My Third Carving of a Santa Head...Is it fixable??

[patriclop2pl]

Hi guys,

While still waiting for paints to arrive, decide to try carving a Santa head from a chicken basswood egg.

I had lots of fun and learned a lot about grain direction but one mistake and it messed up!!

Loved the way the hat and beard came out but with my mistake I lost his eyebrows!!!!! Cant find them, so I can not glue them back on.

Is it fixable?? Any and all suggestions, advice, tips, and criticisms welcome,

Patty, sad carver

[mpounders]

You can fix it several ways. You can carve them out again and push (carve) everything else deeper, like the forehead and eyes. You can just paint them on or use a small v-gouge to carve the hairs. Or you could use a small ball stylus to "draw" the hairs in for the eyebrows. It all depends on how thick and bushy you want them. And, if you were going to paint it, you could actually sand/carve a couple of flat spots and glue on some extra wood. It would be a bit of work to do that! If it was me, I'd just v-gouge or use a stylus to indicate the hairs and then paint them. And then be careful not to cut them off on the next one! You're doing really good, so don't worry about mistakes too much! He looks really good! You'll learn a lot at the Renegade carvers camp.

[SlowMover]

Mpounders has great suggestions..I would just indicate them with a few passes of a v-tool or small veiner and paint them on. You are doing great, don't sweat the small stuff.

[Nomad]

I like Mike's ideas and I agree with SM. You are doing great.

[Donna_T]

That's what I'd do too. I'd just remove a slight amount of wood above the eyebrow, v-tool the hair in the eyebrows, and paint 'im. They don't have to be really full.
Donna_T

[patriclop2pl]

Originally Posted by mpounders

You can fix it several ways. You can carve them out again and push (carve) everything else deeper, like the forehead and eyes. You can just paint them on or use a small v-gouge to carve the hairs. Or you could use a small ball stylus to "draw" the hairs in for the eyebrows. It all depends on how thick and bushy you want them. And, if you were going to paint it, you could actually sand/carve a couple of flat spots and glue on some extra wood. It would be a bit of work to do that! If it was me, I'd just v-gouge or use a stylus to indicate the hairs and then paint them. And then be careful not to cut them off on the next one! You're doing really good, so don't worry about mistakes too much! He looks really good! You'll learn a lot at the Renegade carvers camp.

Originally Posted by SlowMover

Mpounders has great suggestions..I would just indicate them with a few passes of a v-tool or small veiner and paint them on. You are doing great, don't sweat the small stuff.

Originally Posted by Nomad

I like Mike's ideas and I agree with SM. You are doing great.

Originally Posted by Donna_T

That's what I'd do too. I'd just remove a slight amount of wood above the eyebrow, v-tool the hair in the eyebrows, and paint 'im. They don't have to be really full.
Donna_T

mpounders,SlowMover,Nomad, Donna!! Thank you guys for all your advice, suggestions, and tips!!! I will take a little off the forehead and v-tool it and then paint. Sounds like a plan!!

Patty

[flyboy61]

I don't know from beans, being a real neophyte, but the President of our carving club says;"You have at least 3 faces in there!" Likewise, for eyebrows, I think.

It looks really good to me, but I think it could be easily modified to include eyebrows, with any or all of the suggestions .

[patriclop2pl]

Originally Posted by flyboy61

I don't know from beans, being a real neophyte, but the President of our carving club says;"You have at least 3 faces in there!" Likewise, for eyebrows, I think.
It looks really good to me, but I think it could be easily modified to include eyebrows, with any or all of the suggestions .

flyboy!! So at least 3 faces!! Ummmm?? I agree with you and the others!! I will take a little off the forehead and texture the brows with my V-tool and paint them.

Patty