[Robert Cahill]

I have kind of got addicted to the little guy carvings. I have been leaning toward jack Prices patterns. 2" to 2 1/2" . I have been trying to put some action into them Running even sitting with out success hoping someone would have suggestion for doing them. I remember Hi Ho did a skier but I don't recall other small action figures. I did one (not well) but he was almost as high 2 1/2" as wide 1 1/2" and I would like him narrower

[Mitchell]

I do small figures with different poses. They are actually my favorite to carve.

Running is difficult. You need to design them so that you have support for any features that are sticking out (and susceptible to breaking).

http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.co...to/416/cat/507

http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.co...4/limit/recent

[Thomp]

some of the<link> peewees here more of <link> mine , theres just not lots of room to bend legs that dont exist between these lil guys but and tennie shoe... i found it difficult to find more things i could do with there hands,

needing 18 kids and the peanut gallery, i lost intrest in the project looking for fence posts and bridal veil to make a fence around the scene..

[gene messer]

Robert .. I can see you have got the little guy fever too and rightly so ..
They are so much fun to do ..
But alot of people dont do them because detail is harder to obtain at times ..

But with little guy's .. you can still obtain a certain amount of action ..

Can I suggest that if you want to do little guys and use action or movement .. then go to at least a three inch guy instead of a 2 inch or 2 1/2 inch for more room .. for as the extra 1/2 inch isnt really important ..

You can duplicate anything in minature you have in a larger scale .. but the detail may not be as noticeable .. But you can do it by minaturizing the larger scale pattern or drawing and being extra careful around the thinner areas of the piece ( such as hands, feet )

I have listed a example of how two 3 inch guys can show action in a scene Iam working on below ..

They are both only three inches high and I had to be careful .. but their actions show movement as you can see ..

Jack Price is one of the best small carvers I know of ...excluding the wonderful Don Mertz .. A artist in minature .. So look at alot of his work and see how he creates his scenes ..

I hope I helped in some way ..

Gene

[Robert Cahill]

I missed the posting on all of these.Mitchell I really liked your two and I went to your sight it was a real treat. How large is the reposing Santa??

Thomas I missed your little league team posting also. I was a member so I guess I should try to come more often.My computer is real slow so I seldom go to previous views. Believe it or not at one time I had that book and after seeing Gene's little guys I went to dig it out and it was missing.I have since gotten Jack Prices little guys book and CD. I also have Steve Prescott's carving blockheads and reduced his pattern but there is not much action in either.

Gene I'm not certain which of your posts inspired me into the little guys but it was after that I managed to get the above books. It may seem like a foolish statement but I seem to be paying more attention to details now than I was when doing larger carving. I also am diluting my paint and notice my painting has improved. (or maybe age makes me want an excuse to sit longer) I am going to start with your advice and go with 3" carving and work my way down hopefully

I want to Thank all of you for the replies, I really do appreciate it. I guess I had to see the smaller action carving to know it could be done.

Robert

[Mitchell]

Robert, the Santa is one of my larger ones....about 8-9".

I've posted some other small carvings in threads and not in the gallery...I'll try to find them to post again (if you want).

[Thomp]

the book Carving the little guys by Keith Randich i carved some of,
but the peewees are 1/3 there size,
the book wasn't much for cost, as i remember it about 5 bucks and well worth the dough to learn the idea behind the size of the head and other features,,
best learned lesson i remembered is the head being the focal point on that style it has to be 1/3 of caricature height to get the detail.. then if you make them a body theres just not much to show much action,, its not like a 12" spindly legged cowboy where you got too much leg on, so you work the wrinkles in the jeans to get detail...

but with the little guys the detail could be worked in with size constraints being more actual, height to wight scale and some special tools. like the dockyard micro knife set... most regular knives just don't fit them small places that would develop in the minnies.....

i been making some pin file knives,, fragile and weak when compared to straight razor knives but with that in consideration, they preform in such small and delicate things as eye details,,, and small caricatures,,
made in the same way as rick in seattle explains how to make your favorite carving knife, on his site. the pin files are harder steel than straight razors, so there brittle...and you got to expect them to break if you make a twisting cut.

good luck.

[Robert Cahill]

Mitchell I would really like to see your small carving if it is not a lot of trouble.

Thomas, I have already put in a flat out request for the dockyard sculpture set for christmas. Doesn't always mean much but I didn't hint about it. I have been playing around with old knives and redoing them for carving. An old butcher knife turned out great haven't tried to make a small tool but now that you have given me the idea will try it our (if I can stay away from honey dos)

[Mitchell]

I'll post a few in the next couple of days.

Our show it this weekend and it will pretty much occupy most of my "non-working" time. After that, I may even be able to do a quick little demo showing design through carving....

[Robert Cahill]

Mitchell, take your time. I don't come online on weekends and I appreciate your showing me but I am in no rush good luck on your show