[Thomp]

I been practicing santas,
using tom H's santa stick, and Jim Oh's santas for a guide.

but doing the basswood apple, i wanted a more realistic fur look to the piping around the costume,

i had been using several #11 gouge 1.5 to 4 mm dockyard to cut circles and dimples into the fur, and snatching out the plugs, then some v tool work same method, it gives the fur a sand blasted effect but im not satisfied with the look. because in thinking the paint is going to fill the work up and it wont be noticeable,

Not wanting to use power tools i decided to keep it as simple as i could see attachment for the effect i achieved,,,,

comments are requested!
My question to santa carvers ?: What effect do you achieve, and what tools are used or textured paint? what do you use?,

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

I just take a small v tool and make little divots

[jillsy]

Hi, I use both v-tools and sometimes just a knife. Sometimes I gouge them out for a puffy look, other times I cut straight lines for more of a fur look. There's no right or wrong, just whatever looks good to you! I still find painting beards and fur difficult, using grays tones and all different shades of white before I finally get the look I want. It just takes lots of practice.

Jillsy

[Thomp]

here is a practice santa multible head on cypress knee i been working on while keeping an eye on my grandson

its got 6 faces- heads on it
other shots in my gallery

[susieq]

For the fur trim on my pieces I use a ruby flame tip now but before I started power carving, I used the smallest deep U gouge I had, probably a #11, and just scooped out a little divet of wood that was narrow and shallow at one end and deeper and as wide as the U at it's widest point, at the other end. I work the pattern by doing a row, then the second row marks are staggered in between the first row only a bit higher. Usually one end of the mark in the next row, has a tip barely sticking down between two marks in the previous row...sorry if I didn't explain myself well.... I keep trying to find something I like better but haven't managed yet.

[Claude]

Thomas:
I'd say it depends on the look you want. I sometimes use my 1.5mm dockyard #9 to make little divots all over the fur (takes forever). Other times I just make a little divot at random every 3/16 inch or so, just to give the idea of texture without actually making the whole thing textured.

Disclaimer: my wife likes what I do with the carvings, but not everyone might.

Claude

[Thomp]

maybe im making too much to do about this,

as carvers know every level of detail makes a carving pop,

heck mine do.. if i leave them alone over night and first peek in the morning for me is like i forgot what i did the night before , i see things i missed or really did right.

if i was to hook up my burner and work the details it would show more of the details in the depths of the carving,

and then when the paint goes on the carving improves another step..
but at that point its tough to go back and make improvements that you can paint over...

i guess im just being overly cautious..? asking all these questions,,