The Death Star from Star Wars is one of the most impressive pumpkins you can carve.  If you start with a very large pumpkin, you can come away with a pumpkin carve that will floor your guests. 

I've recently put tutorial online which should allow the average pumpkin carver to make this thing a reality.   Give it a go!

• Carving the Death Star Tutorial

Places to Learn How to Carve Your Patterns?

• CarvingPumpkins.com: The Pumpkin Wizard is a terrific resource for learning how to carve 3-color pumpkins. This site also has members-only patterns and an online storefront for buying pumpkin carving supplies. Specific page to access for carving a pumpkin with transfer paper is here.

• CarvingPumpkins.com Q&A Board: The Q&A board serves as a pumpkin carving community of practice.  There you will find pumpkin carvers of all skill levels sharing advice on carving real and fake pumpkins and pattern making.  You will also find a nice group of pattern makers there, many of which are willing to share their patterns. 

• Halloween Pumpkins: There is a decent tutorial here that can give you the basics of carving

• Villafane Studios: Ray Villafane is an awesome professional artist who creates the most impressive 3D pumpkin sculpts.  I am still a novice at this type of carving, but found his tutorial very illuminating.   You also can check out his most awesome carvings here.  For other pumpkin sculpts, check out PumpkinGutter.com.

• CarvingPumpkins.com & Q&A Board: The Pumpkin Wizard is where I started.  Brad, who runs this site, has a number of free and Member-only patterns to choose from.  Previously he also had TONS of Disney patterns, but due to Disney threatening lawsuits, these have all been removed from all pumpkin carving sites. Still, its only like $8 bucks to join, so give it a go!

• Zombie Pumpkins: Zombie Pumpkins has some really good cut-through patterns.  Again, some are free, and lots more are available for a nominal fee. 

• JP's Jammin Pumpkins: JP also has bunches of terrific cut-through patterns.  Again, for a very nominal fee, you'll find a bevy of terrific patterns.  Cut-through patterns are especially good for using multi-color lights inside.

• PumpkinGlow: Jay Ball at Pumpkin Glow has some really decent cut-through patterns (I especially like his Medieval ones), as well as some terrific books on vegetable carving.

• St0neyKins: St0ney has a bunch of good three-color patterns, again for a nominal fee

• Masterpiece Pumpkins: Gene at Masterpiece Pumpkins has a terrific set of patterns, and a pretty good storefront, including lots of pumpkin masters supplies.