Carving from a Clay Model: Leprechaun Part 1

Something new for me. I know a lot of carvers use this method for carving birds, but it's a useful process for working out a complicated or original design. I always struggle with fabric folds and the clay model afforded me the opportunity to "erase" and re-sculpt until I get a look I like. It is a useful reference while carving and gives something to refer back to if you plan to make more than one carving of the same thing. The final wood version can be as close as you want to the clay version. Obviously you can vary expression and so forth. Here's part one of the series of videos showing my "experiment".