Download a free Tux pattern and learn the tricks of the pumpkin-carving trade.

tux pattern 3On Monday's episode of "The Screen Savers" we're cooking up some open-source Halloween sorcery. Lisa Berberette, aka The Pumpkin Lady, created this special Tux pumpkin pattern exclusively for "The Screen Savers" and our fans.

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Personalize your pumpkins using Photoshop
Follow the instructions below to learn how to make your very own professional-looking pumpkin patterns using Photoshop.
tux pattern 1

  1. Import your image into Photoshop via scanner or open an existing image from a file. This particular Tux logo was created by Larry Ewing and can be found at this site.

  2. Adjust the image to proper pattern size. This is typically 8 inches by 10 inches, depending on the size of the pumpkin.
    tux pattern 2


  3. Convert your image to grayscale.

  4. Adjust brightness and contrast to either remove or enhance shadows as needed to develop the pattern.

  5. Print out the grayscale image.

  6. Place your grayscale image on a light board with a clean sheet of paper on top. Begin tracing the grayscale image with a pencil to create a line-art image.

  7. Once you've finished the pencil tracing, clear the light board. Then place the pencil tracing on the light board with a clean sheet of paper on top. Begin tracing the pencil image with a black pen. This creates a dark-line art image that is easily scanned and colorized. Keep the original pencil tracing handy for any corrections that may have to be made (see step 10).

    tux pattern 3

  8. Scan the dark-line art image created in the previous step into Photoshop.

    tux pattern 4


  9. Colorization will help you see what your completed pumpkin will look like when lit without you having to damage a real pumpkin. This step will also help you see any flaws that you may have in your pattern.
    • Use black to fill the areas of the pumpkin that will not be cut out or shaved.
    • Use yellow to fill the areas that will be completely cut out of the pumpkin.
    • Sometimes, you may need to shave an area without actually cutting all the way through the pumpkin. Fill these areas with orange.
    • Tip: Print out your colorized image as a visual reference while carving your pumpkin.


  10. If you notice errors in your pattern, simply hand draw the corrections on your original pencil tracing (from step 6) and then repeat steps 7 through 9 until you have a good working pattern. Once you're satisfied, apply your pattern to your pumpkin and begin carving.

Lisa Berberette, aka The Pumpkin Lady, is a professional pumpkin carver who specializes in lifelike pumpkin portraits, company logo pumpkins, and custom pumpkin pattern designs. Lisa's work has been featured on the "Oprah Winfrey Show," "Larry King Live," and numerous news stations. Her latest and greatest carving accomplishment is a series of pumpkin portraits of all 43 presidents on display at The Fright House at the Washington, DC, Armory.