Enos The Blockhead

Eddy Smiles · #1 04-03-2007, 10:29 PM

A while back I found a tutorial on-line by Pete LeClair on carving a guy named ENOS in a triangular piece of wood. While Pete uses a 1-1/4 X 1-1/4 X 5" piece of bass wood I made mine with a 2-1/4" x 2-1/4" x 7" piece of scrap basswood that I picked up from the scrap bin during my last trip to the Smokey Mountain Woodcarver's shop. They sell cutoff's of varying sizes and quality for $0.25 a piece and they're great for practice. Anyway, I've carved smaller faces when working on a woodspirit cane but have had difficulty with the eyes. I wanted to try this guy in large scale to see if I could make them come out a little better. I'm some what satisfied with the eyes but now I'm not satisfied with the eyebrows. I carved them twice. At first with a knife and they really sucked so I shaved them off and tried again, this time with a V-tool. They're better but still not what I was looking for. If anyone has a tried and true method for eyebrows I'd love to hear it. I could have used Mr.Dremel but I was trying to carve this guy strickly with hand tools. I need to give some credit to one of our senior carvers in the club because he was real helpful in suggesting that I clean up some of my cuts. The only other problem I had was that on the back side of this piece of scrap wood there was a knot and the entire piece was a lot tougher to carve than most pieces of basswood that I've carved. I almost succumbed to using Mr. Dremel a number of times!

gene messer · #2 04-03-2007, 11:43 PM

Let me be the first to say .. great job Eddy ... love the expression on the face and the eye's are wonderful .. really give the guy personally .. Good job
God Bless
Gene

mwilleson · #3 04-04-2007, 12:09 AM

Eddy,

It's hard to tell from the angle of the photo, but one thing I try to do on eyebrows is be sure I have a large mound there. I tend to carve a rounding cut from the top of the eyebrows and round into the forehead. (sorry if i didn't explain that very well. the point is to create a nice mound for the eyebrows.)

Next thing you could experiment with is fewer lines for eyebrows and just use a small gouge instead of a v-tool and make 4 or 5 cuts instead of many.

Finally, take a look at your eyebrows in the mirror. The hair runs more parallel to the eyes instead of straight up.

Just a few ideas....

JIM QUILICI · #4 04-04-2007, 01:29 AM

Eddy,
I agree with mike, but you may end up with a funny looking forhead, just cut it back and I bet you will be satisfied with it . by the way good carving.
I think old "pete's " three books do a better job of teaching than the one one the internet. easier step by step with a lot of pictures.
Just old Jim

Thomp · #5 04-04-2007, 05:46 AM

Eddy,

Dont know if i can add much, im terrible and still faking eyes on carvings myself,
i must have bought 50 books in the last few years about carving 2 of them being petes books and guess ill have to lock myself in the closet and re read them, cuz the first reading didnt take.

but while i was in the af. i had a squadron commander with eye brows just like them dark black bushey ones, they touched his hat when he wore one,
first time i seen him i like to have let out a belly laugh cuz i thought someone put him up to combing them that way., but i think he used moustash wax to make them stand up like that to keep them out of his eyes,..

i generaly try to
work from the nose side and make a few cuts away from the eye then as i work over the top i make them lay down at the crest of the brow at the puple and the rest is pointed toward the outter end by the ear, , i use my finest v tool, 5/64ths and make multible lines with some 's' cuts as well,. not all hair stays where we groom it ..

i hope you understand im not poking fun of your carving, i got worst around here, we all have to learn, keep it for the lessons we learn collection in your hiding place.
and look back on it in the years to come, to remind yourself, how much better you are at that time.

Eddy Smiles · #6 04-04-2007, 10:59 PM

Thanks Guys! And no offense taken! I try not to take myself too seriously and that extends to my carvings as well. It's been my experience that about the time that I think that I know it all someone comes along who knows twice as much as I do! Moral: There's no one that you can't learn something from.

Mike: Good point on the rounding. My first try was rounded but I ended up making it flat when I shaved off my first go-around. I'll keep that in mind for the next try. P.S.... can't look at my eyebrows! Ain't got none! This old Que-ball is as clean and soft as a new born baby's butt! Are we allowed to say that?

Jim: I agree with you about Pete's books. My Avatar is my version of one of his characters. I just picked up on ENOS because it was strickly an exercise in facial features. The good Lord only knows what he would have looked like had I tried to put ears on him!

Tom: I almost tried my smallest V-Tool. Darned if I know why I didn't. I think we've all had a Groucho looking character in our life!

Thanks for all your great comments and suggestions!

Mottles · #7 04-06-2007, 12:15 PM

Hi Eddy, I think he looks pretty good. It takes quite a lot of practice to make these facial features. With each one you carve you'll learn something new and find your way for the technique that works best for you. You've gotten some really good tips from these folks. Looking foreward to seeing more work from you.
Kathy