3D Moose Pumpkin Carving

For this instructable I will take you through the steps I took to create a pumpkin sculpture of a bull moose bust.

** No animals were harmed in the making of this sculpture **

Two large pumpkins - one for the head (needed something tall and not so round), one for the antlers(large and very round white pumpkin)

one medium pumpkin - used as a donor to add on parts, in this case the ears

clay and vegetable carving tools - A step up from the entry level tools found in most craft stores, these ones are a bit sharper and more robust. Pumpkins are not as soft as clay, so the tools used need to be able to withstand the repetitive sculpting/carving motions.

spray bottle of water - will help keep the pumpkin flesh from drying out too much as you work on it.

scouring pads - for smoothing the fleshy surface

super glue

wood - 2x4 and 1x4, mdf or plywood, 5/8" dowel - used for the support structure

wood screws

black fabric for photo backdrop

It is important to have visual reference. I scoured the interweb for various photographs of my subject from different angles. I had my phone and tablet available to flip through the images as I carved to help me visualize the shapes, forms, and details.

3D pumpkin carving generally starts with shaving down the skin to reveal the thick flesh you will be working with. Using a large loop tool, I pulled/scraped/shaved away the skin. Using the right amount of pressure is key so you don't tear off the underlying flesh in chunks. Once I had that done, the majour forms were blocked in with the same loop tool, making broad strokes at first, looking for areas that either stick out or push in. Being a primarily subtractive process, if you want to have something stick or pop out of the sculpture, you will carve in and around it. For example the bridge of the snout, eyebrows and eyeballs.

Once the majour forms were blocked in, it was time to refine with the secondary forms and blocking in some of the smaller areas. It is important to not get caught up on the sharper and finer details just yet. The face of a moose has some interesting key features and flow between the skull's bony land marks and fleshy overlay. Light and shadow helps accentuate those details. The upper lip and snout area required some extra pumpkin build up, so a couple of chunks were taken from the donor pumpkin, glued into place, and sculpted to shape. Loop and medium sized ribbon tools were used at this stage. The scouring pads were also used at this point to smooth out these forms.

The support frame was vital to my intended vision of how this sculpt was to be presented. The measurements were made based on the size of the main pumpkin (which was roughly 18" in height). A mix of 2x4 and 1x4 cuts were used for the frame, then attached to a piece of mdf as the base. The head required some 2x4 build up to hold the pumpkin in place and prevent it from sliding off, and holes were cut in the "forehead" area to accept 5/8" diameter wood dowels which would get used as antler supports. To help ensure the heavy pumpkin would not topple the frame, I added a 40lb weight on the rear of the platform. I used the frame to support the head alone while working on secondary forms.

Following that, I removed the head to draped the black fabric over the wall, table and frame. Doing it later once the sculpture was fully assembled would have proven quite difficult.

Securely mounting the head required cutting out just enough of the backside of the pumpkin so it could be slid on to the frame. Pumpkin stems were used to mimic the "crown" portion of the antlers. The stems needed to be slightly hollowed out on the back side to fit around the dowels. Holes were cut and sculpted on the pumpkin's forehead to help seat the stems in a natural looking way. With the head pumpkin mounted successfully, the antler dowels were inserted through the antler holes and into the frame with the stems then glued into place. From a donor pumpkin, and using the same methods to shape the head, I created the ears. Super glue was used to hold them on.

It was also time to add the finer details such as around the eyes, nostrils, and mouth. The smaller loop and ribbon tools along with sharp knives were used here.

Both antlers were created from a single white pumpkin. Nice and round. I drew on the intended shape for each side, cut them out, and shaved them down from the inside. Thinning them out and smoothing the edges with loop and ribbon tools, small sharp knives, and eventually scouring pads.

Mounting these round and slippery antlers was tricky. I built two vertical support poles to sit on the table top while slightly poking into the underside of each antler. 5/8" dowel inserted into 2x4" blocks and painted black. I also added a wood screw to the back of each dowel tip as a stop to prevent backward roll.

I draped some of the stringy pumpkin innards over each antler emulate their shedding velvet.

** This setup was only ever built with the intention of taking photographs of the finished sculpture. While the main support frame was plenty sturdy, the antlers support system was built light and just strong enough to keep things in place on my workbench. This was to help make it more "invisible" in the final photos to come.

Better yet, take a bunch of pictures. Pumpkins will start drying out the moment you start carving into them, and they will begin rotting within a few days later. Not much can be done to preserve them while out on display. Playing with light placement/intensity/etc is a great way to create interesting moods. As seen in the final photos, the antler supports blended in quite well to the dark backdrop, helping to bring focus to the sculpture itself.

I have found that a sculpted pumpkin can be preserved for a few days if carving in advance for a display. Carefully place it in a strong garbage bag, add a couple gallons of water and drape with a wet towel. I also add a splash of white vinegar to the mix. Use a shop vacuum to extract as much of the air from the bag as possible and tie it up tight. Store in a cool dark place. Even after 3-4 days a sculpted pumpkin can come out looking near fresh, never 100%, but pretty good.

This moose however did not fair so well and came out with a think melting surface...

The sculpting portion of this project took roughly 10 hours. Add in the setup, framing, photoshoot, and cleanup this was roughly a 15 hour endeavor. Though it can take a while, be sure to enjoy the process!