For scales, what about using a piece of brass tubing and cut part of the tube off so you only have an arc on the end.
Thanks, Kurt. No scales on this little fish-lady.
Thanks for the encouraging words, Grant. I am of the mind that most things can be learned. Maybe not in a week or two, but with time and experience...
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Thanks, Brad. When I look at the images side-by-side there are aspects that are better - but it still looks like a death mask to me. But its not for lack of effort!
I did try that using a metal cannula but abandoned the effort for fear of ruining an otherwise acceptable piece.
) until you are satisfied with what you are crafting
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Paul! I think another shipmate mentioned this a few posts back - the secret to faces is counterintuitive. As an artist it took some time to learn and apply the basic formula for face proportions. Draw an oval. Bisect it vertically and horizontally. The eyes sit half way down the head at the horizontal line. Now draw a horizontal line that bisects the lower half of the oval. The top of that line is the bottom of the nose. Now draw another horizontal line that bisects the remaining part of the oval. The mouth sits on top of that line. Now you can learn to love faces again!
Thanks, Peter. You created a wonderful carving.I had only built the skeleton of my Flying Cloud When I decided to have a go at carving her iconic clarion angel figurehead out of boxwood.
I had had some experience with sculpting over the years, but never anything like this, at this scale. Feeling that the Flying Clouds figure head is so iconically critical to the build I felt I had to get it right and at a level of artistry that would set the standard for the model to follow. So, you might say I am building the model around the figurehead.
I always feel I could do or could have done better. But at some point, you can't allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good. I have always felt that a perfectionist is a person who never completes a project. You can only do the best you can given the experience you possess when you try something new. The hope and ultimate goal is to have the next project be an improvement on the last. (IMHO).
I withhold any opinion (for whatever it's worth
I used a combination of rotary burrs and mini carving chisels.
Thank you very much, Chuck. I truly appreciate that you and others are trying to help me out. This forum is the best!
Balderdash and hogwash, Paul! - That's my response to "meh..." Only one of the few and the proud would try what you are doing!
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Indeed. I lowered and deepened them as much as I could (from a previous iteration) based on feedback from Maarten and Stephan. FWIW: the line I drew is through the eyebrows not the eyes, but I agree they are too high.
Well, my friend, I know you'll get it done, with skill and artistry! Prayers for a calm heart, and a steady hand!
If you 're not happy with it, toss it in the bin and take some time making maybe just heads to scale for practice. When you have that in hand go for the full figure. My figure head as you see it in the picture I had to reduce in size several times, cutting away a portion of the body until it got closer to 6 1/2 scale feet rather than eight! The actual one was probably smaller than that! I would have liked more detail (in particular the eyes.) But the photos are all very illusory. It works a whole lot better in the flesh (or boxwood) seen from a scale 100' away.
Your work looks very meticulous, just perfect.
I'm not a fan of that approach if it can be avoided.Also - you mean to tell me after all of this time you don't have enough scraps of boxwood to glue together with some magic dental bonding powder?!?!?!!
Thanks, Peter. Good advice.If you 're not happy with it, toss it in the bin and take some time making maybe just heads to scale for practice. When you have that in hand go for the full figure. My figure head as you see it in the picture I had to reduce in size several times, cutting away a portion of the body until it got closer to 6 1/2 scale feet rather than eight! The actual one was probably smaller than that! I would have liked more detail (in particular the eyes.) But the photos are all very illusory. It works a whole lot better in the flesh (or boxwood) seen from a scale 100' away.
The old MS instruction book for the 1:192 scale "Young America", ca.1955, advises simplification. " The model isn't judged by what isn't there, but by what is."
I suggest you get the figurehead to an overall pleasing full but unrefined state. Step back and mentally remove the next layer. Repeat until you get close enough that it works for the model. Not your ideal of the figurehead. Your other carving seems to be a pretty fair example. The mermaid is fine without the eyes or the scales. I bet the whole stern works better with the naked eye as opposed to the photography.
Remember, you joked that you tune in to my build log to see what do-over I'm undertaking next! Remember all the ship's boats? I have a fleet!
Pete
Your model is turning into a masterwork! No hurry, Dude. Keep up the great work!
