Please help the charity case!

[workinforwood]

I'm begging that I can find someone in my area that can help me with my problems. I live in the Lansing/Jackson Michigan area, but I am also in Cincinatti, OH every sunday. This is my second attempt with carving on a face..powercarving. I've been reworking her, and finally got most of her features to where I am happy, but I'm struggling with her chin big time, and wouldn't mind fine-tuning her nose a bit. The wood of her face is apple. Technically this is not a carving, but it is intarsia, but I am trying to get into incorporating more carving into my arts.

Below is the picture of the face. I will also include a link that shows the actual picture, but it is not a picture to be freely displayed on the page, so if you are not willing to look at a more mature picture, or you are under 21, please do not click the link.

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o...mptress045.jpg

[BobD]

Jeff posted this over on the scroll saw site, but he was looking for suggestions about the carving aspect, so I suggested that he post over here as well.

Bob

[lorax]

hello, I am from south of Grand Rapids, but I know there is a Grand ledge woodcarvers club. In my opinion, the nose and eyes are both too big, but the overall proportions of the face seem to be off. I dont know if you went from a picture to make your pattern, but going from 2D to 3D can make things look screwy, so maybe that was some of it. I must say that female faces are somewhat harder to do than male. good luck and keep us posted

[workinforwood]

yes, I do go from 2D to 3D, and this is the first time I ran into that being a big issue. I already had to do some eye repairs and add hair to slim down her forehead. Isn't there some sort of rule where the width of the eyes is equal to the length from the nose to the chin? I'm not sure this picture follows those rules, but I swear I heard something like that recently too. personally, I like the eyes. I can't make a clear judgment on the nose, but I know I don't like the chin/jaw line. But I'm sure there is a way to salvage it.

[mark yundt]

I'm sorry to say that I have to agree with Lorax. The size of the eyes,nose,mouth ,,for the size face you are working with is a bit off.The proportions and the scale are off. Yes,,large eyes are becoming on a woman,,as well as the mouth,,but I feel the proportions on this piece hurt it.One of the problems I feel that is the most pronounced is the lack of detail on the nose.Here you don't have the center "bulb" of the nose that should flare off to the nostrils,, it's missing the delicateness that a piece like this requires.The lips are disproportionatly large,,they could be made a bit smaller thereby buying back the wood you need to make a graceful chin line. Making the lips smaller in proportion would neccessitate making the eyes a bit smaller as well since the pupils should equal the width of the outer corners of the mouth.The inner corners of the eyes should also roughly equal the width of the flare of the nostrils.If you gave the eyes a more almond shape it would help greatly,,part of the problem is the overly flat and too "popeyed" look taking away from the dreamy sultry look a piece like this could use,,you know ,,more seductive.Check out some books on drawing faces to find the basic thirds a face should be framed within to get a more balanced ,,natural look,,as well as width of noses,,eyes,,and mouths that fit within the confines of the face you have to work within.One other thing,,not sure how fussy you intent to get,,maybe it's just me,,but the musculature on the right leg needs to be addressed,,as well as the buttox area to the right of the cloth,,,these areas show muscles going in the wrong directions,,indentations where they shouldn't be,,and minor issues with the left thigh..just a note to make a more convincing carving.I know you didn't ask about these areas,,it's just something I see and thought I'd pass it along.

[workinforwood]

I wish you were here to point all that stuff out directly on the piece. I just don't have all that information on the proportions understood. I'll have to see if I can find examples of what you're talking about online somewhere, after work. I just can't run out and buy a book today. I do have her just sitting off to the side for now, it's no hurry.

[mark yundt]

Try www.portrait-artist.org there is some good info there,,or just google drawing faces,,there are lots of sites available with the info you are looking for that might help you out. If not ,,there are lots of people here besides me that I'm sure would be willing to help.

[Irishman]

Jeff, you're getting some good feedback and kuto's to you for taking on such a large project. I'm yet to get into doing torso but I have made some progress in doing faces...with a lot of good feedback from the group on this site.
I'm trying to make sure the feedback your seeking is suited to the style you are going with. You've received feedback already on the chin, nose and eyes. To add to their comments, you may want to consider rounding the face some more. My instructor taught me some time ago that there are very few flat surfaces on the face. I find it helpful to take your hand and place the index along the side of the face reaching towards the cheek bone with the thumb expanded along the chin area...draw your line on the inside of your expanded hand on both sides and start shaving off wood until your happy with the results.
If your brave enough to set her features back and start over...as I have done with another female face...you still have ample wood to work with and you can make the adjustments on the eyes, nose and lips. Can't help you with the torso but you have good symmetry and captured much of the female figure...just some adjustments needed.
Good luck with your carving...and well done.

Patrick

[workinforwood]

I think I follow what's being said. Just to be sure ya'll are aware, this picture isn't painted, that's the natural wood. It's not so simple as to carve deeper to make a mouth smaller or eyes smaller or anything to that effect, as everything is a seperate piece. I don't seem to have anyone that'll sit down with me and show me what to do, but I'm not afraid to keep going at it as many times as it takes. I re-cut all the pieces and am making a new face, so as long as I don't get called into work tomorrow, I'll be taking another attempt at it. I'm going to go slow of course. I had an idea while trucking down the road...I kidnapped one of my daughters barbie dolls. Maybe that will help me while I make the new attempt.

[Thomp]

having a heck of a time with this picture tonight, and it dont want to let me post it.

here after a little effort, i think i might have came up on some improvements but Hey im no artist,

i smudged around the face, opened the nostrils, decreased the bridge of the nose pushed the eyes into themselves decreasing pupil size and irius , the eye underline went away, pushed around the lips some and tried to smooth all of it a bit where i did modifications,
then put y0ur picture beside it for compairisent... and my wife said now the jaws too wide..??

like i said im not an artist or a professional, but tinkered with it as some suggestions of others mentioned, and a few of my own,