Ice Carving Tips

1.Design. Make a detailed drawing of your sculpture from different angles and from different perspectives (top view, back view, template view, and side view). This helps you to study your sculpture before you even begin to carve. Make sure you have a detailed block break down as well. You should know where every piece of your carving will be coming from.
2.Simple Designs. Simple sculptures often score better than overly complex sculptures. If you chose less complex designs you have a better chance at completing your design in the time allowed. Making something simple with in your means and making it “perfect” is much better than going complicated and unfinished.
3.Title. Make sure you have a title for your design. This may help tie the story of your sculpture together or will provide that message you are trying to get across to the viewer.
4.Strong Silhouette. Try to design pieces with a good silhouette. Judges like profiles and they leave a good and lasting impression on the viewer.
5.Practice, practice, practice. If you come into a competition with a design you have never carved before, than you are likely to have problems. Be prepared and carve your sculpture ahead of time to work out the bugs.
6.Timeline. Use a timeline for every event, especially short hour competitions. Write out every thing that you need to do down to the minute. Start with step one, applying the template, carving, and through to the end with an accurate idea of how long each step will take. By writing this down it helps you to study your sculpture.
7.Carving Notebook AKA: The Bible Is something that can be taken to every competition, in it is your timeline complete with a detailed drawing of your sculpture, a collage of photos for reference material, and finally your detailed block breakdown of your sculpture with template diagrams. Spend a lot of time working this information it will keep organized and it helps to keep you and your helper focused.
8.Helpers. It is always a good idea to bring a helper to keep you organized in the heat of battle. Try and practice with your helper so that he or she is aware of what your am doing. Providing him or her with a practice and giving him or her the timeline to study helps them to anticipate your needs, such as the next tool you will use or what template you will need next.
9.Reference material. Bring a 3D model whenever possible. Purchase small animal sculptures at zoos, truck stops, and stores like Michael’s and JoAnn Fabrics (craft stores). They are cheap and provide a good shape for you to follow. Also bring a collage of photos to look at when you are carving.
10.Step Back and Look. Most of the time you are on top of your sculpture carving away. Take 30 seconds and step back 5 feet or more and look at your sculpture from different angles. You will train your eye this way. You will have a much better view from another perspective. Remember to walk around the sculpture once and a while too, since it is in 3D. The Judges do!
11. Cleaning. Always spend extra time cleaning your sculpture. Clean your sculpture and pedestal twice, and put that in your timeline. Do a pre-cleaning with about a half hour to go in the competition, then detail and re-clean before the end. If your sculpture is dirty you will not score well. If you do not have enough time to clean then your sculpture maybe too complicated or difficult for you to do in that time frame.
12.Clean and organized carving area. Use your helper and keep your area neat and organized so the judges can focus on your sculpture and not be distracted by stepping over tools. The pedestal should be as clean as the carving.
13. Weather. Always be prepared for adverse weather. The rest of your work will be for nothing if you do not prepare for weather. Practice in similar conditions to the event. If you event is out doors than practice out side. If you need to store ice to fuse it on later then use freezer boxes with dry ice and make sure everything fits inside your box.
14. Weather Vs. Cleaning. How you clean your sculpture may be depend on the weather. If it is below 0 degrees than you may not want to torch or use water because of cracking. Around 10 degrees or higher is ideal for torching or warm water. Between 0 - 10 degrees use your best judgement on what method to use.
15. Weather vs. Fusion. Consider the conditions when deciding on what method you use to fuse for vital seams. If it is sunny outside you may choose to handsaw or nail board as opposed to aluminum. The seam is not as pretty but will provide much more strength to hold up in the sun light.
16. Dry Ice Snowballs. Gather some slush and put it into the palm of your hand. Then take dry ice (pellets work best for this method) and place in center of slush and make a snowball. Slap the slush over your completed seam and the dry ice will keep the seam cold during warm weather events. Then you can remove and re-carve or clean the seamed area before the end of the event.
17. Silver foil bags. You may purchase silver foil from your local hardware store, it comes in a roll that is 48” tall and 25’ long. It has a reflective surface and has bubble wrap between the layers for insulation. You will find it in the insulation isle and it works great for ice. Make bags to fit around your sculpture and it will block all UV rays and keep the sculpture cool. Works great for tent sides as well.
18. Tents. You need UV tarps or silver insulation wrapped around your tent to keep the sun, wind and rain out. Do not use double sided silver tarps, these reflect the light around and can cause a green house effect inside your tent (keeps it warm).
19. Rest. Be well rested before your event. Don’t go out drinking the night before or pull an all nighter. I have seen some carvers try this and it almost never works out.
20. Set Up. Arrive at the competition early and get registered. Find your spot and allow about 90 minutes or so for set up. Even if it only takes you an hour, then use the other 30 minutes and have a meeting with your helper and go over your timeline. Get something to eat, drink and relax.
21. Walk Away. When the competition is over, walk away when you are done. Leave the judges to do their job. Judges become very annoyed if the carver is in his area or cleaning up while they are trying to judge. You do not want an irritated judge, so walk away.
22. Judging Guidelines. Take the time to read the judging criteria so you know what the judges will expect and what they will score you on. Read the guidelines and maybe you will understand why.
23. Judge. Certify yourself through NICA as a judge and get on the judging list. We always need judges and you need to judge. This will open your eyes to what a judge sees and scores. This experience will also make you realize how much respect we owe judges.
24. Carving Season. To get through one carving season it is recommend amateurs have three designs. Single block, two block and three block each. The single block should be done first and then turned into a two or a three block design. This way one design can be stretched over a season and be well practiced by the time National Championships comes around. Whatever the single block did not convert two, then create another design for the remaining category. One of the two drawings can then be easily converted to the Alaska blocks if you go.
25. Carve same design. Use the same design across the competition season to better your chances. Each time you carve it you should get a little better. After the season is over put the design away for a few years and then maybe come back to it.
26. Carve what you know! If you are a fisherman, then carve lots of fish. If you love animals then carve animals. If you studied science in college then carve a microscope! That may be a stretch, I think you understand.
27. Drawing Programs. Use a drawing program on your computer to help you lay out all your designs. It is worth it. You will be faster and be able to easily store your images. Converting drawings from single blocks to three blocks and then to the Alaska ice will happen with ease this way.
28. Good Sportsmanship. Be a good sports and wish people good luck. Congratulate the winners and move on. Do not take the judges decision personal, find out how to improve your piece and move on. If your not having fun competing then don’t compete.
29. Share Information. This should be an educational experience, so if you can help a struggling carver learn how to fuse then do so. Someone may see you doing something old school and help you out as well. This is how we all progress and get better. Keeping things to yourself will not help anyone.
30. Have fun and make some friends. The people you meet at competition will quite often turn to lifelong friends. What’s more important than that?
31. Public. I know the people at competitions can ask dumb questions but be nice because they are the reason we are here, to entertain. Use your helper to be the buffer for you to the crowd and answer questions like “Is that ice?”.

