Build Thread : Carved Large Big Mouth Bass by hand

Roy Millsaps

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Build Thread : Carved Large Big Mouth Bass by hand I did this last year, figure I post it here for everyone over the next few days



This carved Large Big Mouth Bass from Last Year is one part of a bigger project of Dimensional Intarsia , I did for a private client. I will show how I did this one start to finish.
1st, I got a picture of a Big Mouth Bass an enlarged it using paint.

2nd , I needed a nice piece of wood so I called a friend Known as Firemedit on another forum, his real name is Jean N. Becnel. He sent me a nice piece of Spalted Sycamore 3" thick 12" wide an 23" long.

3rd, I copied the Bass to the wood using carbon paper.

4rd I hand cut out the Bass with a hand saw an cut in the top fin an bottom fin
 

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Well if you look in the privies pictures you can see I have pencil marks on the tail, so now I did the tail I used a draw knife an a gouge to do this part. I also used a skew to work on the other fins also. Next move on to the body leave the head for another time , bring the body in to shape to match the fins this will help when you work on the head
Remember the tail move as if the Bass is swimming so give it some illusion as thought it is swimming
 

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yeah, Id like to try it, except I lack one thing roy has, exceptional talent and 30 something years experience.

man o man, you do some fantastic work.

artists like you, toni, dave, seems you see things on wood and paper in 3 dimensions before you work on them.
It amazes me. you bring a flat board to life, like dave makes a painting seem so lifelike as if the animal will jump off the paper.
 
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Thanks for the build thread Roy. I love seeing threads like these. It almost makes me feel like I may be able to do that myself.

Unfortunately, I could take a picture of a fish and when I'm done sawing and cutting I'd have a pile of shavings and something that looked like it crawled out of Lake Chernoble :(
 
Next is to work on the gills an face of the Bass, so since the tail is flicked the head needs to looks as it is in movement also. The best way to do this is to offset the carving some as it is looking at you face on than set the level of the gills then the head, make sure the eyes are equal an work on the mouth some . It doesn't need to be to finish size yet , nest work on the fins , use a pencil an draw out the fin lines then using different gouges shadow deep ones an work on the fins . Leave the bottom forward fins along they are the last to be done.
 

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Roy, that is some fine work. I am so glad you fond this forum. Carving is something I have no skill for. It ia amazing to watch our members who are able to "take away everything that doesn't look like a fish" and end up with something like you are doing. Very cool.
 
Well next I made the side fins that go behind the gills, I will glue them on latter on.
Next I used a knife an gouges different sizes to make the scales, then came back with a small skew an gouge an gave the some depth, I used mineral sprits to heighten the looks for the pictures
 

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Well the next step is to do the lower fins , so I used a small saw an did some cuts to separate the 2.an used a chisel to remove excess an finish the fins to final using my carving tools .


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Next an used a chisel to remove excess an finish the fins to final using my carving tools .

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Next double checked everything an put on a coat of Watco Danish Oil :)

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Well after the oil dried I want ahead an Inlayed some Ebony for the Eyes, an glued the side fins on, but something was missing an the bass was hungry so I gave him a small fish :)

Next was to spray him down with some Poly, once done he got mounted to the larger project

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Due to my clients wishes I can't show what this Bass was mounted to, but this Bass was just a small part of a bigger project
Thank you an C&C is Welcome
Roy
 
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