Rodetiki's stuff, Another sketch pg. 22 10/20/05

I have read the posts, but am still a little lost. My uncle just finished a custom log home and there are hundreds of logs. Most are around 4 feet tall and there is a monster 9 footer that is 4 feet in diameter. I am just wanting help on where to actually start my first carving.

Here is my rough sketch, let me know what ya think, I dont like the nose much. Probably going to try to change it. This is my first attempt at this sort of thing.

[ Edited by: rodeotiki 2005-10-19 13:06 ]

First of all welcome to TC, Second of all you are one LUCKY guy getting all those beautiful logs to carve.
First if possible I would try to get the wood under cover and out of the elements to preserve it. Second, if you Don't have it, go to Amazon.com and purchase a copy of "The Book of Tiki". Then get yourself some carving tools: shisels, grinders, sander, chainsaw and whatever you can get.
Then find a tiki you like and ask Bigbrotiki if it is alright for you to Copy it.
Then draw the tiki onto a piece of wood. Then just start cutting away everything that does not look like tiki.
Do it in stages and take pictures as you go and post the pic's so we can help guide youon to the next step.
Thenfind out if there are any TC Carvers in your area that might need some logs and would be willing to trade a little knowledge for somw wood.
These are just suggestions, but you gotta start somewhere. Hope this helps..

Hey Rodeotiki,

I'm not an expert at carving, far from it. In fact, I just started my first carving about 2 months ago and have been "chipping away at it" slowly ever since.

I'm just thrilled to know that someone else is in the same boat as I with this whole tiki carving thing AND that they are in Calgary. We really should meet up sometime and exchange tips or whatever.
(Just PM me if that sounds like something you'd like to do...)
But if I were you I'd first check out the carving post and heed the wise words of people like Benzart, Gecko, Basement Kahuna and all the other carving talents we have here.

Cheers!

-Slacks

Rodeotiki, Welcome!

My suggestion: As a new carver, I can relate. Start with something small and work your way up. Even a two footer will suck up many hours as you begin to figure out how to carve. Try a simple design for starters - you can always add detail & embellish at the later stages if you start feelin' frisky. If the going feels too slow with chisels, think about getting a dremel. And save that monster log for later - it ain't goin' nowhere!

Good luck, & take Benzart's advice. There's lots of carvers who will be glad to help you out here at TC.

Thanks for all the wise words. I have aquired alot of the tools needed. And i have read almost everything I can. Myself, I dont want to copy anything that I have already seen. Is it okay to take certain elements of different tiki's and combine them. You know use the eyes from one the mouth from another or change them a little.
Thanks again, slacks I will get in touch with ya .

Rodeo, no problem using other tiki's elements. The only problem you willcome across is when you COPY another tiki, line for line and then sell it. You have the right Idea. Find eyes you like and connect them with a Nose you like and so forth until you have a tiki.
Good luck and Have FUN.

this topic has been brought up many times on TC, but is one I feel that should continue to resurface.
As you are learning how to carve (or produce art) it's natural to pass through a stage of copying ideas as you hone your skills. Keep in mind that these carvings will be in the style of other artists and, out of respect for those artists, should be enjoyed in your own tiki bar. The more you carve, the more you'll develop your own style and the more you'll have fun (which is the most important thing for everything you do).
Don't be afraid to post your work and ask for advice.

BTW - I'm always curious as to the style that carvers start out with and what their style looks like a year after starting to carve...it's a very neat progression.

I dont plan on selling tiki's, and I personally would never copy another artist. I do feel that with any form of art you are always going to be influenced by someone else. I've seen lots of moai, who's the first and are all the rest copying, If ya copy someones work and pass it as your own thats wrong, I will always give credit for anything I do if anypart of it has been influenced by someone else ( that is going to be some list)
Thanks again for the feed back. Hope to get started soon.

[ Edited by: rodeotiki on 2004-08-15 17:23 ]

well we can't wait so Hurry up!! Just remember when you start and many times during the process, the Tiki will not loog good at all and you will think you messed it up, but just keep going and it will start looking better. This hapens to All artists not just beginners.

I sounded kinda preachy in the last post...sorry...just carve and have fun. with the amount of wood it sounds like you have, you could have a forest of tikis in your back yard.

for the first time I put mallet to chisel, I think no matter how it turns out Im HOOKED.

[ Edited by: rodeotiki on 2004-08-18 13:37 ]

no ideas on where its headed ,think i might go buy a dremel today .

I find the Dremmel to be of limited use on logs. A power sander, or grinder might be more useful.

