My latest eyes practice

[gtech]

A few days ago, I decided to practice on simple parts of a face every day because I wasn't satisfied with the way I was doing them.

So I began with the eye, because I read somewhere that it was the first element in a figure carving that was making or breaking it.

I must say that it made me realize that I was doing a few things wrongs. One practice a day pays more than no practice at all...

I carved those on a 1.5" square block and used gouges to define the contour of the first eye, and finished it with my Steel Warrier knife. I used only the SW knife to carve the second one which more a wood spirit eye type than the first one.

I tried many methods to carve eyes, and adapted a few to make them mine. No method fits us completely and I think we must find our own way of doing things. It's not perfect yet, but I have less problems carving them than before.



I applied some tinted BLO to show the shape better.

Any comments are welcome,

Gilles

[Sharon of the Dell]

Great idea! Thats what I need to do because I get so frustrated with eyes. I usually redo the eyes 3or 4 times, then I'm still usually not happy with them. I can draw eyes real well, or at least I used to, haven't drawn much for awhile. I have problems with the eyelids too. All my eyes look to cartoony to me, but then I think, maybe it's just my style? Maybe if I practice on some big wood to carve big eyes that would help.Most of the faces I do are kind of small. Having better light to carve by would help me and maybe a better pair of glasses than the dollar store variety! Time to go practice I guess! Smile!

[Donald K. Mertz]

EYE SEE!
The key is what you said about carving eyes, "One practice a day pays more than no practice at all..." Practice doing various eyes and soon there will be an eye that fits your own style, but you will never know until you try. Thanks for the encouragement.

[gtech]

Sharon, that's the problem I had too. I was able to draw and carve big eyes, and the result looked good... at least for a beginner. But when I started to carve small characters, I began to have problems I didn't have with bigger carvings.

The eyes I carve for practice right now are life size, and I began to carve both left and right eyes on the same piece of wood to make sure that I will be able to carve both eyes equally well.

Then I'll change the style of eyes and try different expressions, half closed, looking left or right. And then, only then, I will start to carve smaller and smaller eyes...

That's my goal for the next days or weeks.

The next step will be the mouth, the nose, the ear, etc...

Thanks for the comments, it is my motivation to keep you updated on my progress, hoping that it can help or motivate someone by the same token.

Oh, and Donald... I don't think you really need my encouragement... Your site is already full of it...

And after taking a look at it... again, I noticed your eyes tutorial that I already saw before but didn't remember. Nice stuff there.

Gilles

[hwallen48]

GTech
Great idea one practice per day and I will start with eyes, thanks much!

[Agoodknife]

Gilles, you are on the right track. Absolutely nothing makes better than what youre doin' ! I had these same issues,good eye one day...bad the next,lol. I find eyes dont scare me now,because of practicing various styles,just w/ knife or incorporating gouges and v-tools,to really (pardon the pun) round out my eye arsenal. Keep up the great work !
^ l l { l\l

[aulddiy]

as i read these posts i,m noding my head. For me the problem increases as the size reduces. Those wee eyes are a frustrating pain, especially the right eye.

[gtech]

Why is the right eye worst for you?

I don't know if it can help, but a problem I had was making both eyes the same. And I noticed that it was easier for me if I was beginning with one specific eye, the right one. The reason is that when I carve some parts of the second one I do, I have to work upside down, and then it is easier for me to copy the first one from that upside down position because I can see the right eye correctly from the top when finishing with the left eye.

Heu... is that clear??? not easy to explain...

In other words, I try to be able to always see what I want to copy on the second side. Carve one so it looks good when you look at it normally, and copy it on the other side while working upside down.

Another way to deal with that problem is by changing how you are carving it. If one way doesn't work for you, try to begin by the other side of that same part, the right eye for you.

Gilles

[aulddiy]

Before I confuse those who are already confused - the left and the right are as the carving sits in my hand.

Why the right eye, no idea. I'm left handed and find the left eye easier to carve. Turning the carving upside down only confuses me. Then I operate on one 70 year old brain cell!

[Bill Anderson]

what a great idea! Its the only way to improve. I think I should do it too! thanks for sharing, I know I need to practice funny I had not thought of breaking it down into parts. thanks for sharing the idea...