[mark yundt]

you're welcome,,any other questions / problems,just ask.

[Flint]

Thanks Mark. You have given my
old head lots to think about. <g>

Flint

[falconer]

When doing a large bird of prey I always do a clay mock up first. This enables me to work out everything about that head before start on the wood. With clay if I make a mistake or want to change something I can always add clay, it's a little harder with wood. Normally I only get one chance to get that head right the first time with deadlines and all. Check out the unfinished eagle photos I posted that head was done in clay first.

[wade clark]

Falconer,
Saw It. Beautiful!!! The detail is incredible! Nice job!
Wade

[mark yundt]

Yes, that's the point. It's so much easier to establish the proper pose you are looking for,doesn't have to be super detailed, not necessary. But with the clay, you can look at it for a few days,,adjust it,get it just right before you commit to wood. I've seen many pieces that this should have been done with,stuck in odd poses that look odd the more you see them,, at first they seem O.K., but the more you look at them,,,. At times you might see a bird for example in an unusual pose in a photo,,but for a sculpture to be done in this same pose , from all angles,, and for the rest of time,, I think is really a waste of time and ruins an otherwise good carving,,, to me it's an esthetic thing,but that's what makes long lasting art,,, you'll always want to look at it.

[falconer]

I don't think it's a waist of time at all. In fact, doing it in clay first determines wether it's feasable or not to attempt it in the first place. Am I missing your point? sometimes you have to hit me over the head with it.

[mark yundt]

With all due respect , yes. I am in total agreement with doing it in clay first!I have been doing more and more of my pieces in clay first to determine position,layout,compsosition,form etc.Not sure if you have seen the other clay pieces I have done ,posted in carvers galleries, which only reinforce your (and my ) respect for the benefits of using clay.I've met many who think it's only proper to "find it in the wood" ,but isn't using clay a more complete , 3 dimensional sketch of what it is you want to show in the final piece? Many things can be drawn to great detail, but in final form they might not look as good as you thought they would only seen in 2 dimensions.I might not express myself all that well, but I think if you double check my post you'll see I am in complete agreement.Granted , adjustments will be made as the work progresses, but this is usually only in detail. Form, position,balance,pose,are all key as I'm sure you well know. The rest is mere details which anyone can fill in.At the Worlds,the first time I went, it drove me nuts how the judges, as they were walking over to the floating tanks already knew the best pieces in the tank. By the time they got to the tank and started judging, 80% of the pieces were already eliminated,,,,,, WHAT DID THEY SEE?THEY'RE NOT EVEN LOOKING CLOSELY AT THE BIRDS,,,DONT THEY SEE THE DETAILS THAT ARE THERE?... details don't mean all that much to someone who knows what they're looking at. Ahhhhh,,, now I know what they were seeing .Now its obvious and finally makes sense to me .Like I ,and you said,,,many pieces should have been worked out first to see if it was even feasable and worth doing .