I agree with Raffertiki, a dremel is pretty limited on log carving. Like cleaning the floor with a toothbrush.
For that type of tool you are better off with a Die Grinder which has a 1/4" chuck and the burs available are larger and Will remove some wood after you get over the fear of 22,000 rpms spinning wildly in your hands.
Here is the link I just gave Finkdaddy for the 1/4' burs available. at the top the burs are pictured and scroll down to the 1/4" section for those prices. These are carbide and will last a long time
http://www.treelineusa.com/frames/power.html
the die grinder is avail at the local stores like Lowes and Home Depot and they have burs but Probably not the carbide type. The steel ones will dull right up and will not last long.
Have More fun

I do have a die grinder with a fairly large compressor, Thanks for the tip. Does wood wear down burs faster than metal wood. I used them on the frame of my rod to clean welds up.

Rodeotiki,

The sketch looks great. I'm no expert, but here's a few things I've figured out about half way through my first wood tiki. I started out by outlining the whole design on the outer surface of the log, then began to go deeper and deeper, maintaining the "sketch" outlines as I went. I know now that this was a waste of time. I've developed a plan for the next one (take this with a grain of salt and do whatever works well for you):

1. start with a 2-view sketch (front and side views).
2. Try to "profile" the log out using the side view.
3. From the front, start with the most prominent and "highest" features (nose, eyebrows, etc.)
4. Once these are fairly set, make a smooth level surface for the next series of cuts (lips, ears, etc.
5. Teeth will be last, cause they are the deepest.
6. Save the real detailing for last, or it will just end up getting carved away.

No point in outlining/carving the deep stuff til you bring the log down to that level. And its best to go deep, deep, deep! Having looked through most of the beginner posts, I think the most common beginner mistake is to make the design too shallow.

Another thing I learned is that the sketch need not be too detailed. It all gets tweeked as you go, & there's no use spending a huge amount of time making a super precise sketch. Benzart's right - they all look like sh*t at different stages, but it all comes together in the end. Take your time, and most importantly have fun!

I'm just a beginner, but thought I'd share my observations so far. Take it for what it's worth. Am I on track? I'll soon find out on my next carving. Any other TC'ers have tips or thoughts to share on the "roughing-out" process?

I know what you mean about getting hooked. Tiki carving is highly addictive.

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"Ah, good taste! What a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness."
-Pablo Picasso

[ Edited by: Aaron's Akua on 2004-08-19 14:07 ]

Hey Aarons Akua,, you should be a teacher man, I may learn a thing or two as you are learning if you keep up this kind of explaination. You described that very well. Hurry up and get to the next stage so we can hear some more.
Rodeotiki, it depends on the bur. Wood is softer than metal so the bur doesn't wear as fast as on metal, but it Loads up with compressed wood dust and then it heads up and that kills the bur. Some burs are Stone and they are not great for wood.

[ Edited by: Benzart on 2004-08-19 15:33 ]

Aaron's Akua did an excellent job. he is right about begginers and the fear to go deep, don't worry about going too deep.

something i tell myself everyonce and a while is mistakes aren't problems but just another/different oppurtunity to due the same thing. there aren't alot of mistakes that are tiki ending, so just go with the flow.

some things i due.

1. take the bark off the log, then sand up the log if rough so you are working with a clean surface.

2. find the center of the log and draw a center line down the log to keep features centered and to give you a easier time getting both side the same size.

3)find your insperation/idea for the tiki draw him out on the log. i draw out the whole thing even if there are parts that will be removed because they are lower. i do this just to make sure the paportions look right.

4. after drawing out the guy, i draw arrows or write note to my self, saying stuff like slants down (with an arrow showing which direction is down) or other little note that help while carving are reveal the difference in leves and features.

5)Make sure you have all your tools, and they are sharp.

6. start at the highest feature, the nose or what ever, as eveerything else will be lower then this (most likely, but it depends on the tiki. this feature will set the height for the rest.

7)start chipping/grinding/dremeling away. Aaron's Akua said go deep but that doesn't mean you have to take it all off at once, take that depth with layors.

8. take your time, i hate sanding so i go slow and make everything as close to perfect as i can, so i wont have to go back over it with sand paper in the end.

9. if there is fine detail like tatuing or simular i sand the areas, to make them all nice and smoth before doing those details, and then sand again lightly after the detail has been done.

10. Sanding this is something i hate and try to get done as fast as possible, but you should really take your time, even sometimes when you think your done and ready for stain or clear coat, put the tiki down and look at it again the next day and you can sometime find places you missed.

11. once it is all finished show many pictures here on TC so everyone can see you progress and your creations.

that it for me

thanks again. When you say start with the nose, you mean because it sticks out the most? so I would take down the wood around the outside. right? This is so much harder than I thought. It is so much fun though.

You got it, buddy! Start w/ the nose and parts that will protrude the most & get it all looking the way you want, except don't take it to the "Nth degree". You can finish everything up at the end. Carve around the nose and lower all of the surrounding area. Do you want the nose flat, or do you want some curvature? Take care of all of this in the first stage before moving on to eyes, lips, etc.

