Elk & Canoe

Ron Davidson · #1 10-04-2007, 03:21 PM

Here is the next project that I am working on. Ash came up with pattern I sent him the wood and told him to surprise me and he did. It has been a real challenging project which is good I love a good challenge. I have to admit thoughthat I did have to call him and ask after spending hours trying to figure what it was on the left. It was the canoe I guess I couldn't figure out all those different lines. I won't have time to work on it until next week sometimer when I get back from NY. Thanks for looking.
Ron

Joy · #2 10-05-2007, 05:34 AM

That is looking really, really good. Thanks for sharing.

Ashbys · #3 10-05-2007, 06:48 AM

Ron,
Glad you posted this , I was having a hard time understanding excatly what we were talking about.

I think I would like to ask everyone here to help. I see things that I think you need to address and I know it is a long way from finished. But you have a good start. The upper right deer. Remember when you did the the boston terrier. I told you that you needed to round it. Right now it is not alive , it is blocky . The center is flat, the neck needs to be rounded more So here you go , I want you to feel Lou. A deer is the same as a dog. The neck longer the muscles larger, but the flow lines from shoulder , to body are the same, the head to the neck the same , the hips to the back the same. The main differences are , bulk mass and the lower legs.

One thing I would like to ask everyone here, I know we are all amazed with the work Ron produces, But Ron's work needs input. I am a realist, I understand that life is a fragile thing, that often becomes complicated. I am very blessed that I have been able to help Ron. That will not end, as long as I am able, but Ron's largest support Katy has some personal problems that is taking her time right now. Ron, has lost that support for the time being. Your support is necessary for you have become his eyes. This is a very detailed carving, one much different than any he has tried. But a lead in to the next one. I ask that you are honest , tell him what you see, where it needs improved and give him direct opinions on what to do. I am in the middle of a couple of things which is stealing my time and I ask for your support .

Thanks my friends .

Garry

Just Carving · #4 10-05-2007, 08:27 AM

Hi Ron & Ash

Ron, I have to say I am amazed at your carvings. You have become quite accomplished in your ability to carve in relief, and I think you have found your niche. Stay with it, and you will become well known for your ability rather than your disability--which since I have been wearing hearing aids for a 60% loss since I was 5 years old, I look at that word, "disability" and substitute the word, "inconvenience". I think you know what I mean, Ron, since after a while, you learn to deal with it, and a handicap becomes just that, an inconvenience.

I'm not experienced in relief carving, but I'll say what appears to be in need of work. So here we go, going, left to right:

I can see there's a good difference in depth at the tree to the left, but the tree behind the canoe might need a little more work--is there suppose to be another tree behind that tree? If so, then forget the work behind the tree, just give that second tree some more rounding so the viewer can tell whether it is a tree, shrub, house, etc.

The water looks good so far, and you've begun to put in reflections. I'm guessing since the water is near a bank with a canoe, that it will be relatively still, so most of your contouring is pretty much done, right? Otherwise, if there is to be more activity in the water, then you would need to carve more ripples in the water.

Canoe looks good so far. As Ash said, use Lou for a visual aid to understand the contour of an animal. Just remember that the deer is going to have longer legs, so the musculature at the top of the legs, that is to say, the thighs, will be thicker as to support the weight of the body on the thin legs.

Right now, the doe appears to be more of a dairy cow with a deer's head and neck--unless it is suppose to be a pregnant deer--sorry don't know much about 4 legged deer----not a whole lot about 2 legged dears either, LOL! Okay, enough of that. So, my suggestion is to take a little more wood off just in front of the front legs, and then slope it up from there to the hind legs. Does that sound right Ash or anyone else who has seen more deer than I have as they streak by in front of me as I'm driving? Sorry, that's about as close as I have gotten to a deer in a long, long time!

The tree behind the deer needs a little more work in the middle crook. I'm guessing there is a clump of leaves/branch in that crook but from the angle of the photo, I'm not sure if there is a need for any more work. But as I look at the overall scene, I think there needs to be a little more work on rounding off the edges of the foliage. Looking from the left at the tree on the right, I can see that the edges need more rounding so that a softer effect can be achieved.

