Wooden Idol Making - Alleppey, Kerala
Wooden logs are initially cut into medium sized thick wooden planks using handsaw tool. These planks are further measured and marked in pencil to cut them as per the requirement. While making of a two-dimensional portraiture the backside of the wooden piece is equally leveled and placed on a flat surface to initiate the further process of carving. Then the excess of wood is chopped off and the basic outlines are marked by chiseling slightly. Next level of basic rendering of the form is brought in by neat carving. Here the usage of appropriate sized chisels play a vital role when the process of carving takes place, to give the proper depth in the idol. In this level when the artisan works on the portrait he gives a rough outline/margins to face, neck, hair and head. Later the detailing of the features gets initiated by giving slight shaping. Head, forehead and cheek regions are shaped first using medium sized chisels. Later the depth is given for the eye region by scrapping out the excess of wood and then the regions like lips and chin are focused. The further step of detailing takes place by marking the detailed parts of the eye through pencil and then they are carved. Upper and lower eyelids, nostrils, mustache, lips, chin, hair, neck, beard are finely rendered. As a final detailing of the portraiture, eyeballs and eyebrows are craved aesthetically. Sandpaper is then rubbed throughout the portraiture and polish is applied. After the application of polish to the wooden idol, it is allowed for drying and then it is sold at market.
Flow Chart:
