How to Carve a Face on a Pumpkin

The art of pumpkin carving has advanced in the past decade, and with computers and photo editing software, anyone can create a unique template for a spectacular jack-o-lantern. You don't need to be able to draw in order to carve a face on a pumpkin. All you need is some technology, and to follow these easy steps.

Things You'll Need

• Photograph of your subject
• Computer
• Printer
• Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0
• Pumpkin, real or synthetic
• Nail or thumbtack
• Tape
• Baby powder or white flour
• Pumpkin carving saws
• Craft knife or wood carving tools

Instructions

1. Choose a good quality head shot to create your carving template. You'll want to find a photo that has good contrast between the shadows and highlights on the subject's face. A photo washed out in light or taken in too little light will lose detail, and your template will suffer. Open the file in Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0. Click on the "File" drop-down menu and select "Save as." You'll want to save your template as a different file so that you do not ruin your original. Write in the name of the new file, such as "Pumpkin Template," and click "Save."

2. If necessary, crop the photo so the head fills almost the whole frame. You can adjust the contrast if necessary by clicking on the "Quick Fix" mode and sliding the "Midtone Contrast" bar to the right. Don't slide it more than 25 percent of the way, or you will wash out too much of the neutral areas. You simply want to bring out some of the highlights and shadows. When you're happy with the contrast, go back to the "Standard Edit" mode.

3. Resize your photo to fit your pumpkin. Measure your pumpkin with a ruler to see how high it stands. You will want your template to fit in the center of the pumpkin, without going over the rounded top or bottom edge. This is usually about 2/3 the size of your pumpkin's height. Calculate how many inches high your template needs to be.

4. Click on the "Image" drop-down menu and select "Resize." Select "Image Size." In the "Document Size: Height:" box, put the number you calculated. Make sure the box next to it is set to "Inches." The width and pixel dimensions will automatically adjust to scale. Click the "OK" button. Click on the "View" drop-down menu and select "Fit on Screen" to adjust the size for working.

5. Click on the "Image" drop-down menu again, and this time select "Mode." On the new menu that pops up, select "Grayscale." The program will then ask you if you want to "Discard Color Information." Select "OK." Your photo will be transformed to black and white.

6. Select the "Layer" drop-down menu, select "New Adjustment Layer," and then in the new menu select "Layers." A small window will open to name the new layer as "Level 1." Select "OK." Another small window will open with the levels diagram. Select "OK." A thumbnail of that diagram should now appear on the right side of the screen under "Layers."

7. Select the "Layer" drop-down menu again, select "New Adjustment Layer," and then in the new menu select "Posterize." A small window will open up to name the new layer "Posterize 1." Select "OK." Another small window will open up to ask for the number of layers. It should say "Layers: 4." Change the number 4 to the number 3. Select "OK."

8. 

   Keep in mind that you now have a photograph with three distinctive layers: black, white and gray. Double-click on the thumbnail image of the layers diagram from Step 8. At the bottom of the "Input Windows" diagram you'll see three small triangles of each color. Slide them back and forth so that the black parts of your image show some detail.

9. Slide the white triangle until the white parts of your image are small to medium-sized, unconnected patches inside of the gray and black. This is very important, as these are the parts you will be carving out entirely. Make sure that none of the gray or black parts are completely engulfed in the white. If you like, you can save the template at this point.

10. Print the template on regular weight copy paper--not photo paper, as it will not form-fit your pumpkin. If you are unsure if you have set the white layer correctly, print a test copy. Take a pair of scissors and cut out all the white parts. If all the features are still intact, you are set. If you have cut off a nose or an eye, you can throw away the paper, go back to the levels thumbnail and adjust the layers again.

11. Cut your pumpkin and gut it as you normally would for any jack-o-lantern. Cut around the template leaving about ½ inch border. Tape it to your pumpkin on the flattest area for a smoother canvass. With your fingernail, crease the paper into the pumpkin's natural creases.

12. Begin transferring your pattern with the nail or thumb tack. Make the holes very close to each other. Remove your template and set it where you can see it. You will use it as a guide when you carve. If you like, you can rub some flour or baby powder on the surface of the pumpkin. It will clog up the holes with white, making them easier to see on the orange.

13. 

    Now, it's just a matter of connecting the dots. Carve out all of the white portions with your pumpkin saw, starting with the smallest areas first. With your craft knife or wood carving tools, scrape away the top orange skin of all the gray areas, making sure not to go through the flesh entirely. This will create that 3-D texture. All the areas that are black are left alone, so that the orange skin of the pumpkin remains intact. It might not look like much at this point, but take it to a dark room and put a light inside of it. The face you carved will pop out and amaze you.

Tips & Warnings

• When gutting a pumpkin, use a metal spoon to scrape pumpkin flesh to no more than 1/2 inch thick. This will make for easier, more controlled carving and better translucency for "scraped" parts when illuminated.

Resources

• More pumpkin carving tips