[carver6]

You've got the right idea. From your picture of the elephant you're getting a good start. My first carving was done on a western red cedar shingle they were giving away at Silver Dollar City, Branson, MO. I learned real quick you HAVE TO HAVE SHARP TOOLS to carve cedar. You'll be really surprised how much better your carving will look and how much more enjoyable it will be when you get your tools sharpened.

Welcome and enjoy!!!
Garon

[Just Carving]

I am quite interested in carving green men.

Then you want to talk to "Irish" as in Lora S. Irish, author of "Wood Spirits and Green Men".

http://www.carvingpatterns.com/greenmen-book.htm

And as luck would have it, she just got her computer up and running. So, if there's anybody that can get you started on Green Men, it's her. She was even nice enough to put a tutorial on carving an Oak Man Relief using a pattern from her Green Man book..

Relief Carving Wood Spirit Grape Man WIP

[knightflight]

Originally Posted by carver6

You've got the right idea. From your picture of the elephant you're getting a good start.

Thanks Garon, that is reassuring! I have another update on it to post here soon...Have managed to actually make the trunk look like a trunk and the tail look like a tail!

Originally Posted by carver6

My first carving was done on a western red cedar shingle they were giving away at Silver Dollar City, Branson, MO.

Whew! So I am not the only one!

Originally Posted by carver6

I learned real quick you HAVE TO HAVE SHARP TOOLS to carve cedar. You'll be really surprised how much better your carving will look and how much more enjoyable it will be when you get your tools sharpened.

Just as I suspected and anticipate! My next goal in life is to learn how to sharpen!

BTW, did your cedar splinter a lot?

[knightflight]

Thanks for the tip Bob!

[knightflight]

Here's an update on how my elephant is coming along. I am not having a lot of luck with this camera and making a composite this morning was just too so I am attaching four separate sections. Sorry!

I am still working on the little guy and learning new things as I go. Just keeps getting funner!

[Bartster]

anita,
he is looking good, the one thing you wanna do with this when you are finished is to sign it and date it as your first carving and keep it or keep it in the family so you when you are more experienced you can look back and see how far you have come as a carver,and beleive me it will not take long for you to see a difference in your work if you continue to practice,practice and more practice.

bart

[AlArchie]

Anita, that is a very good start to the carving game, and I have to admire your tenacity. The reason I say that is because looking at your pictures of the elephant, it appears as though you are accomplishing a good carving in spite of having dull tools. It looks like some wood has been torn off, rather than sliced or cut. Please don't take that as criticism, but if you can find someone near you to sharpen those things, you will have a much more enjoyable time carving.

Ooops, just went back and read some previous posts and the "sharpness" issue has already been discussed.

Al

[Bill]

Anita
Your doing great, but remember, animals don't have flat spots nor square corners.
Smooooth, and soften.
Hope that helps.
Bill

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

If you want to see the difference...get a single edged razor blade and try a cut on the cedar...

[Nancy_G]

Anita - You're doing a remarkably fine job on a first carving
Here's another "hint" that could help on ANY wood. Try just about any pattern with the grain of the wood running up and down. See how the grain in your cedar is running end-to-end of the elephant? IMHO the entire thingwould be sturdier and easier to carve if the grain ran up and down.