prices.
  • I haven’t said you can’t enjoy it. Consider every feather a small victory. A duck has over 10,000 feathers. Go for it - Have Fun!

Vic’s Visual Tips

Visual Tip # 1

Roll up Swiss sandpaper tightly for focusing sanding strokes, using the roll like a knife or rasp to enhance shapes.

Visual Tip # 2

I draw the shape of the end of the bill onto a vertical, flat plane, then shape the front view as shown before. I then round down the top of the bill and the mandibular ridges along the side.

Visual Tip # 3

Before even drawing your pattern for a wildfowl carving, you should gather all the reference materials you can get your hands on.

Visual Tip # 4

Find some ways to store your bits to have quick access during carving sessions. I like the “Lazy Susan” type for my most frequently used bits. Make your own to have all your bits organized. Saves carving time.

Visual Tip # 5

Paint what appears to be a black group of feathers with a charcoal grey base coat. Draw feathers with a water-soluble pencil. Create depth by blending a lighter value from the feather base into an even darker edging. All of this gives depth. As you add darker barbs around the edges and splits, the feather becomes less deep but softer and more realistic.

Visual Tip # 6

There are many brush racks available, but one of my favorites is one that you can make yourself with a plastic sheetrock mud tray and a few bags of dried navy beans.

Visual Tip # 7

These are the four burning Detail Master handpiece tips I use almost exclusively for burning texture into my birds. No need to have dozens of tip styles and shapes. Keep it simple and learn to use these four very well.

Visual Tip # 8

These three shapes and sizes of the new Foredom Typhoon bits cater to most waterfowl bulk wood removal and roughout requirements with minimal clogging. Use with softer woods such as Tupelo or Basswood.

Visual Tip # 9

In rounding a bird’s body, divide the cutout into eighths and use high point lines visualized from the real bird to determine the shapes of areas in relation to these eighths. Remove wood by these increments to help maintain good symmetry and shape. Above all, go slow.

Visual Tip # 10

The DC 725 portable dust collector makes a great indoor permanent carving station. Powerful and removes most of the dust without compromising your heat or cooling.

Visual Tip # 11

Make a simple cradle and pad with hard foam rubber for holding large and heavy waterfowl carving. This makes it easy to rotate your work as you carve in detail.

Visual Tip #12

For each species you carve, create a photo study board of all the best photos that will help you in any way with that carving. ​
Copyright - Vic Kirkman - 1997 Not for reprint or distribution without permission from Vic Kirkman Originals
Click to go back to previous page