The figure head started with concept drawings. It's a custom piece meant to be installed on a real boat which will really go out to sea.

The bow of the boat was measured and traced. Then, I created an exact duplicate of the bow in my shop. Since the figurehead will be installed on a real boat, and since the shape of every model of boat is different, this step is critical.

For light weight and durability in a marine atmosphere, sign foam was used instead of wood. The back of the block was scooped out and shaped to the bow of the boat. Then, the figure was roughed out from drawings made directly on the material. (next)