introPhot-o-lantern
Here is a relatively easy way to to take a photo of yourself, a friend, or a random celebrity and carve them into a jack-o-lantern.
The first half of this Instructable will show you how to create a carvable pattern while the second half will give tips on how to carve it into your pumpkin.
step 1Phase 1: Create your pattern
To carve a photo, first you have to find your photo. A good place to start is with photos of yourself, a friend, a boss, or a celebrity. If there is a good amount of contr…
step 2Brightness and Contrast
Since I already have a pattern and pumpkin with myself, I decided to pick a random celebrity to be this year's guinea pig. Open up your image in your photo software and co…
step 3Add Shadows
Now, with one of your base layers visible, select a higher level to work with, and make it visible as well. Turn this layer's opacity down to 40% in the layer's panel. Pl…
step 4Clean Up, Structure and Details
Now that you have your basic shading done, it's time to work on some details. Create a new layer on top of all of your other layers. In this layer you will clean up any p…
step 5Make a Border and Finish it Up.
Now we need to make a border. Use the selection tools to make a selection around your images. I used the magnetic lasso to get a selection following the shape of of the hea…
step 6Pattern Complete
Your now have a completed pattern ready to carve. Print out 2 copies: one will be used to trace the pattern, and the other will remain your trusty guide during the carvi…
step 7Phase 2: Carve It Out
Here is your time to decide the type of pumpkin you want to carve. Both will be treated in similar ways, but they each have their own advantages and challenges. If you …
step 8Get Tracing
Tape your pattern securely onto your pumpkin. Remember to leave enough space on top for the hole. Also try to leave enough space at the bottom so that the light source is…
step 9Cut Out the White
Time to start carving. Generally, it is best to start out with the smaller white sections. This with help prevent fragile pieces from breaking off while you carve. If a p…
step 10Shaving and Shading
Here comes the tricky part, but this is also the part that get's the most "Wow" out of people. There are 2 ways to trim out the grey regions. If the grey is along the …
step 11Cleaning It Up
Now that you have all of the pattern cut and shaved out, you can go back and add some finishing touches. If needed, smooth out some of the shaded regions. Add a light to …
step 12Light It Up
Put a light in your pumpkin and dim the lights. It's amazing how different it looks when it is actually illuminated. If you did this with a real pumpkin, using 2-3 cand…
