male/female woodspirit

[Irishman]

I will be away for the long weekend so I thought I'd post some pics of the male/female wood spirits I'm completing. I'm still using up the horse chesnut I picked up some time ago. I have some more detail work and shaving to do plus adding the eyes. I got inspired by feedback with my other wood spirit and added crowns to the two faces. I had intended to just put one on the male but a knot showed up in the middle of the forehead of the female so I turned it into a ruby set into the crown. Many of the knots in horse chesnut has a red color leaking through the black - maybe it works with this carving. Enjoy.
Patrick

[Lightningbolt]

I'd say that the crowns sure add an interesting touch to the spirit faces, in addition to a male/female combo! And sometimes those knots, limbs, or unusual grains in wood can add some unexpected surprises like the crown and that one knot is situated just perfectly for what you're doing.

They're looking just great and I especially like those full, thick very "real" looking lips. Excellent!

[wade clark]

They look great, especially the lips like Dave says.
Are you using gouges and chisels or power? Awide shallow gouge, such as a 1" #3 or Chris Pye's 2 1/2 can help smooth the skin vs. show marks of a smaller tool, and eliminate most or all sanding.
Nice work!
Wade

[Irishman]

Wade, I only use my standard set of carving tools I was issued back in Oct.'05 at my first carving course. I have mostly different size gouges and have picked up a few detail tools and a parting tool since Christmas. The rotary tool you probably see in the back of one of the photos has yet to be used on any of my wood spirits. The only power tool used is a basic burning kit I use to do the eyes.
I have never taken sandpaper to any of the WS I've done to date, and probably won't as I hope to obtain a fishtail or flat gouge big enough to allow me to shave the rough spots out.
Patrick