First Wood Spirit

[Callynne]

Kathy, looks to me like you've got a good start there! Believe me, you will learn more with each piece (be sure to sign, date and number him!)....and of course.....more tools! It takes a little while to find the ones that fit the job (and your hand!) it really does make a difference.

Thanks so much for sharing him with us, we'll love watching your progress!! Deborah

[bygeorge]

Kathy, way to go! Nice start. I can't tell you how many times I just wanted to give up when I first started. I didn't hang on to those first ones, but I wished I had. Looking at your other work, I just can't wait to see your work as you progress.

[Mottles]

Cheers Deborah & bygeorge: Thank you both so much for your kind words I really appreciate them. Yes, I will date, number and sign him as a good reminder of where I started. I just had to give carving a wood spirit a try you all were just having to much fun and I wanted to experience the same.
I have an idea for a second carving only this one will be in basswood. I think it must be a little more forgiving type of wood. Yeah I'm lacking totally in tools but will have to add a few at a time.
Thanks again for the encouragement!
Kathy

[Mottles]

Cowboy UPDATE

Hi All: Well, did some additional messing with my first carve. Sure wish I'd not of cut so deep into the eyes--oh well lessons learned.Head Bange
I decided to go a head and give it a coat of acrylic and see if maybe I could improve it a bit. I mixed my own skin color using cad. red. lt, magenta, yellow ochre and white. Hair color Paynes gray and white. Eyes ultramarine blue and white.
Decided to name him 'Prescott Valley Pard'. Originally thought he'd make a good santa but where's the beard...duh...so he's a cowboy without a hat. I promise to do better next time, now I need to get back to my oil painting commission and woodburning Christmas gift. Then I'll try another figure--I have a nice basswood block I can use this time. Oh and my carving gloves and thumb guard arrived. Now I'm looking for more tools!
Thanks for looking,
Kathy
Note: Yikkes......Pards a little tipsy looks like I took to much off the rt side. LOL

[Irish]

HUGE GRIN!

I'd put him on my shelf any day!

Susan

[woody01]

Kathy,

Great job on your first carving. Each carving gets better than the last one you complete.

I always start on the nose when I carve a woodspirit. I cut two 90 degree V cuts,one becomes the bottom of the nose , the second becomes the bridge of the nose. The second v also is the center of your eyes. Make the second cut deeper than the first v. The two v cuts look like a W when viewed from the side. I will try to get a picture posted as soon as I can.

Keep up the good work!!

Woody01

[MelNM]

Kathy, I like him, you did a fantastic job on the eyes,they made me smile. Prescott Pard is a good name, I saw the eye screw, is he going to be an ornament? That might be a good thread to start. I been thinking of naming my wizard that I'm carving.......... hmmmm

[bygeorge]

Kathy, I love those eyes!!! Nice job.


Chuck

[Richard_FL]

If I can find my Digital camera I'll post my first carvingTalking . I've just started carving myself and found the project in the bonus article section of this site to be a fun and pretty quick project. Took me alot more than 6 minutes but the way I look at it is the faster you finish a project the more money you spend over timeSmile .

Also I'm jealous you already know how to paint. I have as much to learn about painting as I do carving.

[Mottles]

Ms Smile Boy do you all know how to make a gal happy!

Susan: What a wonderful compliment, but it is I who'd be proud at the thought you'd want him on your shelf ! Old PV Pard is destined to hang on my Christmas tree. He'll be a good yearly progress check...tee hee
Woody1: Thank you, I'll keep working on getting better and better as I have you all as my teachers--can't go wrong. I was trying to imagin in my mind about the W cut--then I saw Susan's thread. I followed the link for one of her 'FREE' spirit carvingtutorials and there was the W cut you were talking about. As I'm so much more visual your explanation along with Susan's actual tutorial made all clear. Now if I can just do it...I've got to get some more tools!
Mel: Thank you too, I made the eyes hard to paint because my brush followed my nicks. Which made for an uneven line--and the fact that I didn't carve the eyes properly didn't help either. But it's my first so I really do need to not be so critical afterall I was outside my box. tee hee Now I want to go see that 'Wizard'.
Chuck: Thank you, as I menioned to Mel the eyes could have been so much better. I did have fun doing the painting on PV Pard I was back in the box. LOL
Richard: Thank you also, I'd love to see your first carve. I think it's wonderful that folks are welling to share their first work. Afterall carver's don't start out creating their best. It works the same way in life we all have to learn how to do things. Richard that 6 minute carve is 'Pro' timing. My carve took me two days of sporatic carving and that doesn't include the painting. Talking

Thumbs Up Thank you all again for the encouragement, helpful ideas and most of all your friendship.
Kathy