Menu
What's new

Online Carving class

Lora Irish said:
The moderators have said, "Yes!". The link is up, and I am so delighted!

Thank you everyone, and thank you from my newbies that I know will find your posts and your sharing a great encouragement to them in their new hobby.

Grin!!!! Lora
Click to expand...

welcome lora,, glad you found time to join up:) and look forward to your contributions to the forum in any way you can:)
 
Looking good I like the way you under cut the fins an belly ,the Lilys look great to :thumb:. I find the eye to be the hardest but not impossible. Most carvers use glass eyes but I don't its up to the individual I'm hoping Lora can look an give her view point during the week I haven't touched mine this weekend I had lots to do with a Turning class an spending time with the family so I will be back at it Monday
 
Roy Millsaps said:
Looking good I like the way you under cut the fins an belly ,the Lilys look great to :thumb:. I find the eye to be the hardest but not impossible. Most carvers use glass eyes but I don't its up to the individual I'm hoping Lora can look an give her view point during the week I haven't touched mine this weekend I had lots to do with a Turning class an spending time with the family so I will be back at it Monday
Click to expand...

Personally I have never used glass eyes! When I create a carving, it is a hand-made, hand-created, hand-worked piece of art ... with all of its flaws, wobbles, dings and dents, splits, and fuzz-bunny fibers. Realism is a wonderful art form, but not one for which I have the patience to create. And, just in my (not so) humble opinion, I WANT people to know that my work is hand done! That's just what I do, and that and 50 cents won't buy you coffee at Micky D's.
 
Lora Irish said:
Personally I have never used glass eyes! When I create a carving, it is a hand-made, hand-created, hand-worked piece of art ... with all of its flaws, wobbles, dings and dents, splits, and fuzz-bunny fibers. Realism is a wonderful art form, but not one for which I have the patience to create. And, just in my (not so) humble opinion, I WANT people to know that my work is hand done! That's just what I do, and that and 50 cents won't buy you coffee at Micky D's.
Click to expand...
I don't use glass eye I like to carve them in also an yes .50 cents = no coffee :rofl:
 
Well last night I got an Idea on this one its going to change some, I'm going to make it turn in the carving , at least give the Illusion of the Bass turning in the wood here what I'm talking about

Here is where this carving is at right now

Peacock Bass 08.jpg

An here is what I'm going to try an do

Peacock Bass 08-1.jpg

I will be working on the plaque one today also since I can't go to the shop until next week , so this is going to keep me busy over the weekend
 
I know end grain is a challenge but I never used anything to soften the grain but maybe RV or Lora can say I just don't know, I'm working on the plaque one today, I'll put a picture of what I'm doing with it working with the frog today an the lily's to , this one is end grain. With end grain I have to hone my tools a little bit more but it gets thro it purity good thought

Bass 16.jpg

So I worked on this one today

Well at the end of today
Well its all ruffed an some cleaned up so what do you guys an gals think

Bass 17.jpg
Bass 18.jpg
Bass 19.jpg
Bass 20.jpg
Bass 21.jpg

Still needs to be cleaned up but close right now, now I'm debating if I will put scales on it or not

So now is everyone else doing lets see some pictures
Roy
 
Roy, Still in O.T. mode this week. Hopefully, I can spend sometime on it this weekend.

The last round of photos you posted looks great. It will definitely let me see the how the finished carving is suppose to look.

Thanks for donating you time on this project.

Rob
 
Hi Roy.

I have a question, despite knowing that basswood is great for carving even on end grain, I wonder why did you choose to make that fish all in end grain, the only apparent reason to me is to take advantage of the decorative frame effect of the bark, otherwise I do not see a real advantage on that. May be Lora can chime in.
 
Toni,

These Basswood blanks are available at most local craft stores and are readily available. I have only occasionally seen rough cut Basswood lumber at the local Woodcraft Store.


Rob
 
Yap as Rob says , since I don't know if everyone can get Bass lumber, the plaques it is available at craft stores, that is also you see I am doing 2 of them one Plaque forum an one in plank forum, due to each has little bit different forum of approaching it but as long as the tools are nice an honed it works great in both forums of Bass. Also remember we are making nice firewood, but I do like to encourage everyone to keep it an use it on there future carving to help better themselves over time.

Rob I'm still working on cleaning it up some an it's been my pressure to do this for anyone that want to try something new and maybe use on a few of there future projects
 
Last edited:
Well a little bit closer to been done :D Ok I used the V-gouge an then the small U-gouge for the last fin , then I have a set of Dockyard Micro tools I use for Scales here is where I'm at right now I got to do a turning class this evening.
How I used the Micro U-gouges was just stab down in the wood an bring strait out just like Lora does on her snake scales it works the same way with fish scales also , I used the 2 smaller ones for the face area an I will use them on the rear tail to just before I get to the fin


Bass 23.jpg

Bass 22.jpg

Here is a close up of the Micro tools , they cost me about $34.00 when I bought then a few years ago at wood craft


Scale tools.jpg
 
Roy, your carving is great .... but let's make it fantastic!

Right now your lily leaf stems are coming down from the water's edge and going behind the dorsal fin. But ... But, they don't come out the other side, below the fish belly. While this may seem a very small thing, right now your stems are part of the fish instead of independent elements that go behind the fish. I think all you need is a v-gouge line to mark the outer edges of the bottom stems and then to taper your background to make the stems appear slightly proud.

OH ... I love the undercutting in this. Those shadows just make the fins and the frog's foot jump off the board.

- Lora
 

Attachments

  • roy_3309.jpg
    roy_3309.jpg
    53.1 KB · Views: 11
Roy, I am still here, just working O.T. I hopefully will be able to finish it up next week, as I am taking it off for vacation Thanksgiving week.

Just curious, I was thinking about blowing through the entire thickness of the blank in certain areas to either create open space/floating feel to it or putting a colored backer board behind the open areas.

After all the carving is done, I may also get out the wood burning set and shade some areas.

Rob
 
Rob Damon said:
Roy, I am still here, just working O.T. I hopefully will be able to finish it up next week, as I am taking it off for vacation Thanksgiving week.

Just curious, I was thinking about blowing through the entire thickness of the blank in certain areas to either create open space/floating feel to it or putting a colored backer board behind the open areas.

After all the carving is done, I may also get out the wood burning set and shade some areas.

Rob
Click to expand...

I've done that a few times an several of my clients like it that way, Lora does Wood Burning better than me so hopefully she can help you there more than me :D I do it but I'm not no pro at it :eek: I like using different back grounds when I cut throw to create a 3D look. Michaels an severial other places sale the different colors :thumb:
 
Roy Millsaps said:
I've done that a few times an several of my clients like it that way, Lora does Wood Burning better than me so hopefully she can help you there more than me :D I do it but I'm not no pro at it :eek: I like using different back grounds when I cut throw to create a 3D look. Michaels an severial other places sale the different colors :thumb:
Click to expand...

Wood burning is a great way to add shadows to a relief carving, add fine details, and to separate the background from the main elements of the carving. I would suggest that you do a small sample on a scrap of the same wood to determine which temperature settings, pen tips, and fill textures work best before you actually burn your main carving. It is so easy to make your 'mistakes' first on scrap wood then it is to try and correct them on a major carving project as this one.

- Lora
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top