Hope that helps. I'll try to keep my eye on your progress as it goes along. Good luck Ron!

Irish · #5 10-05-2007, 09:14 AM

Whoa! Wait!!!!

Please, this is just MY OPINION here so take it with a very very heavy grain of salt.

What I see so far, Ron, is that you are still in the blocking out stages of the work. It appears to me that you have not done any work in the foreground area of the carving including the front bull elk, the front of the water and the front of the canoe.

Please, wait to begin those shaping suggestions that you have already gotten here. They are excellent suggestions. But since you are still in the very early level stages I think that you might have to drop the level of both the bank of the creek, that doe elk and the grass area she is standing on.

I don't see enough wood left in the foreground level for that body of the elk or the front end of the canoe. And you don't want the doe one half inch thick but the elk just an eighth inch thick !

You could find at this time that if you go back to the doe, trees and back end of the canoe to make shaping changes that when you start the foreground area you will have to work those parts again.

Get all of your areas blocked in and to depth in their levels THEN go back and work in more shaping.

Just my opinion but I hate having to carve and area twice because I needed more depth in a higher area.

Susan

Ron Davidson · #6 10-05-2007, 09:14 AM

Thanks Ash I was in the process of working on the doe when I got to thinking I need to pack and get some fires put out before I leave on Saturday. Plus I am waiting for the arrival of my repaired knife I told you I dropped and broke off. But it's all great feedback.

Just Carvin I know what you mean to me the word handicap belongs only one place and that's the golf course. I just have a different way of doing things. Thanks for the input on the trees I will check them out and see what you mean. The doe I am still working on. The way I do it is I will take everything down to being close to what I want then I will go back and take off more where needed like sliming down the doe. She needs a wider area between the front legs I feel and like Garry said more rounding.

Thanks all keep it coming I will appreciate it all.
Ron

Ron Davidson · #7 10-05-2007, 09:21 AM

Thanks Susan that is what I was planning was to do the rest of the blocking out before I do much of anything else. I had a real concern about the bank the doe is standing on and that is one of the reasons I posted it now other than Garry asked me too so I could get some input. It will do me good to take a couple of days off this one and start fresh next week.

Garry Lou liked your idea of using him as a model he likes the extra attention!!

Ron

Irish · #8 10-05-2007, 09:23 AM

I am thinking out loud here. I always start by getting my levels cut before I do any definite shape, texture or detail work. First I need to know that I have created room for everything in the scene.

Is there room for the background trees and the foreground trees? Is there really room for the canoe to sit on the grass bank and sit in the water? Is there room to carve the bull elk as the most important element of the pattern?

In any scene those elements that are farther away from you are slightly smaller then those that are close because of perspective. Also true is that those elements closer to you are usually thicker in wood then those farther away. Again that is because of perspective.

I can see the shape including roundness, texture and details of the leaves on a tree in my front yard. I can see the shape of a trunk and the shape of the leaf clusters on a tree at the far side of my yard. I can only see the tree as one big shape if that tree is across the road from my house. And if that tree is far away, over the next field, then that tree might become one little piece of a larger tree line.

Use your fingers, let them do the talking, is there room right now for the bull elk to be the biggest baddest element of this carving.

Susan

(OK. I am going to shut up now.)

Ron Davidson · #9 10-05-2007, 09:36 AM

I think there is room. As you know pictures can be deceiving but from the feel I think and hope there is it is my next step and I will know soon enough. Keep your fingers crossed.
Ron

Just Carving · #10 10-05-2007, 09:40 AM

Susan, don't shut up. You know more about relief carving than I do. I just wanted to give Ron a helping eye so to speak.

Ron, Listen to Susan--she's the guru of relief carving! I never thought about the process of blocking out and then going back to fine tune the areas needing it. I should have realized that--it's the same as carving in the round--rough out, fine tune, and then finishing. Sorry, my head wasn't on my shoulders this morning!