Santa Eyes

[Irish]

Originally Posted by Hi_Ho_Sliver

Nahhh Susan is more prone to those beady narrow between the eyes types LOL

You're almost right, Dave ... but it's the big wooly mustache that my beloved Michael has that attracks me soooo much more .... I have yet to carve a wood spirit's mustache that does his justice!

Susan

[MelNM]

Here's the Santa, Susan my biggest problem is chipping the eye, so from what I understand my problem mainly is that I have used a knife to make them, next time I'll try a gouge. Also Have a close up of the wizard I am working on, for you to see. I hope they are clear, I'm going to start painting the wizard tonight

[Irish]

MeINM,

They are great! If you added a few Christmas ornaments to that background plant that photo could become a Christmas card .... The eyes are great too! I love the overhand and depth of the Wizards brow ridge and how excellently it shadows the eye area, nice job.
I have a very fine u-gouge (veining tool) that comes in the Ramelsons detailing tool set. Using just a gentle pressure it can cut a line about 1/16" wide and is perfect for getting in between the two eye lids to drop the eye ball area down. It reaches into areas that most of my other tools could never go.

From what I can see on your Santa the only change that I might make is to have the iris color area larger. The iris fills up about half the total area of the eye ... otherwise he is a real winner.

Susan

[MelNM]

I guess I'm a beady eyed kind of guy, I will try the veiner, I have a dockyard gouge thats 1/16th, I'll us in my next carving. I really like how you painted your eyes (Santa Eyes ) I'm going to try to remember this tutorial this is great, maybe Bob could do a Tutorial section and put stuff like this in it.
Thanks Mel

[Mottles]

Originally Posted by MelNM

I guess I'm a beady eyed kind of guy, I will try the veiner, I have a dockyard gouge thats 1/16th, I'll us in my next carving. I really like how you painted your eyes (Santa Eyes ) I'm going to try to remember this tutorial this is great, maybe Bob could do a Tutorial section and put stuff like this in it.
Thanks Mel

Mel, I love the 'Wizard' are you going to leave him natural or paint? Just my opinion but I like the natural color of the wood. Makes him seem to me anyway more of a natural tree Wizard. I remember seeing your 'santa' and I thought he was really nice and placing him in the out of doors around greenery was a cool idea. Is he weatherized?

Susan, thank you so much for doing this thread, I did follow the link to your tutorials. Open my eyes to how to make the cuts for the whole facial planes....and it's FREE thank you , thank you......Soon as I get some more tools I'm going to try your flat start method.
Kathy

[MelNM]

Kathy the wizard is soaked in linseed oil, I thought about keeping him natural. But alas he will be painted. One of these days I'll do "All Natural"

[Anthony Filetti]

Susan,

Just saw this post and WOW!!!

Thank you for taking the time to demonstrate your technique (like we could improve upon that!!). I'm not a relief carver but just might have to give it a try.

[Blake Lunsford]

Hey Susan!! Great posting!!! It's definitely helpful for a beginner like myself!! I was wondering, after staining and painting, what you recommend for finishing a project like this?


Do you ever use linseed Oil or waxes?

Thanks again for your posting!!!

vacaricature carver

[Irish]

My favorite finish is Danish Oil and an extremely colse second is linseed oil. Danish oil tends to remain very clear and does not change the color of the painting work over time. It's perfect when you don't want any color changes from patina and age.

I always cut my linseed oil by one-third to one-half with turp so that I can apply very thin coats. Let the linseed mix lie on the carving for about 15 minutes then wipe it with a clean lint free cloth. Then let the carving dry over night before you give it the next coat. I will do about three coats depending on the wood. Straight from the container linseed can be too thick and therefore not dry well.

Linseed oil does yellow over time ... and I love that! The carving picks up a dark pine patina because of the yellowing. Either oil can be used in the years to come to refreshen the carving.

With either linseed or danish oil I can always return to the carving to add more staining or coloring if it needs it as long as I use oil paints. That's something I can't do with wax.

I dont' use wax over my painting ... can't really tell you why ?!? I do use wax over carvings that I want the natural wood coloring to show.

Susan

[Irish]

I had promised a 3-D carving with the same eyes so here it is. It's a cane topper worked from a 1 1/2 by 1 1/2 by 12 basswood blank.

Notice that the eyes are the deepest part of the face carving and that the upper eye lid is higher than the lower. The eye ball is contained inside of these two elements and deeper than both. The painting is the same except for the lines radiating around the iris and the gray highlight.

You can really see the shadow painting to the top of the eye in the frontal view.

Susan