tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38059795416256892812024-02-20T13:00:19.991+00:00Wood caricatures and spiritsA description of my journey learning to carve caricatures and wood spirits. Ligninfreakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02269874041009838789noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805979541625689281.post-41604522232533678222018-06-12T12:37:00.000+01:002020-08-08T13:00:24.946+01:00Tom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is a caricature of a good friend expert in organizing craft shows. The image tried to show his relief at the start of a show when all is working out as planned. Eyes are closed, tongue out and a big sigh!<br />
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Carved in cedar, 18 cms high and finished in Rennaisance wax.<br />
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The contrasting wood grain sadly hides expression, which would be better displayed if I had chosen lime. Ligninfreakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02269874041009838789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805979541625689281.post-50511977934576775122018-06-12T11:52:00.000+01:002018-06-12T20:29:52.924+01:00My golf<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmUsWOfunElpbNCT2qaZ_KPMkZS9Oivgchx3PC44_rU2KqsS19SQQA5-el_DA3YJLxJ0Jf8WOVyFEQnGQT4DQGsfTiekJf-sPxoc1IXZNU6lBvDxRpQNw_TL7np7NoeO8g9jK4j_N9zs/s1600/my+golf.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="602" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmUsWOfunElpbNCT2qaZ_KPMkZS9Oivgchx3PC44_rU2KqsS19SQQA5-el_DA3YJLxJ0Jf8WOVyFEQnGQT4DQGsfTiekJf-sPxoc1IXZNU6lBvDxRpQNw_TL7np7NoeO8g9jK4j_N9zs/s400/my+golf.JPG" width="230" /></a></div>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">This
represents my mood when I finally decided to temporarily end my efforts
to control a golf ball. Carved from one piece of lime, 24 cms high & finished
in Rennaisance wax. </span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">The wood grain is in the vertical plane leaving a severe problem of weak cross-grain in the shaft of the golf club that required a temporary support frame whilst cutting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Click on the image to view the facial expression!</span><br />
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Ligninfreakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02269874041009838789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805979541625689281.post-38794590488370191682013-01-30T14:22:00.003+00:002018-06-12T11:55:51.309+01:00Birds from the hedge<div style="text-align: left;">
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Here are some caricatures of bird life extracted from my Laurel hedge a few years ago. I got the idea from a book entitled "The Little Book of Whittling" by Chris Lubkemann, a real treasure trove of information about carving green wood with a knife, and several of his articles in Chip Chats magazine <a href="http://www.chipchats.org/">www.chipchats.org/</a>.<br />
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Wood: Cherry Laurel ( <i>Prunus lauroceratus</i>) Height: Average 19 cms Finish: nil<br />
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The choirmaster has lost a few feathers over the years from going around the shows but you will get the idea.<br />
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Ligninfreakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02269874041009838789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805979541625689281.post-72720538621887683662013-01-26T22:03:00.001+00:002013-01-27T18:46:04.945+00:00Onion manHere is a piece that I've had in the workshop for a couple of years in a blocked out form, and come the new year I resolved to finish before starting a new project. The design is mine derived from a photo in a pensioners magazine.<br />
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Wood: Lime (<i>Tilia x europea</i>)<br />
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Height: 12 cms<br />
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Finish: Linseed oil and Rennaissance wax<br />
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He reminds me of guys I have seen carting long strings of large white onions hanging from the handlebars of bicycles in France and Belgium, seen when I have been out doing geological fieldwork, with the odd good lunch of local bread, wine and salad thrown in. Happy days indeed.<br />
