Making a Mermaid Bowl

Guest editor ZoëGertner is lured by the siren song into creating this deep-sea beauty

Hand-carved wooden bowl featuring a mermaid design.

I have acquired a collection of wooden bowls of all shapes, sizes and various species that were turned around 20 years ago. Some have warped and twisted as time has passed, and several have interesting grain patterns both within and outside them. A large, wide bowl has the potential to be carved inside, rather than around it – a different and possibly more challenging approach for decorating a plain turned bowl. However, if you do not have a suitable bowl, you could carve your mermaid in relief as a panel.

Things you will need

Tools

  • Tracing paper
  • Transfer paper
  • Masking tape
  • Chalk
  • No.39, 1⁄4in 60° V-tool
  • Selection of widths of No.3gouges from 1⁄2in-1⁄8in
  • No.5, 3⁄8in gouge
  • Selection of No.7/8/9/10/11gouges from 1⁄2in-1⁄8in
  • Fine froster punch and light hammer
  • Finish of your choice – I used an edible oil
Hand-carved wooden mermaid illustration on circular plaque.

Preparation

From my collection of lovely, chunky wooden bowls, I chose a beech wood one that had been turned to approximately 16in diameter and 2in thickness including the rim, mainly because it has an interesting grain pattern flowing around the inside which will give a perfect rippling background for my mermaid reposing in her watery environment. With a soft brush and a damp, lint-free cloth the accumulated dust and debris was removed, ready to draw my mermaid inside.

Starting the carving

Hand holding a large wooden bowl outdoors.
1. While carving a bowl of this size, rather than using a vice I prefer to hold it safely and securely by resting it on a non-slip router mat and nestling it within four sandbags that mould themselves to its shape; then, when I need to change the direction of my cuts, it can be quickly and easily lifted and turned. Align the bowl so that the grain lies vertically and, using pencil or chalk, mark the vertical (12 and 6 o’clock) and horizontal (9 and 3 o’clock) lines of the grain which will cross each other at the bottom of the bowl – this will remind you of the correct direction in which to cut later on.

Then either draw your own version of the mermaid or trace/copy my drawing. Set the drawing within your wood, fixing it at the corner with masking tape, and slip some transfer/carbon paper beneath it. If you sandwich a piece of white paper between the transfer paper and the drawing you can see the outline more clearly, then draw around the tracing using a different colour so you can see if any lines have been missed. Now, having removed the drawing and transfer papers, on the surface of the wood redraw with pencil over the transferred outline if it is faint so you can see it clearly
Chisel carving circular patterns on wood surface.
2. Using the No.39, 1⁄4in V-tool with a mallet, cut round the torso and tail only, leaving the hair, head and lower arms for later as they will eventually blend into the rippling pattern of the grain. Work so that you are cutting towards the bottom of the bowl from each side, and if the tool becomes obstructed by its rim as you work, tilt the bowl to one side within the sandbags for easier access
Wood carving in progress with chisel инструмент.
3. The next stage is to deepen and widen the V-channel around the mermaid’s torso and tail by making opposing cuts using a selection of widths of No.3 gouges that match her shape, and this is done by making two sets of cuts that oppose each other. The purpose of the initial set of cuts is to protect the outline of the mermaid before you make the second set of cuts, the opposing ones towards her, which will deepen and widen the original V-tooled channel.

The first cuts are made by resting the No.3 gouge cutting edge within and against the inner slope of the V-channel cut outlining the mermaid. Cut downwards and outwards, thus away from the mermaid and, following the same angle as the side of the V-cut, work around the outline. Around curves it is important to turn the gouge so that its shape corresponds with that of the outline, when it should fit easily inside the curve of the channel. Use the widest No.3 gouge possible but where there are tighter curves a narrower one will fit instead. When you have completed the first set of cuts outwards around the outline then the second set, the opposing cuts, can be made towards it
Carving wooden design with a chisel.
4. The opposing cuts are always made using the gouge with its bevel down (the bevel being that slope or angle beneath the cutting edge which enables the tool to cut). If, by mistake, you make your opposing cuts holding the gouge bevel upwards, the gouge edge will sink downwards into the surface of your wood as it approaches the first cuts and they will not meet cleanly.

Start your cuts from a short distance away, angle the gouge cutting edge downwards and towards the V-shaped channel to the same depth as the first cuts, and deepen and widen your original V-channel around the mermaid’s outline. Aim to make a cleanly cut meeting point at the bottom of the enlarged channel, and if need be adjust the angle of your cuts so that they meet together and form a tidy channel

Starting the background

Wood carving with chisel tool in progress.
5. Starting at the bottom of the bowl at the line drawn horizontally (across the grain), with the No.3 or 5, 3⁄8 or 1⁄2in gouge remove the background adjacent to the mermaid’s tail and torso up to her armpits using successive overlapping cuts. Gradually work upwards to the rim of the bowl around the lower parts of the mermaid. By marking the lines of both the vertical and horizontal grain before, you can easily determine the correct direction in which to cut when removing the background in a concavity.

