Doing the right thing .......Take #2

[gtech]

I like it a lot the way it is right now. It is more balanced.

And you are right about ruining a carving by trying to make it better. It happened to me so many times that I now try to know when to stop and use mistakes to learn for the next carving.

I just try to hide the bad ones, and show the better ones...

I agree with Lynn about the gun , but for this one, just adding the name of the scene on the carving would make the scene more explicit. The gun plays a big role here...

Gilles

[jimmy joe]

I like the changes and find it interesting discussion . I just enjoy the board in general and if I like a carving I like to comment on a job well done . Each to their own .

[STAR]

Re reading Lynn's post on the " attaboys" and trying to give an honest critique if asked for, and the main word is , if asked for. Must bring in some difficulties when assesing the work of a fellow carver.

For example, I am a complete beginner, I have just completed my first carving, thanks to the help of Steve Reed. After a few false starts and a bit of kindling I overcame some problems ' Cheated, if you like " put a magnet on the back and it is now a usable fridge. I have Numbered it No1 and put a date on it. It is now a usable fridge magnet.

But, I know that it is full of errors, no self respecting carver would own up to it and like many mistakes would be burnt to hide the evidence. So, a project like that mine, has given me the impetus to try another. Would I put this one up on the main board to be critiqued. No way, but would I like somebody to pick out some of the more easily fixable things, Yes I would.

Do I want the whole mess picked apart, no, I don"t. I had great difficulties with the eyes. Steve has been good enough to go to the trouble of doing a tutorial , the way he does, emphasis, that it works for him and is not the only way.

So, providing I can duplicate what I have done and then work on the improvement in one area bit by bit I think I might advance a bit further along the food chain. But, when I tried to have another go, a few actually they all finished in the kindling box. Probably, being too over confident, and not thinking about the job in hand, Sometimes a break between projects helps me so by osmosis I can think about what I have to do.

However, In Soggy's case, who has over 1000 posts, while I suspect to a degree, his feelings can get hurt as much as the rest of us, it would be normal to expect a harsher critique than what would be a beginner.

The difficulty is getting the balance right. Without, hurting the feelings of the critiqer. I think the over rider should be if you ask for a critique, be prepared to be blown out of the water. Sometimes the written word is a lot harder to express than some non verbal communications, face to face.

However, without the involvement of the guns and experienced carvers we would become very one dimensional. which is no help to anybody.

ps.

I hope I said that correctly.

Pete

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Pete: I seriously doubt if anyone on this forum would give a "harsh" critique or purposely try to hurt someones feelings. You were lucky to have someone close by to offer guidance while you carved. Unfortunately, there are a lot who, like me, set out in their shop alone weeks at a time and just may depend on forums such as this as a means to contact and feel out other carvers for solutions or help. As I said before, I personally think that giving constant praise in place of valid help or guidance does no one any good and just might lead some down the wrong path away from improvement. Even I, while being a fairly experienced carver, appreciate being told when something just doesn't look right or could be improved upon. If I think the suggestion is a valid one I will probably consider it or if I think it not worth consideration I will still appreciate that persons view. I want people to appreciate my work and having other carvers check it out is something I'll never pass by.

[Soggy]

Without good honest critque where would we be ?.............I'll tell ya where I'd be. I'd probably be sitting on the couch watching tv instead of enjoying this hobby the way I do.
I joined this forum in june of 2008. At that time I had never carved anything except the Christmas turkey.Note the first photo in this post. This was done some time in late 2008 (perhaps september). Now after 2-1/2 years and lots of "suggestions" from many members here on the forum I am able to turn out something like the santa in the last picture. I carved that yesterday in about 30 minutes and painted it in roughly the same amount of time. ( yes I know santa is supposed to have a red had , but this one is for a benifit auction in support of brest cancer; so don't be critqueing the colour of his hat or the way I spelled "colour" either;.... I'm Canadian eh! ..)
Hopefully with more constructive critism and advice over the next 2-1/2 years I will continue to get even better.
Of course advice is only good if you use it ......

[sashadoc]

And that's it in a nutshell. I hope I improve that much soggy.

Tim