First Relief Carving

[dalboy]

Hi all Have just completed a very small Relief carving of a flower following the one on Mary May's website.
I would appreciate any constructive feed back good or bad. It is only a small one done purely for practice the size is 4" X 3" done on a piece from the scrap box, I certainly learned a few things just on this small carving including how to keep the tools sharp.
Mind you there is still alot to learn like most things in woodworking

Hope I have put this in the right place

[AL...]

That is bonnie work . And for your first I would say you nailed it Very well done!
Thanks for sharing

AL

[pallin]

You have done well on your first relief. My suggestion is to go over (visually) the figure in detail and pay attention to parts that YOU feel might be improved. Should the lower petals and leaves be undercut more? Would the center of the flower have some texture? DO NOT change anything because I mentioned it. Learn to assess your carvings by your own reaction.

[Robson Valley]

pallin gives you good advice: What's your reaction to your finished work? I like what you did.

I didn't like my first couple of relief carvings. Others did. Finally figured out that my carvings didn't have the dramatic depth of relief that I saw in other work that I liked. Fixable.

[dalboy]

Thank you for the comments. I take note about the undercutting as it will make the carving appear thinner than what it is. I also did look at the centre and was in 2 minds what to do there like fill it with small holes from the end of a nail/pin and also to round it over more

[pallin]

Good observations, dalboy! The other side of this process is knowing when you're done. Many carvers anguish over smaller and smaller details. You also have to learn when to "let go" and tell yourself "that's good enough" for this project.
For some forms of carving (like chip carving) you know you're done when you have removed all the chips in the pattern, but with relief carving you have to satisfy an aesthetic (artistic) sense.

[dalboy]

Thank you once again Pallin. I think what I need to do is when something is complete is put it down and then have a look the following day with fresh eyes.
Also it is to easy to think something needs adding but it is the fear of messing it up that prevent you from doing so which then means that the piece in question will always look incomplete