At the bottom of the bowl you should cut towards the horizontal line from either side of it. Over the sides of the bowl, start at the horizontal line at the bottom and work around them with successive cuts back up to the vertical line from either side of the bottom
Wood carving with a chisel in progress.
6. With the V-tool, re-cut a deeper channel along the edges of the tail and torso, taking care to align the blade alongside the edges without undercutting them. Using the No.5, 5⁄8in gouge, its cutting edge tilted to one side, remove only the outer edge of the V cut each side of the tail and torso and this will give more depth alongside their edges
Close-up of wood carving in progress.
7. Now the outer edges of tail and torso can be rounded over using the No.3 or 5, 3⁄8 or 1⁄2in gouge, starting your cuts, as before, at the centre of the bowl and cutting towards there with successive cuts and working back upwards alongside them. Repeat Steps 6 & 7 several times until both outer edges are rounded over
Wood carving chisel shaping a wooden bowl.
8. On the end grain of the bowl, cut a channel with the V-tool alongside the lower edge of the tail as described before
Wood carving work-in-progress on a wooden bowl.
9. Now use the No.3 or 5, 1⁄2in gouge and by scooping, remove the adjacent surface of the end grain, cutting towards the previously marked centreline from each side and deepening it further, then continue rounding over the lower edge of her tail as before

Starting to shape the mermaid

Woodcarving in progress with chisel tool.
10. Reduce the waist and round over its edges below the bosoms as far as her hips and where the tail begins. At the end of the tail cut a slight hollow across the narrow part, the caudal peduncle, where the two tail fins attach at its end, using the No.3, 1⁄4in gouge and working into the hollow from opposite sides as shown
Hand-carved wooden bowl with mermaid design.
11. Deepen the background as necessary around the tail, alongside the torso and under the armpit, and continue rounding over their sides
Wood carving in progress depicting a mermaid.
12. As the arms will be ‘lost’ or ‘hidden’ beneath the final tooling of the surface of the bowl, deepen the armpits and gradually reduce their surfaces with the No.5 gouge. Then, with the No.7, 1⁄4in gouge, mark the outline of her bosoms and begin reducing between and below them to the waist
Wooden bowl with mermaid carving in progress.
13. Continue deepening and smoothly round them over with the No.3, 1⁄4in gouge, ready for their discreet cockleshell coverings. Then slightly hollow the clavicle area above them with the No.5, 1⁄4in gouge, merging it alongside her neck and into the shoulders
Wooden mermaid carving with seashell details.
14. Mark the outlines of the cockleshells over the rounded bosoms using the 1⁄8in V-tool and relieve them with No.3 gouges as described before. Cut and relieve the crenellations around their upper edges with the No.5, 1⁄4in gouge, then mark the ribs with the No.11, 1⁄8in gouge.

Mark the lower half of the head, neck and the upper edge of the shoulders towards the elbow (the grain pattern of my wood continuing the line of the arm). Gradually reduce the adjacent surfaces and round over both cheeks and chin, reducing the neck beneath it
Carving mermaid detail on wood with chisel.
15. Shape the face using a selection of small No.3/5 gouges. Start by cutting around the nose and deepening the eye sockets, then continue to work over and around the contours of her face until it is smoothly rounded and no flatness remains, leaving the hair to be finished later. (Unfortunately, shortage of space prevents me giving detailed guidance for her face.) Then, using the No.3 or 5, 1⁄2in gouge, continue removing any remaining untooled areas within the bowl
Close-up of wood carving process with chisel.
16. If you wish, a tail fin can be extended to lie over the rim of the bowl from inside. Mark its edges with the V-tool and relieve it as before using the No.3, 1⁄4in gouge. With the No.3or 5, 1⁄2in gouge inverted, use the corner of the tool and round off its edge against the rim of the bowl, then carefully adjust the adjoining surface and the internal curve of the rim each side of it

The hair

Wood carving: face and hair detail in progress.
17. Using the 1⁄4in V-tool with a mallet, make series of flowing, curving cuts outwards from around the upper part of the head, following the line and pattern of the grain of the wood as far as possible. Cutting in one sweep, make your curves cross over each other in places, and as you cut, gradually lower your tool hand so they taper towards their ends

Finishing the tail fins

Wood carving of a face in progress.
18. Mark the caudal fin rays, the small bones that form the fins, using the 1⁄4in or 1⁄8in V-tool, cutting outwards towards its edge
Wood carving with chisel tool in progress.
19. Use a froster punch and light hammer to texture the remaining surface of the tail fins with small specks, ready to mark the larger tail scales lying above them
Wood carving tool creating fish scales texture.
20. With the 1⁄8in V-tool and No.3 gouges, relieve the waistband as described before, and if you wish to include this, mark her belly button using the V-tool. Beneath the waistband draw guidelines curving across and along the length of the tail to its end, the caudal fins, before setting in the scales covering it.

Starting with the No.8, 9 or 10, 1⁄2in gouge, the first row of scales is impressed by placing its cutting edge below the waistband and following the curve across and over both rounded sides of the mermaid. Successive rows towards the tail are made in the same way by carefully placing the tool edge between two adjacent scales in the row directly above it, the upper row of scales will then overlap those beneath. When marking the scales do not lift the cutting edge of the gouge upwards as you withdraw it as inadvertently you may break them
Wood carving of fish scales in progress.
21. As the scales diminish in size along the length of the tail, gradually introduce narrower No.8/9/10 gouges and finally meet up with the caudal fin at its end using the 1⁄8in gouge

Finishing

Wooden mermaid carving with a toothbrush detail.
22. Since the grain pattern of the timber suggested the mermaid’s outspread arms I did not continue carving them in detail (although you may like to do so). Alternatively, you could extend her hair to cover these areas if the grain pattern of your wood is not very pronounced. Check all edges are cleanly cut and smooth the torso and face, ensure that there are no gaps in the scales covering the tail and remove any errant deep cuts or digs. Although there are many different finishes available, I applied several coats of a light food-friendly oil using a discarded toothbrush, removing any excess surface oil between each coat with a small piece of sponge and a lint-free rag, resulting in a matt finish to my Mermaid Bowl

Further reading

Lidded Bowl with Finial from Half a Log

Photographs courtesy of Zoë Gertner

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