Whats your Nemisis.

[aulddiy]

I've tried and failed to carve a reasonable looking dog. Well I'm carving a Dalmatian and it finishes up looking like a deformed goat. I've a few spotted goats now.

I'm told to know your subject. I've had dogs for 60 years and in this instance it does n't work.
Female faces I also find difficult . So what about others?

[Rooster]

I haven't carved enough to have a nemisis yet. Maybe 'carving in general' is my nemisis at the moment.

Have you ever tried to carve a goat? What does that look like. Maybe you'll eventually find an animal to carve that'll looks like a dog.

I was reading in another post yesterday about carving ethics and copyright. Someone posted that they could never be accused of copying someones idea cause what they carved looked nothing like it. Made me think. I'll be happy when someone accuses me of copying their carving. Then I'll know I'm getting better. Unless I was carving something entirely different of course.

When I started carving a reindeer for christmas, the other half said it looked like a skeleton. Haven't tried to carve a skeleton yet. Must see what she thinks of that!

Have you posted any pics of your carving. People may have some pointers.

Rooster.

[lorax]

Interesting thread. I guess mine would also be female faces. Hands and feet run a close second though.

[uvawyo]

eyes, I work and work follow different instructions and cannot carve a satisfactory eye I may be getting bettr
My female faces are all plum ughly too

[jmischel]

I'm with Herb: eyes. I find eyes terribly difficult. And I'm not even talking about actually carving realistic looking eyes, but rather putting two eyes on the face in something approaching a symmetrical arrangement. Too often, one is higher than the other, further from the nose, or significantly larger. Fortunately, it ends up looking cute on my caricature dogs.

Come to think of it, I'd say that my nemesis is symmetry in general.

[northwood bob]

AULDDLY\
An old timer told me quite some time ago that this business of carving is very simple - Just take away all the pieces that don't look like a dog and the end will be the dog.

Probalby a bit of a sarcastic comment but this comment has helped me many times in the past. Just words to remember and live by!!!!!

[mikeGinSC]

Jim,

I used to think I had a problem with symmetry too. But a fellow carver told me that if you look at a persons face, you'll notice that it isn't perfect.
One eye might droop lower than the other, an ear might be larger than it's mate, ect. Other body parts are the same. For instance, one of my feet is almost a full size bigger than the other. And I've noticed with women that one breast might be slightly larger than it's mate. Just some things to ponder.

Mike G. in SC

[Kenny_S]

Wild women and booze is my demise. Oppps you said Nemisis, Didn't you? My bad. LOL

[Lonewolfcarver]

Eyes, but I really need to hamper down and practice.

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

Eyes and what Kenny said, LOL

Dave