Fancy carved coffee table

[Glenn Jennings]

Thanks Merle Have got half way through the Elephant. Detail is again going to be difficult But I think it is starting to shape up ok. Am trying to make it as anatomically correct as I can with depressions in the skull and the shapes in the ears etc.

Having managed to get some of these looking reasonable I am beginning to get an irresistable urge to have a go at a whole cheetah. Will see how the bears go on the table legs. If they come out ok I think that might be the next project. Time will tell hehehe.

[Glenn Jennings]

Hi Guys,
Got the Elephant completed today. To get the skin texture and pattern I used the NSK presto to cut the pattern with a fine burr and then used fine rifler files and fine sandapaer to round the edges of the cuts to get the desired effect. All of the rest of it was done with small carving chisels.

Comments good and bad all welcome.

[Merle Rice]

Hi Glenn , now that's some fine Carvings . Fantastic Detailing . Merle

[wasserretter]

Great work. As Merle says very dine detailing. Well done.

[Glenn Jennings]

Hi Merle, Dirk.
Many thanks guys. I have been quietly tweaking the way I do things asI go with this project to try and get things better.


Hi Guys
I got the springbok finished today. Hasn't had any sealer on it yet as have run out. Hope the store has got some.

This one was quite a challenge. I wanted to catch the essence of the springbok so used a photo where this one was pronking. Pronking is where they bounce way up in the air and come down on the front legs.

Managed to define the muscle structure and ribs which help to show the animal in action.

I used pyrography to detail a lot of the other carvings on this project but that wasn't going to work on this piece as it would have killed a lot of the shallow carved detail. Did a bit of a trial and it was a definite no go.

I then went to watercolour paints. Found these are good as, as you paint the different parts, you can blend the colours a little to get a gradual transition from one depth of colour to the next. This helps to simulate light on the subject. working from dark to light colour with only a little water on the brush.

Comments and criticism are welcome.

[Merle Rice]

Hi Glenn , your Detailing on these Animals is nothing short of Great . Outstanding Work . Merle

[Randy]

Outstanding work Glenn. You are doing great with your shallow relief carving.

[Claude]

The details on that elephant are amazing!

Claude

[sappy]

I hope you don't run out of animals before you run out of table! These are really looking good!

[Glenn Jennings]

Hi Sappy
hehehe just one more animal to go for the sides and that is a running male lion and will be the hardest to carve as it is on quite a few layers and it will be tricky to blend them and get it looking right. I left this one until last so I could hone the skills on the others to do it justice. Have always had a real thing for nature and the critters that make the world so enjoyable so this just seemed to be the obvious thing to do hehe.

The legs I hope to do with bears climbing trees. Will have to see how it goes as it is another big step from shallow relief to full 3D figures. It will be interesting.

[Glenn Jennings]

Hi Guys
Got the last of the side plate animals carved today. Will have a go at painting it tomorrow

[wasserretter]

That's fantastic.

[bygeorge]

Hey Glenn I'm a little late to the party here and looked through all your posts here. Quite the challenge you put yourself up against! But then, when we challenge ourselves and step out of our comfort zones, that is when we grow and develop new skills. The panels are a clever way of presenting all of the various carvings and seem to be working out pretty well for you. I will be looking forward to seeing how it all comes together. The legs should prove to be very interesting too.

Chuck

[Glenn Jennings]

Hi Dirk
Thanks for the nice comment mate.

Hi Chuck
You are dead right about the stepping outside the comfort zone being good for the development of skills. Am putting the finishing touches to the last of the 4 panels over the next couple of days or so. Then I will stabilise some minor cracks in the top and put the top together.

I will put up progress posts on the legs as well so guys can comment on the method. Always looking for better ways to do things.

Has been fun so far but will be glad to see the panels finished. These will have taken around 200 hours to do. A lot of it done under the 20 power microscope. Will be glad to get onto larger pieces I can take a decent whack at with a big gouge and mallet. The fine stuff is pretty hard on the old eyes. hehehe.

I must be a masochist as I found another piece of swamp kauri with lovely grain patterns so might make another table that will fit under this one. Will see how it goes.

[Glenn Jennings]

Hi Guys,
Well the last panel of the 4 is now cmpleted and has had 1 coat of sealer put on it.

Comments and criticism welcome as usual.