[jillsy]

Hi everybody,

Despite STILL not being in the carving mood, that hasn't stopped me from looking at different things to get inspired. I have yet another question for something I can't visualize.

Anytime I try to carve someone's arms, the arms don't come out at all like I want. I'll try to explain as best as possible. I want my arms to bend and make a right angle so my Santa can carry something. I see people carve this all the time. But, when I carve, my arms tend to curve around the body in front of Santa and are much flatter than I'd like.

I don't "see" how to carve the arms (from the elbows to the fingertips) to come out in front. Does that make sense? It just seems like I'd have to take all so much wood to form the arms that I don't know how much I'd hav left for the body!

Jillsy

[Claude]

One way to "see" it better would be to take photos. Get a friend or family member to help you. Go upstairs and lean out a window (just a little bit, so you don't fall!), with a camera in your hand. Have the friend stand below you, next to the house, so you can take a photo straight down. Have them hold their arms in various positions while you take the photos. Then go downstairs and take photos of them in the same positions, but with you on the same level as them; and have them turn so you can take the photos from all sides.

If you also have them wear various types of clothing, you can also photograph how the cloth folds and drapes on them in the various positions.

Claude

[tucker1931]

Jillsy, it's really not to take my advice too seriously (being as I'm still trying to get my feet wet as a carver) but in my humble opinion, you would need a thicker piece of wood to start so as to have enough to extend the arms in an outward position. Hope this doesn't sound silly.
Cliff

[xsailer]

jillsy,
Just a thought ok? Maybe just for practice you could carve your arm separated from the body and rotate it so it where you wasn't it? If you didn't want to do this all of the time at least it might give you the idea of what it takes "get her done", to borrow someones term. I've sometimes had the problem of not making the arm straight between shoulder and elbow, elbow to finger wrist working with clay. You would think with a knife it would be easier.
Are we understanding your deliema?
This is bad. Couldn't help but send it.

[Ashbys]

Hey Sis ,

Try this , take your block of wood and make the front where you want the hands to be.

turn the block on its side And make three marks, the first the back of elbow point you want.

The second , where you want the front of the stomach .

The third the back of the upper arm.

Now connect the upper arm with the elbow. Then the elbow with the hand.

Now add your stomach chest curve from the front of the shoulder.

Then draw the front of the arm, to the back arm.

Clear all material away from the front of the hands to the top of the stomach .

In the drawing remove the red .

Then clear the waste material between the arms .

[Callynne]

Jillsy, I think Cliff might be on to what your problem is, I've had a heck of a time with that myself.

I draw up my carving from all sides, transfer those patterns to my basswood and cut it out.....should be perfect, right....wrong! You have to leave extra wood around the arms to get the required amount to make the carving look like the drawings. I'd call it an optical illusion but it's probably closer to the truth that we've trying to take a 'flat' pattern and make it dimensional.

Now when I trace my patterns on, I leave an extra 1/4" (good amount for my size carvings)around anything, knees, elbows whatever 'bends'. Try leaving a bit more and I think you'll be happier with your results.

Good luck, let us know if we've hit on what your having trouble with, if not, someone certainly will be able to help! Deborah
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[Ashbys]

Sis,
All realtionships of the arm are from the back of the upper arm to the elbow.

in each one of these the arm location is changed , to adjust the posistion of the hands but the arm length is the same the elbow to forearm the same all that changed was the arm angle , or the realtionship of the elbow to the pivot point of the uppper shoulder.

Ash

[jillsy]

Hey, thanks everybody.

Yes, you all knew exactly what I was trying to say in my post so thank you for all the great advice.

I had considered getting thicker wood to help, but I really like working with 2 inch for now. Instead, I thought I'd try making smaller figures, (I wanted to do this anyway) which should then create extra wood.

Thank you Ash, for the pics! I'm definitely a visual person and this really helped me see what to do. Instead of using the sides to draw my arms, I was swooping them out in front. I've seen lots of other carvers do it this way, and there's nothing wrong with it. But, it's just not the effect I want.

Oh exsailer, I had considered trying to carve the arms separately and do appreciate that piece of advice too. For now, I'd really like to learn to carve all one piece. When I get better, I'd like to try connecting pieces, but that seems much more advanced than where I'm at.

I also like the idea of taking pictures. You're all filled with great ideas!