[squbrigg]

Garry, you are really rolling! I believe you have found your nitch(?) in life! Am following your work with great interest and anticipation. Great that you are sharing the whole process with us.....thank you for doing so.

Bob

[Ashbys]

Thanks Colin and BoB ,

the support from this board is always awesome , and your comments and suggestions do so much to push me .

I have real life to deal with today so just an update pic as I ran out of coffee and 3 hours is enough for today .

here are the update pics I think your like the changes.

Garry

[Nancy_G]

Garry -- her hair looks soft enough to touch

[Kenny_S]

Yep, It is good for sure! No it isn't, it is OUTSTANDING!

[Ashbys]

Thanks Keeny and Nancy,

I really wanted to try something different with the hair as it is something I really have not done much of. Most of the portraits I have done are pretty confined on doing any freedom work and since this one no one knows I can be a bit more free and I am trying to be.

But I made a rather large mistake. I aged the girl, so I hope this comes out to be mother anbd daughter.

If your wonder what I mean, I made the nose line to pronounced and lowered the eye brow line, both of which I can not correct, the brow line is the largest mistake it is cut under and trying to open it will result in the wood chipping out. I will try to elevate it some but it will be after everything else. Right now , I have a pretty women of about 21 instead of a girl of 14. Amazing how fast a few minor cuts will age a woman. I showed it to my my wife and she said she is too old. you have the mouth , ect ect ect ... Boy what a critic .. but sent me back to carving a bit and I finished the hair, modified the lips, teeth, cheeks , nose, lower lip, ... anyway here is the modifactions .

[mwilleson]

Beautiful! Amazing!

Thanks for sharing. I'm considering trying a relief with 4 people in it and I may pester you with some questions in the near future if you don't mind.

[Ashbys]

Mike ,
If I can help would be happy too sounds like a great project.

I often talk about carving in my sleep, well I wasn't happy so this morning I decided to head out to the old carving place and see if I could make her younger and a bit more to the photo,
well here are the results.

I think you will agree She looks much younger. Tghe first pic was the one from yesterday the next is today and the close up for detail.
Garry

[decoycarve]

I Was tired last night when I looked at your progress and Anna and I was going to suggest to soften the eyes and giver her some pouty lips. The shadows the eyebrows was casting gave her a stern look. Got up this morning to post and you have already done it. She know looks more relaxed and bit more pleasent.
Goody

[whitecree]

Going great! She went from being a somewhat jaded twenty-something to a not-quite-innocent 17 or 18.

Now, I get the feeling you were going to try for the overall innocence of the original portrait, but an artist can't help but put his own interpretation on a work of art. Giving the young lady the current look will make the finished piece rather poignant (sp?).

This piece is beginning to look a lot like some of those alabaster carvings you see from the masters of the 18th century.

[Ashbys]

Thanks Goody, I think once I did the left side modifactions and tweeked her a bit , I got the look of what I wanted.

Whitecree, you know reaching to achieve that level of work is someplace I hope to get to. But you gave me a great idea for the finish.

Well I am pleased where it is right now, the elder sister looks like an older sister nowand I played with her a bit more to give some real effects to her from the flater effect she had. Worked the lower part of the face, modified the brow line , rolled the forehead slightly , cleared the background and soften the hair line.
Then took the photo under light.

And if I get posting too much please tell me , I sometimes get carried away when studing the photos and have a tendency to post them .

Garry