Please critique

[Mark Gargac]

I was commisined to carve an angel for a lady. Almost did not accept the job, but thought it was a good way to get me out of my comfort zone. This is my first carving of a angel. I have the carving 80% finished. I still have some clean up cuts to do to, eyes and facial details, feathers at the wings and add some coloring. All critique's welcomed. Carving measures 9"x 3"x 1".
Thanks for looking.

[BobD]

Hi Mark,
I love the overall shape, the way the wings come together, and the flow of the piece. The one thing that bothers me is that the face looks a bit...masculine.

Totally a right brain assestment...and I can't logically quilify it or offer any suggestions to fix it...so perhaps I should have just kept my mouth shut...


OK...time to express some thoughts:

The face and cheeks seem too big in proportion to the hair. Women tend to have more delicate features; these features are too "chiseled."

Maybe a bit of thinning would help...or try this...have your wife or one of your daughters lie on their back and position yourself so you are looking at their face upside down...that will fool your eye so you see shapes and lines, not a face. Then try to duplicate those lines in the carving.

That's one of the exercises in Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, which I'm working my way through now.

Bob

[xsailer]

Bob D.
I agree with you except - what if Mark is carving a Man Angel? I've not seen too many, if any. Neat idea Mark. Shorten the hair a little and change the dress to britches.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Well, you could narrow the nose and make it smaller, thin the sides of the face and thin the lips, I agree its too masculine.....good face tho, just in wrong place lol...............

[Mark N. Akers]

Mark:
Great job on the angel,you know it good to get out of our comfort zone,that how we expand our knowledge.

[Claude]

Very interesting...the traditional angel, as far as I know, has been either a female with a face like a 25 year old Bo Derek, or a male with a face like Fabio (but with a haircut!!). I don't think there is anything wrong with having an angel who is...shall we be kind and just say was made an angel for his deeds and not for his looks? After all, didn't John Travolta play an angel in a movie? Well, in any case, we need to hear from Mark as to what his intentions are. Based on the faces he carves for his mountain men/indians, I have to believe the angel looks as it does by intent, not lack of skill or imagination... Mark: what did you intend?

Claude

[Mark Gargac]

Thanks Bob D.,and all, for the critiques, they have been helpful. That sounds like an interesting book your reading Bob, I have heard of it before but hav'nt had a chance to check into it yet. I think the face looks a little masculine myself. I think I'll take the good advice given here on this thread and change some things around in this area. I feel I have pleanty of wood to work with. I will have to narrow the nose, slim the face down, lower the bridge of the nose, which will bring the eye sockets closer to the surface of the facial plane, and carve the mouth not as wide, with these adjustments, the face should take on a softer, more delicate look. I am leaving for Calf. tomorow morning, so this will have to wait till I get back, I'll post pix. when finished.

[feb]

Mark, I hope you don't get upset with me but I don't feel that you left your confort zone I think he looks like an indian in an angle costume. SORRY FEB

[Mark Gargac]

Originally Posted by feb

Mark, I hope you don't get upset with me but I don't feel that you left your confort zone I think he looks like an indian in an angle costume. SORRY FEB

Feb, No need to apologize, that's great! I love it! After taking another look at the pix. I can see that also, well half of me may have left my comfort zone. Nice interpretation. Thank you.

[TUKLONITA]

When carving, I carve what comes... not what others see.
It's a beautiful, unique, impression and looks nothing like the plastic angels one can buy at WalMart, by the hundreds.