Recreate the Romance and Mystery of the Great Creatures of Legend

Since the dawn of recorded history, beings such as wizards, dragons, faeries, mermaids, and other creatures of lore
have been a part of many cultures. In Carving Fantasy & Legend Figures in Wood you'll find expert guidance on carving these fascinating figures, and you'll be encouraged to use these patterns to help spur unique design ideas of your own.

Inside, you'll find:
• Useful tips and techniques
• Step-by-step guidance on carving a wizard and a dragon—both illustrated with dozens of color photographs from start to finish
• Inspirational full-color gallery of finished pieces

Shawn Cipa's carving repertoire shows his preference for all things whimsical. His latest book, Carving Fantasy and Legend, Figures in Wood is a showcase for Shawn's artistic talent, his imaginative mind and skilled hands. Shawn's first attempt at carving was a bearded "wood spirit" face which he scrawled into a piece of found driftwood. He continues to carve solely with hand tools in the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania.

Shawn Cipa was recognized as "Santa Carver of the Year" after he won Woodcraft's National Santa Carving contest. His work has appeared in Woodcarving Illustrated magazine. He is also the author of Carving Folk Art Figures and Wood Spirits and Green Men. Shawn accepts commissions for his work and can be contacted at www.shawnscarvings.com.

I need patterns for my carvings. So mostly, I'm glad someone with the creativity I'm a bit short on has written a book on a subject one grandson is "nuts" about. A Wizard and a Dragon are the major projects in the book. The Wizard is about a foot tall, a squinchy faced fellow, dressed in an under and outer robe. The dragon is a green wyvern -- that means he has only 2 front legs and a wormy body. He's got a proper dragon head with big nostrils and teeth and wings. Directions for this little fellw are as good as those for the Wizard. He really is a cute dragon. This is a fun book, the material well presented, the instructions clear. So enjoy making some youngsters in your life happy with some really neat gifts.

These are fun projects that would do nicely for gifts and the author encourages altering his patterns for different effects, by shifting masses or planning different expressions. Adding Cipa's coloring techniques is an art in itself, and looks very worthwhile to learn.