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The right eye is supposed to be winking. I have a trick or two to learn here!<br />
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This is my first attempt at caricaturing an ear, in an attempt to placate a carving friend who always inspects ear details. He, like me is a geologist, it must be something we've done in life....<br />
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Ligninfreakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02269874041009838789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805979541625689281.post-57575290400838366862013-01-11T22:17:00.000+00:002013-01-23T20:56:01.935+00:00My benchCaricature carving requires little work space. This small bench I built for portability and fits any tabletop. The design idea was partly sourced from a book by Marvin Kaisersatt entitled "Creating Caricature Heads in Wood and on Paper" with the addition of a carving post that I developed.<br />
The author is a member of The Caricature Carvers of America <a href="http://www.cca-carvers.org/">www.cca-carvers.org</a> and his book is a must have for anyone contemplating making caricatures.<br />
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The bench is 38 cms wide with the front face hooked over any table edge. Front middle is a carving ledge probably Czech in origin, used as a support for the work being carved.<br />
On the left is a bench top carving arm that can be used to hold a caricature head with a small carvers screw.<br />
Behind the carving ledge is a carving post that can be rotated to provide various support faces to lean the carving against whilst cutting away from the holding hand. All faces of the post and ledge are covered in cork sheet to maximize grip on the carving. <br />
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Here the carving post is removed to show the spigot and parking hole. Note the broad base of the carving post that provides sufficient friction against the bench top to prevent unwanted rotation of the post when under pressure.<br />
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Other holes are parking slots for tools not in use.<br />
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On the extreme right is a leather strip charged with sharpening compound for honing the carving knives.<br />
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Ligninfreakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02269874041009838789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805979541625689281.post-74093882616314695382013-01-11T21:30:00.002+00:002013-02-03T18:33:20.000+00:00My knivesHere are 5 knives that I do most of my carving with, and have made many of my other carving tools redundant!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Lignum vitae Lacewood Brazilian tulip/ebony Mora </td></tr>
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On the far right is a Swedish Mora knife that I purchased many years ago. It has a 5 cms blade and a 10.5 cms handle and is fine for roughing out shapes. The 4 knives on the left are typical of North American style knives with a 3 cms blade and a 13 cms handle. The steel blades I source from Warren Cutlery <a href="http://www.warrencutlery.com/">www.warrencutlery.com</a> and the handles I made from attractive hardwoods gathering dust in my workshop. The broader blades are for heavy roughing-out work and the slimmer blades for fine detail work. The handles are designed to fit my hand after an article published in Woodcarving Illustrated Spring 2011 by Carl Johnson. They are extremely comfortable to use in a wide range of cutting modes. In particular I find the North American style of knife allows me a greater level of cut control where the hand grip is close to the cutting tip. Ligninfreakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02269874041009838789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805979541625689281.post-90384140044807006482012-12-28T17:04:00.002+00:002013-01-23T21:04:00.328+00:00Birch wood spirit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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First in class at the Sussex Woodcraft Society <a href="http://www.sussexwoodcraft.co.uk/">www.sussexwoodcraft.co.uk</a> 2012 Annual show.<br />
