By Larry Pefferly
Master Carver
In my December and January columns I discussed carving different parts of the horse’s legs, including the knee (front leg). This column will finish the legs, including the hock (back leg). Next month we will attach the legs to the bottom board of the body and start constructing the body.
CARVING THE TOPS OF THE LEGS
The top part of the leg is the easiest to do. At the top outside of it, and looking at it from the side, the middle of the muscle should have a slightly convex shape from the very top of the leg down to the top of the knee.
Figure 5
The inside of the leg should have a slightly concave shape from the top of the leg down to the top of the knee. Looking at the leg from the front, and from the back, you should see the concave and convex shapes on both sides. The very front of the leg, from the top down to the top of the knee, should be rounded and be approximately 1½” wide. Draw two pencil lines ¾” on either side of the center glue joint. Carve from those pencil lines toward the sides of the leg. The space between the 1½” pencil lines will be later rounded off (see Figure 1).
The very back part of the leg, from the top down to the top of the knee, should be 1½” wide, the same as it is for the front of the leg (see Figure 2).
Once you have pencil lines drawn 1½” apart, begin to carve toward the middle of the leg that is already carved in a concave shape on the inside, and in a convex shape on the outside. There is a groove on both sides of the leg that is concave in shape, and approximately 1” in from the very back of the leg. This groove can now be carved, using a #7 gouge. All other carving on this leg should be done with a #4 fishtail chisel. After carving the concave grooves in the back of the leg, the leg will be ready for final sanding. Begin sanding by using #80 grit sandpaper, finishing with #120 grit sandpaper.
Figures 3A, 3B, and 3C are of the front leg finished and ready for sanding.
CARVING THE HOCKS (BACK LEGS)
The back legs are done exactly like the front legs, with the exception of the hock joints. A hock joint bends differently than a knee, and it is slightly more complicated to carve. The very back part of the hock joint is called “the point of the hock”. The best way to describe how to carve this joint would be to draw a line from the point of the hock to the front of the hock joint, where the joint bends. Draw this line all the way around the joint on the leg. From the pencil line you just drew, draw two more pencil lines all the way around the leg. One of the two pencil lines should be 1¾” above the first pencil line. The other should be 1¾” below the first pencil line. These last two marks are similar to the ends of the vertical knee line as discussed in a previous chapter when doing the front leg, and should be 3½” apart. These marks are reference points when carving the hock joint. Above the top mark, and below the bottom mark, it will be carved just like the front leg. You should now draw another vertical pencil line from the top pencil line to the bottom pencil line, just as you did on the knee, with one exception: the vertical pencil line should start at the center, front-to-back, of the top pencil line and go down to the center of the bottom pencil line when looking at the leg from the side. As you did on the knee, carve out from the front and back of the vertical pencil line, leaving the vertical pencil line untouched for now (see Figure 4 for what the hock joint should look like, or refer to an anatomy book).
Basically, everything in front of the vertical line should be rounded off all the way around the front of the leg. There is a difference behind the vertical pencil line. That area should be carved toward the point of the hock until the point of the hock is ¾” wide. There will be a concave rounded groove on the side of the hock joint, between the vertical pencil line and the point of the hock. The center of the concave groove should be about 1” from the end of the point of the hock and run up the back of the leg, keeping the same distance from the back of the leg. The width of the hock joint at the top of the vertical pencil line should be approximately 3½”. The width at the bottom of the vertical pencil line should be approximately 3”. After having made the top and bottom widths as instructed above, and in the middle of the vertical pencil line, carve out a small dip approximately ¼” deep. By doing this, you are leaving the top and bottom of the vertical line more defined, as it should be. The upper and lower parts of the hock joint are two separate bones. The very back of the back legs, above the point of the hock, should be ½” wide, gradually getting wider until it is 1¼” wide at the top of the leg. Figure 5 shows a hock joint finished and sanded.
Happy Carving
Master carver Larry Peferly has been carving carousel horses for over 20 years. To learn more about Larry, visit his website at www.carouselcarving.com. To purchase his “How To Carve A Carousel Horse” video or book, visit his site, or www.CarouselStore.com.