Thread: Artist/designers/craftsmen

even though I draw my ideas they often evolve as the carving starts. The dragon was based on serval different animals the beak from a eagle .top of the head trying to use the crocodile skin the ears based on a frilled lizard , the crop on a chicken and the lower crop underneath the neck on a iguana., already reduced the teeth .just used some dowel. Trying to reduce the vulnerable parts as its a hiking pole s expect it to be used .
I shortened the length of the head hence the reduction in teeth and as it based on different ideas there's not much reference to go on only photos of different creatures
Not over keen on the ears based on a frilled lizard still a lot to do on it.
most of my hiking toppers are based on living creatures so its easier to get a reasonable likeness
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This is a great question cobalt. I do what most of you do and look online for ideas and then create my own design from there. When I did the roses I first turned the main part on a lathe and just carved the flower part intuitively and it was great. When I did the rocking horse I got a sketch online but since it wasn't meant to be carved it wasn't 3 dimensional and I didn't quite understand that until I started carving it. I had 2 ears on both sides . Lol . Now I have great respect for those of you that create your own 3D patterns yourself. This might take even more talent than the carving itself. Most of the woodworking I do doesn't really involve much design so I haven't had much opportunity to sink my teeth into anything too serious but after my last Christmas projects I've decided to choose some projects that have a pattern to follow so purchased some carving magazines.
I've got the same one cobalt has which I believe is called "Wood Carving" and I also got my first copy of "Wood Carving Illustrated" which is also awesome. From looking over those two magazine I have my next few project ideas.


1/. This relief carving really caught my eye. It would be a big project but I'd like to create my own relief carving pattern for a nice sized relief carving.

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2/. This 'in the round ' carving I thought was just adorable. In fact I've fallen hard for this one and just HAVE to do it. I'm not sure if I'm experienced enough to pull it off but I am going to persist until I get it. This I'd like to make for ME. Is it not the cutest ? Of course I'll make some modifications to make it my own.
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3/. Then I'm going to start making some Christmas ornaments to give to my family this year. and continue making for next year. I think carved ornaments are a perfect thing to practice on and there's so many cool ideas to get from stores, magazines, books and online. It gives me an opportunity to try new knives and chisels etc., which I need. I need to challenge myself.
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big question !
I can't say i've got one and only one method...

Sometimes i'm caught by an idea. I grab a piece of wood, and the idea evovle whith every chip i remove.

I can also start from a very small drawing, a few lines or a more detailed drawing. I like drawing small : your eye catch the whole design at a glance.
then i can move on to carving or work on the drawing at a bigger scale.
I'll do that on paper or on the computer. I bought a 2nd hand graphic tablet so i take the profit of both software abilities & drawing with a pen.

Sometimes i start my drawing direcly on the piece of wood to carve.

Finally, i sometimes make clay models, or small scale wood model, of specific parts or of the whole carving.

i don't think anyone should be single minded in there approach to carving .what ever works for you. But I would always draw something to carve as I think it helps the carving process and its easier for me to see it in my minds eye. But I always check out carving mags, and if something takes my eye look it up on the net . It doesn't work for everybody
This time of year doesn't help me its poor light short days and to dam cold.

When I see something in the wood, it's common for me to make some drawings to fill in the concept.
Mostly work on 11" x 17" white copy paper. If there's a particular profile that I have trouble with ,
I use colored pencils for different versions, better and faster and more accurate than erasing.

I have 2 x 45W LED lights (yes, 45W, as bright as 300W incandescent and focussed as well.)
Smallish electric heater as it was just 14C in my carving shop this morning.
Junker radio/CD/cassette player = the radio works.
One smallish cat who bitches nonstop about the cold as she lays in the middle of my work.

