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Deep thoughts
Posted On: 05/10/2008 18:34:49
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Warning: self-reflective journal entry dead ahead. Read at your own risk. I will not be responsible for you falling asleep atop your keyboard...
I just had one of those "Oh! I get it!" moments.
Don't you just love those?
I was working on the roughout of a project (the wolf project from the current Carving magazine) when I noticed, after the first pass, that something seemed amiss.
Allow me to back up a moment...
One of the things that I have noticed as I have been trying to teach myself to carve with various books and a DVD or two is that everything that I have done so far for practice has seemed flat and lifeless and that I seem to have particular trouble bringing in a sense of "round" to what I am carving. If you look at the picture of mine labeled "Second Practice Board", you can see what I am talking about in several of the things carved there. In addition to needing crisper and more well defined lines, most of the things just seem... flat. You know why?
Because they are....
So I am looking at the wolf that I have roughed out and posted the picture for and I realize that I am seeing the same problem there. I mean, I had taken it down to 1/8" and didn't know why it....
At this point, the little voice in the back of my head starts calling me names that I can't won't repeat here. I picked up the directions in the magazine, re-read them, and clear as day it says right there: "Remove the background down to 1/4"". Everything that I have been doing looks flat because it is.
I didn't realize that I had been afraid of taking away too much wood at one time (or at least reluctant to, which amounts to the same thing)... that I was afraid that I would mess something up because I didn't really know what I was doing.
So, I grabbed my gouge and dove right back in to remove the rest of the background.
Right after I re-read the rest of the directions, that is....
Tags: Beginner Novice Relief Carving
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