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Wood: Silver birch (<i>Betula pendula</i>)<br />
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Height: 25 cms<br />
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Finish: Linseed oil and Rennaissance wax<br />
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This was carved in wet Silver Birch, the tree having been cut 2 months before work commenced. Drying checks (cracks) were avoided by flattening and grooving the back of the log with a chainsaw to equalize the shrinkage stress between front and back (heartwood and sap wood).<br />
Carving emphasis was placed on framing the image by a surround of deep cuts to create shadows, all done with a scarey sharp knife.<br />
Rennaissance wax was developed for the British Museum to preserve all it's antiquities. It dries hard and is resistant to finger marking.Ligninfreakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02269874041009838789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805979541625689281.post-76946079443787604252012-12-28T16:27:00.000+00:002013-01-23T21:05:37.411+00:00Apple wood spirit<div style="text-align: justify;">
This is a wood spirit carved in Apple that was copied from an article by Keith Howard in Woodcarving Illustrated Summer 2011. I was interested in how the author had achieved such a good depth of field which in time I think I managed to achieve after many hours of work.<br />
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Wood: Apple (<i>Malus spp</i>) </div>
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Height: 34 cms</div>
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Finish: Linseed oil and Rennaissance wax</div>
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The wood was carved within 3 months of the tree being felled, and in order to minimize drying checks (cracks) the back of the carving was flattened with a chain saw and deeply grooved into the heartwood throughout the length. Two years on the wood is dry with no cracks.</div>
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Depth of field is enhanced by deep "framing" cuts done with a very sharp knife and lots of work.</div>
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Ligninfreakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02269874041009838789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805979541625689281.post-50055351381997081702012-12-28T16:04:00.000+00:002013-01-23T21:08:45.973+00:00Body language!I sketched out this caricature from a cartoon I found on the Fantasia website, a Walt Disney film made in the 1940's. I was attracted by the action of the piece which posed a few carving challenges.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijF1wiKYh8ivruRqwSCsaflg7jcXHwo5CeZmorfxAcqemX1Do0_sPDOcr9dS_TZbFWDllVvLpnmPauZvqx95cYX4to599_1QUaErQGo_kE9yArIu8rPanV4cIk04AW_vePYYvix9jmED0/s1600/Hippyshake3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijF1wiKYh8ivruRqwSCsaflg7jcXHwo5CeZmorfxAcqemX1Do0_sPDOcr9dS_TZbFWDllVvLpnmPauZvqx95cYX4to599_1QUaErQGo_kE9yArIu8rPanV4cIk04AW_vePYYvix9jmED0/s1600/Hippyshake3.jpg" height="320" width="219" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hippy-shake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzQAYSjTp6i0I6GMAh-sRZ7GutgbFQNnopOO1v92LS2rL72ATDkeqPW9yPvOTwqZT4UEjLS64VnGySjNF0WSWsSPpnFKMr-6NbiYUHSipusRsmpwc7aIkrfjhIfQb0FqtAoqa3xrK4vs/s1600/Hippyshake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzQAYSjTp6i0I6GMAh-sRZ7GutgbFQNnopOO1v92LS2rL72ATDkeqPW9yPvOTwqZT4UEjLS64VnGySjNF0WSWsSPpnFKMr-6NbiYUHSipusRsmpwc7aIkrfjhIfQb0FqtAoqa3xrK4vs/s1600/Hippyshake.jpg" height="320" width="188" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hippy-shake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtNC1I_j_e7HZpcevQMjJf676wNIPXqgGfYeuMkkCI-yBBFe8CJqaX6K-fsTUedrp4tm3wz5knwIRhM-KfEvFnvBgBFolwIkZ0vlC1QQlo7mCs7xRs-keMLhHhPzvKxLdrDCKKE0B1m8/s1600/Hippyshake2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtNC1I_j_e7HZpcevQMjJf676wNIPXqgGfYeuMkkCI-yBBFe8CJqaX6K-fsTUedrp4tm3wz5knwIRhM-KfEvFnvBgBFolwIkZ0vlC1QQlo7mCs7xRs-keMLhHhPzvKxLdrDCKKE0B1m8/s1600/Hippyshake2.jpg" height="320" width="177" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hippy-shake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Wood: Lime (<i>Tilia x europea</i>) Total height: 12 cms Finish: Linseed oil and beeswax polish<br />
