Look at it from the bottom

[Butch_Speer]

When you are carving something that needs to be symmetrical, a face in particular, you should occasionally look at your carving from the bottom up . Looking at the nose or cheeks straight on can be deceiving. They may look fine from straight on but still be out of kilter. Look from the bottom or down from the top. It's amazing the difference it can make.

[davidinsarasota]

Excellent suggestion, I'll keep it in mind.

[Robson Valley]

Butch: how well do you think that strategy works for holding left-right symmetry? My worst carving problem./puzzle/nightmare.

[Butch_Speer]

RV,
Works good for me. Left right symmetry has always been a big problem of mine. This little change of perspective has improved my carving 100%. It only takes a second or two. & it's really helped.

[JimSawyer]

Excellent thought...!!!!
Another thing that I learned in art class in high school is to look at it in a mirror..It gives another viewpoint..

[Claude]

Originally Posted by Butch_Speer

... Look from the bottom or down from the top. It's amazing the difference it can make.

Excellent words of wisdom!!

Claude

[Robson Valley]

JimSawyer: ironically, the mirror thing just showed me how far off I was!

I don't think that there's anything at all in my carving, rough or finished, which disappoints me and discourages me more that the left/right lop-sided results I create. Just doesn't "look right." May explain why I'm so slow and why I have so many WIP. Often, I've gone past the point of no return and "fixing it" just makes it worse.

[JimSawyer]

Life is imperfect..
Don't beat yourself up..
Only the Heavenly Father can make perfection...
...and even then, we're not perfectly symmetrical..Most people's ears are not even...amongst other things...lol

[mdallensr]

Lighting can be misleading as well. Take your carving into another room or outside and take a look. Grain, if noticeable, can be misleading too. Turn the bird upside down, and sight along the length of the body from head to tail and turn it around to do the reverse. Mike

[Butch_Speer]

Claude,
Thanks.

Jim & Mike,
Great ideas. I'll remember them.

RV,
Jim is right. I'm helping a fella carve & have been telling him the same thing. I once saw a set computerized pics of famous people. The original was shown first, then the right side was removed & replaced by a mirror image of the left. The people were next to un-recognizeable. Don't be so hard on yourself.