I usually do all my initial drawings on a A2 drawing book hate using a A4 size just me I suppose
New toy to play with been thinking about it for a while so just splashed out on a air brush. shopping around for paints expensive to get going as I would like transparent paints penalised paints and the norm acrylic. Trying to watch some instruction videos to get the best out the equipment I can
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The dragon hasn't progressed much had to many last minutes orders to deal with. But from now on I will only takes orders on the conditions that they will be ready when there ready , which is in my time .I only do carving for pleasure not to meet deadlines
back to the thread Its easy to draw fine detail on a piece of paper with a fine drawing pen but usually its not possible to get all the detail in such a small carving ,without compromising its strength as its supposed to be a practical hiking pole so there is the main line .has to be decorative individual but practical

So a few obvious changes to the design where made whilst carving as its then you see more difficulties in the carving process and its vulnerability for practical use
I am marrying the topper to its shank and horn collar and only when the transition from topper is correct will it be possible to get more detail done.
I will be making changes to the teeth as there not fixed yet doing some ukibori on the face and giving the neck a gill like texture
I may makes changes to its ears they look a bit out of balance

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I've run a couple of Badger AB (200 & Crescendo) for years. Bought a regulator and use a 1/2 tank of dry nitrogen.
Stagecraft and needed to be absolutely silent back stage. Gradually shifted into fantasy makeup.
Arousing stories.
I would start anybody on plain paper and food coloring from the grocery store.
Then cakes with white icing.
The acrylics can wait, mixing and lumps take special care.
Isopropyl alcohol will dissolve dried acrylic, ethanol will not.
AB makeup is really expensive but you get the results you want.

Make up a bag house for washing out your AB.
Cardboard box 60 x60x60, 2x2cm hole in one end.
Inside, many overlapping layers of junk cloth to catch the paint washings.
Just tack them up with a glue gun.
100x100mm exhaust hole in the far end.
This traps all the overspray and washings as you change colors.

The deal is, diluted acrylics are somewhat toxic in aquatic ecosystems when you clean up in a sink.
If you can spray to water, the paint sets up as a fairly inert plastic.
Have fun.

thanks for the info
I am venturing into a learning curve regarding the air brush and will be watching instruction videos on u tube know absolutely nothing about them but I am impressed with some of the effects

Airbrush ? I know nothing about them , except some of the soft subtle effects they can have , this sounds very promising & will be interesting to follow.

I moonlighted in theatrical stagecraft and fantasy makeup for 20 (?) years. In my community, I had airbrushes, nobody else did.
Remember the movie: "Mask," with Jim Carey? I can do you up, greener than a Granny Smith apple, in less than 5 minutes.

By changing the tip and the needle, you can go from writing your name to filling in blocked areas on a costume or a mask or a stage set piece.
Rather than blow off that last 2 ml of paint, I had a few "pictures" on the go, eventually sold them!

Two observations with hindsight:
1. Overspray is you enemy. You'll spend 20 minutes masking for 20 seconds of paint.
2. The paints, and acrylics are the worst, sit on the surface of the ground = very easily disturbed.
Any chance of any abrasion and you've got to overspray with some sort of fixative (as it it were pastel or charcoal.)

lot of stick makers here use plastercine (modelling clay)to mask areas of its cheap and reusable and quicker than masking .
also several people use it to make prototypes from it like a few of you here .the idea makes sense as there's nothing worse than spending time carving a piece of work the ending up with designer firewood. Wasting both time and materials
I like most of you here have probably been busy with Christmas so little time to do what I really want to .but from now on its a case for me I may do I project for someone if I like it and it will be ready when its ready in my time.
I have had 5 last minute request form people , sure people think you can make stuff in a day or two .The most annoying thing I have done was to make myself a new topper for myself then been offered a fair price for it before its finished, but it has paid for the airbrush at lest. so as soon as I can I will make one for myself againdodopattern2.jpgdodo23.JPG

The idea of a box to contain overspray looks like a must for me ,I already usually mix more paint up for a job than I need that's the trouble with small pieces wasting paint to get the right colour.so I imagine that spray painting will be just the same. The other problem is making room to accommodate it. Space is at a premium for me and I am not the tidiest of people .and usually have to clean up before I paint as dust is the main problem area

I got lucky in an assets disposal sale and bid/bought/got many boxes of small (10ml) test tubes for mixing paint.

Waste: I called the box a "bag-house" (mining/ore smelting term for a fume-condensing facility) and it did keep 100% of the paint and cleaning waste under control.
Inside was just rags and panels of old, threadbare towels, etc. Maybe 10-15 that overlapped for a zig-zag air flow pattern.