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Hippy-shake is carved from one piece of wood, the complex symmetry necessitated several scaled sketches. Most of the carving was completed with a knife, except in concave depressions where small gouges were used. The knife was particularly effective in carving the deep folds of the tutu. <br />
<br />Ligninfreakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02269874041009838789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805979541625689281.post-6503925448261412172012-12-28T15:20:00.000+00:002013-01-23T21:12:11.554+00:00Doom and gloomThe source of this pattern is obscure like the previous post. I was attracted by the body language, something that hitherto I have paid little attention to.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LFocQoFt3hQhhwWjq9hidCTO_1CFLVQ2kL55TG1I82cm4uJNCbRDV_O0hse3MVgsJPujwf25YHocHh1inicPYBVU7h_FwWcZR7BCa-fOn4wviyIeHpaks90n05sOSjvgJbTCzpxzTTM/s1600/Doom&gloom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LFocQoFt3hQhhwWjq9hidCTO_1CFLVQ2kL55TG1I82cm4uJNCbRDV_O0hse3MVgsJPujwf25YHocHh1inicPYBVU7h_FwWcZR7BCa-fOn4wviyIeHpaks90n05sOSjvgJbTCzpxzTTM/s1600/Doom&gloom.jpg" height="320" width="145" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doom and Gloom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Ddi0kQTu6F8k5NTGuEgPx77urhFFKDUn0Co8i-BG9usLKIvo272Hgt_8WGWzquFkf5Vxl1P8Y48EV7HrM7aFg4mUg9fUQmbI84BrJU1x7hLPO4ruaQp-kybuKwt_3DxvXH0P-ZEPIXI/s1600/Doom&gloom2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Ddi0kQTu6F8k5NTGuEgPx77urhFFKDUn0Co8i-BG9usLKIvo272Hgt_8WGWzquFkf5Vxl1P8Y48EV7HrM7aFg4mUg9fUQmbI84BrJU1x7hLPO4ruaQp-kybuKwt_3DxvXH0P-ZEPIXI/s1600/Doom&gloom2.jpg" height="320" width="145" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doom and Gloom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Wood: Lime (<i>Tilia x europea</i>)<br />
<br />
Height: 16.5 cms<br />
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Finish: Linseed oil and beeswax polish<br />
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The body language spells a miserable mood!<br />
I went to town with stylized folds for the oversize trousers, which caught the effect I was after. Most (90%) of the carving was completed with a knife. I resort to gouges where concave cuts are required.Ligninfreakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02269874041009838789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805979541625689281.post-17758237378160675462012-12-28T15:03:00.001+00:002013-01-23T21:14:24.303+00:00A Scandinavian in America<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: cyan;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span>The source of this pattern is obscure. Suffice to say that he is one of the old country sons and can be seen in Scandinavian festivals throughout the Midwest of the US.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfwEgXkt_bibmpp4UQ9qSKNjRgNmj2FS7Tg9_5t5h3H3u0KsPnX1285wvWFYzEAqTJvSw0tW-8GiB1vUes7wSAS0IDUNP_Q8P-6BK2n7aVkcMrhz7pqMKZeUVm6lh8XVqQzwWPDjUUdo0/s1600/Lofty3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfwEgXkt_bibmpp4UQ9qSKNjRgNmj2FS7Tg9_5t5h3H3u0KsPnX1285wvWFYzEAqTJvSw0tW-8GiB1vUes7wSAS0IDUNP_Q8P-6BK2n7aVkcMrhz7pqMKZeUVm6lh8XVqQzwWPDjUUdo0/s1600/Lofty3.jpg" height="400" width="130" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lofty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In this instance I have broken some rules and mixed flat plane carving with some of my own style.<br />
<span id="goog_1009282987"></span><span id="goog_1009282988"></span><br />
Wood: Lime (<i>Tilia x europea</i>)<br />
<br />
Height: 18.5 cms<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3kil1IYYZs10ziFz2p7wjPytDb9HxBBV1IMZqC6X8hmTlVWo1XAP3NRihI_WCbjkpIbKjq0QmTNcSaoSbrVAltTB3G9L-urjO_yDtu3jjr5A4MmZFjMehyphenhyphenGdWinAzpPoASd6bdwl_-CI/s1600/Lofty1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3kil1IYYZs10ziFz2p7wjPytDb9HxBBV1IMZqC6X8hmTlVWo1XAP3NRihI_WCbjkpIbKjq0QmTNcSaoSbrVAltTB3G9L-urjO_yDtu3jjr5A4MmZFjMehyphenhyphenGdWinAzpPoASd6bdwl_-CI/s1600/Lofty1.jpg" height="400" width="125" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lofty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Finish: Linseed oil and beeswax<br />
<br />
