Carve a Button on your Overcoat

[Rodster]

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You may recall that Tom Ellis suggested that I try carving buttons on a coat so that they looked more realistic. I think I've done so. Here is my latest carving applying Tom's suggestion. If you're interested in a ditty from the 1930s that (sort of, kind of) picks up on the same theme, have a look at the next posting. My earlier carving of button holes (with people attached) is shown in the next posting after that.

[Rodster]

About twenty years ago, I attended a play near the U.S. border in a town called Niagara-on-the-Lake. It was written in the 1930s and featured convertibles with rumble seats, raccoon coats, lovely young people and some wonderful music. I thought of it while carving my buttons and button holes recently. You might like the lyrics, but don't blame me if you can't think of anything else for a week. Click on the link to listen to Dorothy Collins sing this song. Here are the lyrics to the first verse. http://soundscapingsource.com/song-spotlight-button-up-your-overcoat/

Button up your overcoat when the wind is free
Take good care of yourself – you belong to me!
Eat an apple everyday, get to bed by three
Take good care of yourself – you belong to me!

[Rodster]

Here are my old carvings with the old (now discredited) buttons and button holes. Boo! Hiss!

OR MAYBE NOT! Perhaps you should weigh in and tell me which buttons / button holes you prefer!


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[Brian T]

Do just enough to satisfy the viewer's mind and let their heads do the rest = fill in the blanks.
Then, everything is as it should be.
To my head, the row of dots in the middle picture (top in po.st #3) is enough.
I don't need the vertical hem line of the coat at all.
But the collar and the buttons are expectations of my mental check-list and there they are.

[Bob K.]

I like my buttons round.

[papasar]

Neat carvings. The buttons in the last pic should be centered Just saying

[Nomad]

Your photos are not sharp enough that I can see much detail on the buttons to evaluate. I think your camera will do better because I've seen other pics of yours that show more detail. Are you using a tripod?

[Tom Ellis]

I like this better Rod, as the buttons should go down the center line with the coat or vest, or shirt being just to the left of the buttons. The top button is pulled to the right, but should still stay centered or leave it un-buttoned, and then the button would be off to the right.

I think is is an improvement.. Tom

[Rodster]

Your photos are not sharp enough that I can see much detail on the buttons to evaluate. I think your camera will do better because I've seen other pics of yours that show more detail. Are you using a tripod?

Nomad . . . the buttons are just a dot of black paint dropped with a toothpick in the middle of a notch made with my small #9 gouge. Doug Outside does them that way, and I like the way they look. I don't use a tripod. I think you've suggested one before? I'd like to learn more, if you have a few comments to make? My hands may have shaked a bit when I took the pictures.

Bob K says he likes his buttons round. I used to do that with a small round dowel for each button. Harley Refsal uses that technique. I like the Doug Outside method better because it's easier. The dowels do look nice: maybe BobK has a different method for making round buttons. I'd be interested in learning about it.

Brian T (from Robson Valley) says he likes the simple row of dots in the middle picture. I agree. It looks fine to me. The first picture also looks better (compared to the third), so it's probably a matter of preference. Trusting the viewers' imagination is an important aspect of carving, so I lean to Robson Valley's point of view. Any other opinions?

Papasar says the buttons on the third carving are askew. Quite so. That's why Tom Ellis told me to try a new approach, to try and improve on the third carving.

[Rodster]

I like this better Rod, as the buttons should go down the center line with the coat or vest, or shirt being just to the left of the buttons. The top button is pulled to the right, but should still stay centered or leave it un-buttoned, and then the button would be off to the right. I think is is an improvement. . . Tom

Thanks for the comments, Tom. I agree with your thoughts about the top button.

[Claude]

I agree with Tom - the buttons should be on the center line, and the shirt "edge" just to the carving's right of that. I often use a micro-V tool to make a little buttonhole at top and bottom of each button, or a single one to the carving's left of the button (I have shirts that have button holes each way). Here are two examples...
Claude

[drhandrich]

ive said before that the first look at "something" is Wow, second look, sees some flaws, third look thinks what might be done different, always go back to first look and the Wow factor. almost always enough for the viewers eyes to fill in the detail it believes is there.

[drhandrich]

certainly subsequent works of art are always gonna be different, but that first one still always deserves that first look Wow moment

[Tom Ellis]

Rod, Looking at the front of the carving, the shirt line is on the left of the buttons for a man, and on the right of the buttons for a woman. If you look at your own shirts, or jackets, you will see what I mean. Open up a little V coming down from the neck, and that will open up the jacket.

You are coming along great.

[uvawyo]

I agree with Tom you are coming along great, keep working on those buttons