Carving the Torso
Let's start with something fairly easy. The torso, or trunk or your puppet is almost certainly going to be hidden by clothing when you are done so it's a great place to practice. If you make mistakes or your carving is rough, well, no one is likely to see it.
We'll also talk about modifying your kit in this chapter. After all, this kit is meant to be a baseline but is by no means carved in stone. Wood is very adaptable. You may change these basic shapes to fit your character however you envision her or him. This is a great place to start with that.
Carving large forms
Here we'll learn how to handle and remove material from large forms. The torso is the biggest mass on your puppet and mostly round, so it can be a challenge to get a proper grip when carving. We'll go over some tips to handle it.
We'll revisit safety again, making sure you don't put your hands in any danger while managing this largest piece.
While we're at it, we'll look at what it would take to ADD material to your puppet, using your Practice Block or additional basswood you have purchased separately. This way you can look at ways of expanding the shape of your puppet before getting into the detailed task of carving away excess material.