I used this occasion to practice a few stylized folds which worked out quite well. Ligninfreakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02269874041009838789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805979541625689281.post-42354090071207242972012-12-27T21:39:00.000+00:002013-01-24T15:56:11.408+00:00Characters from the USA<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJuWC5nwOIScHmUOTIqjvJcujS4FcRMBCl3IYBnQf-evqAA1NRIfAgtrpl02Uy25vRIKc1B56tP3qg974Rph4ZhGzD82KNLTT51TZFSCQ8MUUcFRuRfv1zAyoARlMHJEpMwABFih36yIA/s1600/Ozzy2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJuWC5nwOIScHmUOTIqjvJcujS4FcRMBCl3IYBnQf-evqAA1NRIfAgtrpl02Uy25vRIKc1B56tP3qg974Rph4ZhGzD82KNLTT51TZFSCQ8MUUcFRuRfv1zAyoARlMHJEpMwABFih36yIA/s1600/Ozzy2.jpg" height="320" width="172" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ozzy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
These 2 characters I took from the publication Caricature Carving-The Best of Woodcarving Illustrated, a magazine from the USA. <br />
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Wood: Lime (<i>Tilia x europea</i>)<br />
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Height: 10 cms<br />
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Finish: Linseed oil and beeswax polish.<br />
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Ozzy is an Ozark mountain man, whilst Olgit can be found anywhere in central USA.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Vse3HQnkqcL1vf40fHpiXcoY-fGgYyWQlfuHyIagy51ZCqER2SIomkKIGttDRl4rpEAl1w6P2ZQTF9KuCTLpNHsYvpLzr2N4oN1g3tySq05xz9HmgNSBUn7j7ZCeAOzRNvN9ydCn68s/s1600/Olgit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Vse3HQnkqcL1vf40fHpiXcoY-fGgYyWQlfuHyIagy51ZCqER2SIomkKIGttDRl4rpEAl1w6P2ZQTF9KuCTLpNHsYvpLzr2N4oN1g3tySq05xz9HmgNSBUn7j7ZCeAOzRNvN9ydCn68s/s1600/Olgit.jpg" height="320" width="129" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olgit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Both figures were carved quite rapidly with a knife, following very clear illustrations.<br />
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<b>Finishing procedure</b><br />
Creating shadow with deep cuts seems to work well. I never use abrasives to clean up, it destroys detail and ruins the surface burnish achieved by a sharp blade! The procedure I follow for finishing is:<br />
1. Scrub the carving with warm soapy water to remove hand grease.<br />
2. Wipe off water with a paper tissue, then before drying occurs liberally coat the wood with a mixture of 75% boiled linseed oil and 25% turpentine, dabbing off any excess. This prevents the grain from swelling and raising, and it smells nice! Allow to dry over say 14 days.<br />
3. Brush on wax of choice. I initially used beeswax but now I use Rennaissance wax to resist finger marking. Allow to dry for a few days, then burnish with a soft brush to reach into the deeper cuts.<br />
4. Enjoy!Ligninfreakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02269874041009838789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805979541625689281.post-74006856224494898542012-12-26T22:53:00.001+00:002013-01-24T15:53:48.834+00:00Troll queen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEbSwIigZqjJ3CT66Xa2wo9QEF2RthL9-biQiMrT4izRxpKl7BTbYVyYaOhItkCuRxdOVu-wqqgRcuT57RCBQcfgzWJBt5psT2QeLP9h4RmtOKY7w_i59TN7IdkLeBkKBlC185gRnlPU/s1600/Trollqueen2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEbSwIigZqjJ3CT66Xa2wo9QEF2RthL9-biQiMrT4izRxpKl7BTbYVyYaOhItkCuRxdOVu-wqqgRcuT57RCBQcfgzWJBt5psT2QeLP9h4RmtOKY7w_i59TN7IdkLeBkKBlC185gRnlPU/s1600/Trollqueen2.jpg" height="320" width="156" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWjmJz6FpiFbCO7OPKp5ma9Wg-C1rpv_qs0mYm5GqPRREj7mEsK4MgPGRdYamdRxQASCFQGlgyLXImc_0gwNffSwvk0tq5SKAUrp8qGsJqgRAoxDGpny5jQhw81HAS0SSRaroA-nnwt8/s1600/trollqueen1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWjmJz6FpiFbCO7OPKp5ma9Wg-C1rpv_qs0mYm5GqPRREj7mEsK4MgPGRdYamdRxQASCFQGlgyLXImc_0gwNffSwvk0tq5SKAUrp8qGsJqgRAoxDGpny5jQhw81HAS0SSRaroA-nnwt8/s1600/trollqueen1.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a>Troll queen is my first serious attempt in creating depth and shadow without the use of colour (paint). I used an article by Harley Refsal in Woodcarving Illustrated Spring 2011 for the basic pattern and to learn the rules of Scandinavian flat plane carving. Harley is a member of the Caricature Carvers of America <a href="http://www.cca-carvers.org/">http://www.cca-carvers.org/</a><br />
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Wood: Lime (<i>Tilia x europea</i>)<br />