3. Competition Tips

1. Set up shop with two freezers. Keep one around 20 degrees (warm freezer) for block ice and keep the second around 10 degrees as the cold freezer for finished sculptures.
2. Band saws / trim saws may seam like a luxury item, but in fact these machine cans simplify a multitude of jobs and can change the way you carve.
3.CNC machines are great way to cut back on your carving time. Program the sculpture once, and run it a 1,000 times. The machine does not complain.
4.There are some great molds out there, find them and market them to your clients. The ice bowl, urn vase, seashell are just a few that you can sell with ease. This will cut back on your carving time.
5.Become certified and market your certifications to your clients. Make them realize that you are working to be the best and striving for higher standards.
6.If you and your employees time is too valuable to go back and pick up equipment, try the disposable drip pans. Their cheap and look good. They may not be for every event, but they sure are convenient for others.
7.Carve your colored logos inside the freezer. You can spend more time to make them perfect.
8.Do not put your prices on your website. Make them call in and talk to them before you quote anything. They may want something more than what is on your website.
9.Become a NICA business member and link your web site to our find-a-sculptor section. You will find it very profitable. NICA.org is the most travelled ice carving site in the world.

2. Shop Tips

If you have any tips you would like to share with the rest of the ice carving world,

please email us so we can post it.

1. Tips for beginners
2. Shop Tips
3.Competitions Tips

1. Tips for Beginners

1. Read this website over, know it and practice all procedures.
2. Attend NICA trade shows and seminars whenever possible.
3.Compete in NICA competitions and look for the ones that have free seminars attached to them. Check out the Calender of events for competitions.
4.Become a NICA member and follow the method for becoming certified, in the end you will acquire all the competencies necessary to become a good carver and you will give yourself the edge to finding a good job.
5.Start with precision carving.
6.See if you can find an apprenticeship program to help you along.
7.Learn about the types of ice and the process of making clear ice so that you are knowledgeable when it comes time to order ice form your supplier.
8.Know about the basic tools set. Equipment is expensive so read as much information on tools as you can before you bye them. Also, talk to other carvers and see what works for them.
9.When carving ice try to follow a standard process to make the carving easier. Follow the 10 steps to 3D sculpting.
10. Learn how to design and template buffet pieces. Always use a template and whenever possible use a collage of photos and/or a 3D model while you are carving.
11. If your not sure how to carve a logo follow the method using the needle bit. It is the easiest way to make a good looking logo.
12. Use proven designs on the NICA.org site. (must be a member to gain access) We have over 500 ready art designs for ice carving. Great resource.