Anyone else think snowmen are hard?

[jillsy]

Does anyone else find snowmen difficult or frustrating to carve?

Generally, they're not too hard, but trying to make them nice and round is actually hard to me. And carving faces into them is really difficult. My snowmen are never rounded like I'd like (seem more oblong) and I cheat and just paint simple faces on them.

I think snowmen are wonderful little guys who like Santa, can be made into so many different styles and themes. But, my love for them quickly vanish once I'm reminded of how unsatisfying they are to carve.

Well, my 4 year old has been here talking to me as I try to type so hopefully, this made sense. As you can imagine, I'm very distracted as I try to think!


Jillsy

[gene-messer]

Hi Jillsy .. Glad to hear your up and carving again .. we all miss those wonderful pieces ..

Jillsy .. I have carved alot of snowmen and it wasnt untill I looked at the way Mike Shipley carved them and realized .. you can design a snowman anyway you want and he can look good ..

If you look at Mikes snowmen .. they aren't all round like two balls on top of one another .. in fact some off his snowmen are oblong and look great .. Go to his website ,, Ozark Country Characters "

I admit trying to get everything so round can be frustrating at times ... but look at his snowmen and see if any of his ideas help you a little on the roundness .. If you already havent done that ..

Also , concerning the eyes and mouth .. I use to always get a box of those straight pins with the black and red beads on the head of them and use them for eyes and nose , they stood out on the face .. To me they worked great .. Is that cheating ? .. Not to me it wasnt ..

There are so many creative ways to do it ..

Right now Iam carving Bears for a place in Tenn . .. after so many regular bears .. you try something different ..

Hoped I helped in some way..

Gene

[susieq]

I have found that if you haven't done it before, it's not easy...even though it looks like it is. At the gallery event a year ago, my friends attended it with me. One of the items scattered throughout the show, were carved Christmas trees..

One of my friends was looking hard at them and I thought she might buy one.
I whispered to her husband that I would make her one and for her not to buy one. It was the least I could do since they put up with me for a week and hauled my butt all over Chicago to entertain me. I thought, this will be simple.....boy was I wrong. It was a fact finding mission. After you have been doing it for a while you can probably knock them out pretty quick but that very first one, no way. And I was making her a large one at that.

I got a real work out and I don't really ever care to make another one.

[Nancy-G]

Oooooohhhhhhhhh --- I carved snowmen before there was such a thing as a "digital' camera. I LOVED carving snowmen .... so much easier and faster than Santa.
I looked for maybe an hour and found some really old photos and managed to scan them - whew - now let's see if I can post some - prepare for boredom.

[Nancy-G]

Just a couple more and I'll quit --- I PROMISE.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

To me, the best exercise in learning to carve shapes, just as it is in learning to draw shapes, is to carve a globe. When doing that you're confronted with having to work with grain from all directions. Even more important, as you can see by examples posted on this form different people look at different objects, i.e, animals, people, etc., differently. However, there is only one way to look at a globe. It's round, no matter how or from which angle you might look at it. Now, if you take that lesson and multiply it by three different sized globes standing on top of each other you really have a challenge.

In looking an Nancy's photos I'm amazed at her ability to take these simple yet difficult shapes and turn them into something where each is completely unique. Better yet, they're animated! Terrific!

[jillsy]

You know what Nancy? I'm really starting to hate you!!! Talking

Once again, you inspire me to carve something I pretty much just wanted to give up on. Yours are nice and rounded, I love how you can see all the carving marks, and they've got sweet, simple smiles. *sigh* Back to the drawing board! Actually, my drawings are pretty cute.....it just doesn't come out in the carvings. Dullsville USA.

Thanks Gene and Susieq for your responses, I always love to hear from you. And Gene, thanks for suggesting Mike's site. No, I haven't seen it, but will check it out as soon as I can. Now, I have a 2 year old crawling on me so I guess it's time to make some breakfast!

[jillsy]

Hey Lynn,

Looks like we responded at the same time and I missed your message. Thanks for the globe suggestion. That can definitely work because it'll give me something to compare my work to. I know snowmen can be all different shapes and sizes, which I like. But, the shapes I'm carving are just so.....uck. Not cute, not round, not long or thin....just something like rounded rectangles. BORING! Generally speaking, I'm a conservative gal, but I don't like BORING!

[Just Carving]

WHO SAID SNOWMEN GOTTA BE ROUND?!??!

Make 'em the way ya want 'em! Nancy did! Okay so hers are neat and look great! But you can make 'em the way you want them--think Pillsbury Doughbay--or a big plump teddy bear--or whatever! Round snowmen--BOOOORING!!!! LOL

I have a pic at home of snowmen ornaments I carved--they weren't perfectly round but they did the trick. I'll have to find it and post it. Keep carving 'em and look to make them rounder each time, if that's what you want. But it does take time. But in the meantime, have fun Jillsy--that's what carving's all about!

Bob L

[aulddiy]

Simple is not easy. I've been fortunate to have listened to and seen some of the great classical music instrumentalist of the 20th century. They all have one thing in common they make thier work look simple . While I can admire them I cann't play a note, however long I watch them.
Maybe carving is similar?

Nether can I draw a straight line unaided ,can anyone?

Simple is not easy.