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Height: 13 cms<br />
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Finish: Linseed oil and beeswax<br />
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<br />
My goal was to achieve simplicity, and hopefully some speed since all previous work had been relatively slow going with me getting too involved with detail. The flat plane carving was done with an American style carving knife tailored to fit my hand (see later post). A cross section of an arm, the body or head should resemble an octagon, with shadows created by deeper cuts. Ligninfreakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02269874041009838789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805979541625689281.post-57018069634206149782012-12-26T22:08:00.002+00:002013-01-24T15:52:17.704+00:00Smokey Joe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In my younger days we had a local tramp we called Smokey Joe. He would get about the Kent countryside on a tyre-less bicycle with his worldly belongings hanging from the handlebars. It made our day to see him and this little caricature brings back fond childhood memories.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-5k6WlCikJjZRwuAjZ3oAxSCYVrNXuibNg0lk6si3A82KfFHTBS2Kzh2RynpDipCZP1bMLSsjBfMlwcpWvqzQjiec1DKVwLAKqAcs9Z2CgH1dGCrvTC_uyAh4w92yg1pys9tge51jYI/s1600/Smokeyjoe1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-5k6WlCikJjZRwuAjZ3oAxSCYVrNXuibNg0lk6si3A82KfFHTBS2Kzh2RynpDipCZP1bMLSsjBfMlwcpWvqzQjiec1DKVwLAKqAcs9Z2CgH1dGCrvTC_uyAh4w92yg1pys9tge51jYI/s1600/Smokeyjoe1.jpg" height="320" width="161" /></a><br />
I used an article by <b>Donald Mertz</b> published in the magazine <b>Woodcarving Illustrated</b> Spring 2010 <a href="http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/">www.woodcarvingillustrated.com</a> for the pattern and carving tips. The author is a member of the Caricature Carvers of America.<br />
<br />
Wood: Lime (<i>Tilia x europea</i>)<br />
<br />
Height: 12.5cms<br />
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Finish: Linseed oil, oil paint and Renaissance wax<br />
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Renaissance wax is a micro-crystalline wax polish used extensively by the British Museum for preservation of art forms. It is hard enough to not show finger marks.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBs4ELsmulK19gSl0ACX_gJpM0NHvozxuHcDcNfYdd_np3JlXfrOfUjWeA-LITM0wZlj0G1WxOsmWRl8_1qXz31NXPagJ8A07EWVehTfrufqmzkVuu4-BHLjaXdV5VcclsEacSB-5Myo/s1600/Smokeyjoe2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBs4ELsmulK19gSl0ACX_gJpM0NHvozxuHcDcNfYdd_np3JlXfrOfUjWeA-LITM0wZlj0G1WxOsmWRl8_1qXz31NXPagJ8A07EWVehTfrufqmzkVuu4-BHLjaXdV5VcclsEacSB-5Myo/s1600/Smokeyjoe2.jpg" height="320" width="167" /></a></div>
Characteristic features are in the detail e.g. broken shoes, trouser patch, knee and elbow tears, broken shoulder seams.<br />
This was my first experience of creating shadow by deep undercuts. The knee and elbow tears are deeply under cut with a detail knife to create depth and shadow, quite tricky needing good light and a sharp blade!<br />
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Ligninfreakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02269874041009838789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805979541625689281.post-72550825300633824872012-12-26T17:40:00.002+00:002013-01-24T15:50:28.515+00:00Bike buddies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUOyTooLfDfKmCM3AGsm8hm6VHx7QviGwJ0-B8m1DKRMIosF6OykN9jo-ZiuskMOyFSvFgOtA4Cg89HlABgRZFIO96aD2W7iKK4ztVrUlYCwc6m-PGB6-qnw6unThtrawgjZmi0CVxls/s1600/Harleypilots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUOyTooLfDfKmCM3AGsm8hm6VHx7QviGwJ0-B8m1DKRMIosF6OykN9jo-ZiuskMOyFSvFgOtA4Cg89HlABgRZFIO96aD2W7iKK4ztVrUlYCwc6m-PGB6-qnw6unThtrawgjZmi0CVxls/s1600/Harleypilots.jpg" height="232" width="320" /></a></div>
The start of my move into unpainted caricatures.<br />
These guys were carved from an idea triggered by a character called Bufford in a carving magazine from the US and reminds me of a good friend who rides a bike in Australia.<br />
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Wood: Himalayan Tree (<i>Cotoneaster fridgidus</i>)<br />
Height: 9.5 cms<br />
Finish: Beeswax dissolved in linseed oil.<br />
