Mtn. Man Mask(Theard #5 )

[Mark Gargac]

Pic#1 I am using a detail knife and doing the removal cut.Pic#2 same cut on the opposite side of the face. Note: Always try to use the largest gouges for the area your working on,you will have a much cleaner carving for when you start adding details to the foundation of the face. No amount of detail will look correct if good basic structure is not established first. Nothing is more important than this roughing out stage and setting up the planes of the face.Pic.#3 progress to this point. Pic.#4 using a #7/10mm gouge flipped upside down round off the wings of the nostrils,push this into the face at a slight outward angle,do not under cut this area, or the nose will appear to be liffed off of the face in this area . Pic#5 with the same #7/10mm gouge slide up to meet the previous cuyt and remove the chip.

[squbrigg]

Excellent work Mark, your descriptions and pictures are right on, very helpful. You are spot on regarding the under structure being fundimental before you get into detail. So many folks get hung up on detail as they are going, without getting the basic structure down first.

Well done and thank you. This is a very interesting thread and I am enjoying it very much.

Bob

[Colin-Partridge]

Likewise I am also enjoying this project. I hate to bother you but is there any way you could show us the side and rear view. Thanks in advance you are an excellent carver.
Colin

[Mark Gargac]

Colin,Funny for you to mention side and rear shots. I was in my shop today taking pics. and carving on the Mtn Man for a couple of hours and I started to do some work on the sides which if I remember right there's some good profile shots. I plan on adding three new theards tonight and beleive these pics. will make the last. As far as rear shots those will be last of the series of theards,last part to carve , which will include hollowing out the back and piercing through parts of the eyes for effect. The rear of this carving at this point is flat and has a positioner plate 2.5' wide securing this to the vise. When I get ready to hollow out the back this plate will be moved down to the bottom of the back for room for carving (hollowing) Thanks for the comment and your interest in this tutorial.

[Ron Davidson]

Great step by step. It is very interesting for me. I think everyone has a different technique it's nice to see your process. I learned alot so far keep the posts comming.

[Coffeeman]

Thank you so much Mark for taking the extra time from carving to help guide us with some excellant direction. The piece is looking beautiful too. Bill

[Lightningbolt]

I am also enjoying this project very much and thanks for taking the time to post! The mountain man era has also intrigued me since my early teens and I would love to attend that BIG Rendezvous held each year in Montana, I think. I spent a week with the American Mountain Man Association at Land Between The Lakes in Kentucky back in the 70's and that was one of the most memorable experieces ever!

Thanks again!

[whitecree]

Excellent tutorial! I've made several notes towards the next human-form mask I'll be working on, and I'm sure some of your techniques will prove useful for animal masks as well.

[Tidewalker]

what happened to thread 4 , 6 and 7?

[Old_Gord]

By rights they should show up listed at the bottom of the screen under "similar threads". Why it doesn't for this thread I don't know, another one of those computer mystery's I guess.
But you could do a search for all postings by "Mark Gargac" and I think you will eventually find all of them.

Cheers.

OG