How to Make Scary Pumpkin Faces
Pumpkins are often carved to look sad, funny or scared, but the traditional scary pumpkin face can add to the ghoulish atmosphere of Halloween home decorations. Though there are stencils available, faces can be created easily at home even by those who feel they have few drawing skills. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Preparation
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Use scratch paper and a pencil to practice drawing pumpkin faces.
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Draw a circle around the stem and remove this piece. Set aside.
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Remove the insides of the pumpkin.
Designing a Scary Face
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For scary eyes, try large almond shapes tilted inward at close to a 45-degree angle. Add sharp, slanted eyebrows by drawing two sideways crescent shapes that reach to the inner corners of the eyes. Add large pupils in the middle or off to one corner of each eye to make it appear that the eyes are looking to the right or left. The entire eye will be carved out, so pupils can't be drawn in the center. Rather, they will be areas along one edge of the eye that are left uncarved.
Wrinkles and anger lines can increase the scary effect. These can be added around the outside corners of the eyes or along the forehead to give the appearance of a furrowed brow. Try a few different looks on paper before deciding on a final face.
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A big, wide grin will complement the scary eyes. Draw a wide crescent shape across the entire face, with the corners of the mouth reaching upward toward the eyes. Center two long, pointed fangs on the top of the mouth and add two smaller ones on the bottom that fit in the space between the upper fangs. Smaller teeth can be added along the mouth or leave only the fangs.
For an angrier pumpkin, draw a frown instead of a smile by flipping the crescent shape so the corners are pointed downward. Keep the same pointed fangs.
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Noses are difficult and sometimes are best left out all together. To add a nose, keep it simple by using a small triangle or slim crescent centered in the face.
Carving the Pumpkin
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Once the final face is designed, draw it in pencil on the side of the pumpkin with the least imperfections. Carve along the lines with the carving tools.
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For added effects, carve off only the skin in certain areas rather than carving entirely through the pumpkin. This technique can be used to add wrinkles to the face or add details to the eyes. Try skinning out wide pupils or veins for a bloodshot look.
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Once the pumpkin is done, place a candle inside and light it. Place the top of the pumpkin over the hole, but slightly skewed, allowing the flame to breathe and the smoke to escape.
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Tips & Warnings
Carve multiple pumpkins of varying sizes and facial expressions and place them around the porch or a flower bed. Save the pumpkin's insides to make pie or bread and salt and toast the seeds for a snack. Drape fake spiderwebs over the pumpkins for extra decoration.