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The wood was carved wet, then dried using the auto-defrost function of a microwave oven. A stress-relief hole is bored up from the base of the figure as high as possible. Then sealed in a plastic bag the figure was subjected to 4 x 4 minutes defrosting in the microwave oven, opening the bag after each 4 minutes to let the water vapour escape.Ligninfreakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02269874041009838789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805979541625689281.post-37397855793688946642012-12-24T21:39:00.000+00:002013-01-24T15:48:52.170+00:00A steep learning curve<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtG6fSllEfMXk44BVkhWmrS1Cjkepcseww_Td-V3bsBeJtswMoMlsyNg6vy9DnxmQCs8_Y6StQZBjJFQI_5kGfoZH0BXbfpBSiZFWYwtGLCfypRmfpTIyYOE9kpX_DutX-Rk4_sLpHNEg/s1600/PJD&friends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtG6fSllEfMXk44BVkhWmrS1Cjkepcseww_Td-V3bsBeJtswMoMlsyNg6vy9DnxmQCs8_Y6StQZBjJFQI_5kGfoZH0BXbfpBSiZFWYwtGLCfypRmfpTIyYOE9kpX_DutX-Rk4_sLpHNEg/s1600/PJD&friends.jpg" height="320" width="313" /></a></div>
These 3 figures I was less than pleased with. The central face bears a recognizable likeness to the owner but the 2 flanking heads are disasters! <br />
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Wood: Lime (<i>Tilia x europea</i>)<br />
Height: 7.5 - 10 cms<br />
Finish: Linseed oil, acrylic/oil paint and beeswax<br />
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Lessons I took from these are:-<br />
1. Get the basic dimensions correct at the start<br />
2. Never use pure black or white paint, it distracts attention from the rest of the piece.Ligninfreakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02269874041009838789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805979541625689281.post-34337652665660154062012-12-23T20:51:00.000+00:002013-01-23T18:32:23.957+00:00Well known faces?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnk_FUirI80XwGne0wiBa5HhdfOcvgGzv3kCcqO9yFfM-O959qd7PHzSESakoy6kWVH4kLvLSJ_AUQbXpZ9lXvZ3UcS0AejgsH9lOqlndR-5AUfIjovStbtQmfUlvgY0IkiYNd-6qdUbA/s1600/BJFDCD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnk_FUirI80XwGne0wiBa5HhdfOcvgGzv3kCcqO9yFfM-O959qd7PHzSESakoy6kWVH4kLvLSJ_AUQbXpZ9lXvZ3UcS0AejgsH9lOqlndR-5AUfIjovStbtQmfUlvgY0IkiYNd-6qdUbA/s1600/BJFDCD.jpg" height="288" width="320" /></a></div>
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These are my first attempts at caricaturing some well known faces in the UK.<br />
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Wood: Lime (<i>Tilia x europea</i>)<br />
Height: 7.5 - 9 cms<br />
Finish: Linseed oil, acrylic/oil paint and beeswax<br />
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I was reasonably pleased with these 3 pieces each bearing some resemblance to the face I had in mind! <br />
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Ligninfreakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02269874041009838789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805979541625689281.post-48231441748189997482012-12-21T22:34:00.001+00:002018-06-11T20:26:17.360+01:00First caricaturesMy first caricatures were made using the publication entitled "Carving Caricature Heads & Faces" written by W. Pete LeClair, who is a member of the prestigious Caricature Carvers of America <a href="http://www.cca-carvers.org/">http://www.cca-carvers.org/</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPL-l6687HdsuirM6UymjnmJYcvBUhqjTYiP7_X8OX2WRJC_HNHS99QR1aKK3Ry_hLPFv1V0POLbDNsvHgR5d5vkaaOW_EwHe_3sciExiqQC-sqNC3XSzhlVVhywRsJZmigNrfl8iOnPE/s1600/first3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPL-l6687HdsuirM6UymjnmJYcvBUhqjTYiP7_X8OX2WRJC_HNHS99QR1aKK3Ry_hLPFv1V0POLbDNsvHgR5d5vkaaOW_EwHe_3sciExiqQC-sqNC3XSzhlVVhywRsJZmigNrfl8iOnPE/s320/first3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The figures are carved in Lime (<i>Tilia x europaea</i>), are between 6 -9 cms high and mounted on cork bottle stoppers.<br />
The wood is left with a tooled finish, coated with linseed oil, then painted with acrylic paint for the eyes and teeth, and diluted oil paint for the remainder. When dry the figures were polished with beeswax polish then buffed with a brush once dry.<br />
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<br />Ligninfreakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02269874041009838789noreply@blogger.com0