Agreed. Lofting is the best method, whether by the old historic methods, modern CAD methods, or whatever... (As I learned it about 50 years ago, the term 'lofting' was related to laying out - full-size - the curves of boat and ship hulls. BIG pieces: needed to work in a big open space, like a loft? Also used later for early aircraft full-size layouts...)
To Reply#4, Steve - a 'practical' way might be to build the forming buck with the intended formers in place at the desired positions (if the plans don't locate them for you.) You could tack-glue the formers with a dot of, say, SIG Cement, which acetone or dope thinner softens to let you separate them from the blocks. Or, you could 'build' the buck onto a keel, with the separate short blocks between the bulkheads securely mounted to the keel. Then carve away, just as you would have from solid block in the first place.
Remember to make the buck width and height undersize by the thickness of the wood to be formed... of course.