Pete Bottlestopper

Blake Lunsford · #11 03-29-2006, 02:45 PM

Thanks for the comments! As always, I guess I am my biggest critic. I still need to work on the nose and on the painting. I guess that comes with practice...so back to work! Thanks again for the positive comments and for looking!

Blake

Mitchell · #12 03-29-2006, 05:43 PM

Blake, your painting has improved and looks good to me. As for the carving - when you do more of these, try to soften the lines a bit - making the edges less sharp.

Also, make sure that you round the front of the face so the nose doesn't appear to sit on top, but actually follows the contour a bit. I can't tell by these pictures if that has happened here, but it is a common mistake so I thought I'd throw it out for future reference.

Mitch

Blake Lunsford · #13 03-30-2006, 08:58 PM

Thanks Mitch! After looking at the pictures the nose does seem to sit on top of the face. I'm going to have to see about getting some more lessons! I appreciate your advice and will post the next one to see if there has been any progress.

Thanks!
Blake

Mottles · #14 03-30-2006, 09:46 PM

Well, Blake I think for your first bottle stopper it looks great. I collect pewter wine bottle stoppers and I'm thinking it would be fun to start collecting wooden ones too. Course hubby would have to make me a new shelf for wooden ones.
Kathy

Blake Lunsford · #15 03-31-2006, 11:17 PM

I think that would be a great idea Mottles. What do you use to store/display them in. I would love to have something to mount mine on, but unsure what would make a good display. Any ideas??

Thomp · #16 11-12-2006, 02:46 AM

Blake,
i restarted this thread, to maybe get some ideas as i go through the Pete leclair book "carving caricature heads and faces", i think it was Pete's first book, eBay and half bay have them all the time from $3.00 and up never the less i bought mine from little shavers best 12.- i spent on instruction,
the book is a step by step instruction, although i personally have concentration problems, im finding it a great experience.

in the book after he carves it, he goes on and tells you how to achieve one of his wonderful paint jobs, and in the end of the book there are 33 other caricatures and rough out patterns.

the patterns are about tangerine size heads, and when Pete addresses which gouge to use he isn't specific with mm or inch measurements he just says use a #9 or #11 gouge,
i find this distracting, but since i dont own a full set of Any numbered gouges i guess i just have to use what i have,

have you had any progress since you last addressed this thread?
Thomas

squbrigg · #17 11-12-2006, 08:23 AM

Nice crisp, clear carving Blake. Nice work. Couldn't make any suggestions to improve, that's a nicely done carving. Keep up the good work.

Bob

Curly Early · #18 11-12-2006, 10:47 AM

Blake, I think you did a wonderful job, certainly doesn't look like a first. That one is a keeper. My first generated heat, but was no loss to anyone! I will look foward to more of your work. Earl

Blake Lunsford · #19 11-12-2006, 11:55 AM

Thanks for revisiting this carving. That was one that I did in early spring of this year. I had the opportunity to take a little instruction from Bart at the Charlotte show and it sure helped, although I still have a long way to go. I've signed up for classes with Wayne Shinlever, Pete LeClair, and the Bishops for this coming up year and hopefully that will give me some more direction to help improve my carvings. Thanks for taking a look again, and thanks Thomas for your suggestion on the book. I have the other two books from Pete but have not picked up this one. This should be the next one I get.

Blake

Thomp · #20 11-12-2006, 01:04 PM

Blake,

Sorry if this ghost thread came to haunt you, i should have asked you before i restarted it i guess,

Since this thread hadn't been attended since march i thought it a good place to restart discussion on Pete's teachings and his books, but then decided it was wrong to hyjack even a old thread i did open a new thread at,
http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.co...3651#post83651

mostly dealing with Pete's lack of measurement and petes effort in not getting you stuck in the ruler syndrome.

i own the first 2 books now, and plan to get the third on reserve for when i finish these 2. it was probably a intimidation thing until now i just wasnt ready, but i think im ready to learn faces, my charters suffer greatly from ugly..
I dont think at the moment i would benefit much from one of Pete's classes, as much as i could later.
because i dont know what i dont know, and i would be a distraction asking silly questions i think, wanting to know it all, instead of just getting a good grip on basics taught by pete in his books now and then being more able of benefiting from the specifics of his class, besides i dont want to waste money or an opportunity like that with my present knowledge and tool set.

It sure looks like i need some new numbered profiles in my tools, as i just have what i could catch locally which is a very basic montague. and a few small tools from rick,

im very impressed by petes caricatures if i owned one it would be worn smooth or shiney from me handling it with features worn away.

wish you a great time with your class's and improvement in your methods and skills,,

thanks for the reply
thomas.