Thinking Inside the Roughout leads new and experienced carvers through the creative, carving, and painting process of 28 of America's top caricature carvers. In each chapter, a member of the Caricature Carvers of America creates a unique carving, starting from the same generic roughout. Included is a step-by-step chapter describing the carving process, beginning with the roughout and ending with painting and antiquing the finished piece. Individualized chapters describe the artist's approach to developing an idea, including tips on carving and painting through full-color photos and text. Additional carvings from the generic roughout are featured in a gallery at the back of the book.