Songbirds are ideal subjects for beautiful carvings, and they're inexpensive to make with relatively small blocks of suitable wood.

This guide contains life-size patterns for 12 common songbirds which show the birds from front, top, and side. Instructions for selecting the wood, initiating the carving, burning in the feather details, and adding feet. Color photographs are also included to aid in painting.

The twelve songbirds included are:

American robin

Red-winged blackbird

Eastern bluebird

American goldfinch

Evening grosbeak

Northern cardinal

Baltimore oriole

Bluejay

Tuft titmouse

Cedar waxwing

House wren

Black-capped chickadee

Anthony Hillman is a well-known artist, craftsman, and author. In Carving Favorite Songbirds he covers every aspect you will need in creating beautiful, life-like models you will be proud to put on display.

Be sure to add other guides by Anthony Hillman, published by Echo Point Books, to your library: Painting Duck Decoys, Carving Miniature Duck Decoys, Carving Water Birds, Painting Shorebird Decoys, and Carving Traditional Fish Decoys.