"Sarah" relief profile

[Grimnir]

Well I had this bit of wood and it was saying it wanted to be a relief profile of a womans face and all my worries and fears about never having done a relief and being ruddy awful at womens faces wouldn't budge it. That was what was in the wood and I'd better get used to it and get her out, sharpish!

Well, I done tried my best, and here she is. I would really like some critique on this one (and tell it as it is please!) as I was really into terra incognita and I'm sure there are a hundred things I could do better in the next one

[One Thumb Carver]

The best thing was to place your worries and fears behind and start carving. Looking good for your first one The second one will be a piece of cake

[Grimnir]

Thanks Bill. I really want a workbench for when I carve the next one, trying to hold the wood and the tools was a juggling match with her

[mpounders]

I have had some less than stellar results, so I might be a good source of things not to do! In looking at pictures 2 and 3, it seems like the top of the nose has dropped from about the middle of the eye to the bottom of the eye... it almost seems to be coming straight out of the face? The ear seems a little to far towards the back of the head, making the face seem kinda wide. You might try fewer lines in the hair on your next....I have a tendency also to make hair with every strand. That works well on animals and such, but it seems to looke better on faces, to me, if you just indicate the main shapes of the hair. I am not an expert, so I could be completely wrong!

[bob easton]

It's a good looking carving, very appealing. The only suggestion I have is for a finer grain when doing a female face.

On work holding...

There are things called "carving screws" which are handy for holding carving blocks to a workbench or board in a vice. While probably way too big for the carving you show, perhaps you can use the same idea. Use a couple of wood screws through a clamping board into the carving material.

[Grimnir]

Yes I agree the grain is too coarse for her face. It was what I had though so I tried it.

The eye in the first one is closed and I did basically draw it on freehand when I decided to go for the open eye so may well be out lol. Not sure how the ear ended up so far back, that was drawn on direct from the tracing. It does appear to've though.

I've added the pic I was working from so you can see how near/far things are lol

Work holding, well until I get relocated and set up in Australia everything is going to be hand held as I'm only keeping my tools, clothes and essentials, all else is already in transit to my wife in Brisbane. Hope the visa comes through fast so I can join her, it's been far too long already. But yeah, 27kg allowance and a laptop bag (20kg main hold luggage, 7kg carry on) doesn't leave me much room for work benches!

[feb]

On a small carving like that you could carve the pony tail last leave the tail 5or 6" long so you have something to hold onto, when your finished carve the tail and cut off the excess.You could blend the hair a little closer in to the face like by the ear. Good first try, keep um comin.

Feb