A little advice, if you'd be so kind

[whitecree]

I'm no stranger to carving in the round, but my experience is mainly on masks, spoons, bowls, rattles and so forth. I have pretty much zero experience at carving caricatures, and maybe this thread belongs in the caricatures forum, but I haven't done more than sketch things out so far and it is a new WIP, or will be soon.

A little backgroun so you understand the picture I'll post:

A couple of years ago and a few miles from where I live, there were 3 total greenhorn fishermen in a small zodiac that managed to hook and drag in a 6 foot long halibut. Halibut don't generally fight the hook until they are brought out of the water, then they fight like demons. When you catch one, you are supposed to stun or kill it before lifting clear of the water, and these 3 guys didn't. The result, 2 men in the water and hanging on the sides slowly turning blue, the 3rd tried to be a hero, and got a broken leg out of all the thrashing around the fish was doing. The fisheries patrol has a quiet snicker about this every now and then.

So I want to tell this story as a single figure with a 1st nations flavour. A single man, holding a fish spear, clinging for dear life to the fish while it thrashes about, canoe capsized in the background.

ClickMe

The advice I'd like to hear - should I attempt this entire scene as a single piece, or perhaps as 2 pieces; man and fish then a canoe seperately glued into the background?

[artolver]

Re: A little advice, if you'd be so kind

Hi Whitecree, I like one piece, with maybe a little more of the Halibut signs in the blend toward the canoe? Just me, I'm a 2/3 plus blnder guy. It looks like it should be a powerful piece anyhow. Art

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Re: A little advice, if you'd be so kind

I only got half of your sketch so couldn't see the bottom of the drawing. Looks pretty good but the way you have it layed out it looks more like it would lend itself to a relief carving than a 3 dimensional one. I haven't seen any of your work so don't know what to base an opinion on.

Do you have a website??

[Guest]

Re: A little advice, if you'd be so kind

You been reading Hemmingway again?
Looks like a very impressive piece you have planned. If I understand your concept, it might look great done as a single diorama placed on a finished spruce round, with the bark still on....fish and spearer in the foreground with the canoe "going under", bow out of the base, in the background.

Al

[mik1947]

Re: A little advice, if you'd be so kind

Whitecree - I'm certainly not an expert, but if I were to attempt to create, in the round, the scene you've drawn, then I would carve the man and fish as one piece and the canoe as another. This will allow you to work out the various ways that they could be combined to provide the effect you wish to achieve. I'm really excited about watching this develop in this WIP section! Great start adn good luck!
Mike

[whitecree]

Re: A little advice, if you'd be so kind

Thanks people. I've hacked out 3 versions of this thing so far as a single piece, and each time it has gone into the scrap pile. I'm beginning to lean towards a man and fish piece with an added canoe.

I work mostly with relief carvings, and I could likely make this work as one, but I was taken with the idea of a 3d carving that could be set on the mantle. If I had a mantle.

I have a website link and I'll leave that here, but the site isn't anywhere near complete, and the picture quality isn't the greatest either.

Now, if my typing skills don't desert me completely;

http://mypage.uniserve.ca/~whitecree/

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Re: A little advice, if you'd be so kind

I like your site! would like to get a copy of the whale and the bear claw in the same layout as the hummingbird...do you have those? thanks Dave

[squbrigg]

Re: A little advice, if you'd be so kind

Whitecree....I'd approach the idea as three units , carve them seperately and then assemble them. But that's just me! Love the concept.

Bob

[whitecree]

Re: A little advice, if you'd be so kind

3 seperate pieces.... Might be worth looking at.

Thanks Bob, and all the rest of you!

[mwilleson]

Re: A little advice, if you'd be so kind

Whitecree,

I'll offer a slightly different opinion. I think if you decide to do it in the round, it should come from one piece. I think that carvings from one piece of wood are much more powerful.

Because it's a tricky carving how about trying to model it in clay first?

You can build and rebuild it as much as you want. It will be much easier to get your positioning and layout correct. You don't have to do all the fine details in the model. Mostly size, proportion, and position. Once you get the model right, then transfer the concept to wood.

Looks like a great carving and I appreciate all the effort your putting into it!

Keep us posted.