Next, take the adjacent surfaces down to the level that you want, then smooth them out & reapply the sketch lines & start on the eyes or other stuff. Now, anything that wants to protrude should be outlined out & left at the higher level for later carving & detailing. Example: I want the eyes to “pop” a little, so I outlined them, then lowered all of the surrounding area between the outline of the eyes and the outline of the nose. Later, I’ll come back to the eyes and put some eyeball curve to them and detail them out.

I think its all about getting the rough features first, then coming back to make it all look smooth, nice, and add detail. This is the stage where it all looks like sh*t, and you just need to be patient, knowing that you’ll get really excited at the end when it all comes together.

I think it’s great that you’re posting your progress as you go. Keep it up & I’m sure others will put in their $0.02 as you go. It is a blast, isn’t it? Lots of good Karma flowing here at TC! :)

Thanks alot arron. For my first on I think I want a flat nose. Im just going to remove all material around the nose, mouth and eyes and then add detail later. Your right it is a blast. There are so many talented artist here, it's cool they will give advice to someone who's just getting started. Heres some progress

heres another , I spent maybe 3-4 hours in total, still a long way togo.

[ Edited by: rodeotiki on 2004-08-20 16:12 ]

looking good so far, i have found TC carvers to be great with the amount of help the provide, so if you ever have a question, there will be someone here that can most likely answer it.

just some constructive advice: remeber don't be affriad to go deep, it will really help make your feature pop out and will show depth and demenision.

heres a new picture, I am following the advice and others and going deeper. It is starting to show some personality. Theres no stopping now!! If I could only find away to do this at my desk at work and while I sleep I'd be in heaven.

I was at Lowes today and they have the 1/4"Kutzall carbide bits in red (course) and Blue(fine) for less than $15 I think

Rodeo, thats not bad for a first, Some of the other firsts are better but yours is more like Mine was. You must have used the same pictures for yours as I did..

not bad for a first, it looks like a tiki and you learned at least 4 things, so all in all i would say that it is a success.

Not bad, Rodeotiki. Can't wait to see the next. Sounds like you've definitely got the carving bug now. Keep us posted.

Just had to add this link to the final piece.

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=10586&forum=7&3

Here is the finished product. Things I have learned:
1- slivers hurt, you never get them all
2- I need more patience, lots more..
3- TIKI is highly addictive
4- I have lots to learn, theres only room to improve.

Thanks everyone for the kind words and great tips, the second piece of wood is now calling me!!

Of all the things I have lost, I miss my mind the most.

[ Edited by: rodeotiki on 2004-08-26 20:20 ]

Heres my second attempt. Still have some work to do and Im not sure what type of finish I am going to use. Also heres a shot of my first, much to my surprise my wife didnt banish him to the yard. She even bought a plant for his head.

love the maoi, bro. Very impressionistic.

Keep 'em coming!

Rodeotiki's back at it! I'm seeing lots more tiki & lots less log here. Your work is growing in leaps & bounds, man. This fella has a real stoic look about him. Keep postin' the progress.

Heres the newest, its going to friend for her birthday. Still have to get some stain on my second , just finished final sanding.


I have to clean my deck before the wife gets home or she will sacrafice me to the tiki gods.

Thanks for all the kind words everyone. You make it so much easyier to be inspired with your words and your incredible works.

Of all the things I have lost, I miss my mind the most.

[ Edited by: rodeotiki on 2004-09-14 14:13 ]

Man, you got the serious tiki factory going, Rodeo. The details are really beginning to come out. Please post more on this one as you go. Are you using the pneumatics yet? You mentioned that you only have metalworking tools, but maybe some of these would work for wood also? I don't know what kind of accessories you have, but if they cut or grind metal they should probably take out some wood too. But I'm no expert. Why don't you post your air tools on Benz "Tools Carvers Use" post & see what the experts think? Just a suggestion. The new tiki looks great!

Thanks Aaron, no air tools yet, my compressor ate it. So far I just use chisels and a 4 inch grinder, also have used a 10 inch electric chainsaw. The chainsaw works okay but I find it hard to control.

Looking Good Rodeo!

I would love to come have a look for myself some day...

Keep it up!

Here is another progress shot, some sanding has been started

I do have a confession, I havent really been carving these tiki's. I caught this little tiki princess and she works cheap. Just have to feed her fruit snacks and yogurt. Have a good day everyone.

Of all the things I have lost, I miss my mind the most.

[ Edited by: rodeotiki on 2004-09-16 12:17 ]

[ Edited by: rodeotiki on 2004-09-16 13:51 ]

You made BOTH of those? I think I like the one on the right better! :)

(The one on the left's lookin' good too)

On 2004-08-23 14:37, Aaron's Akua wrote:

Here’s my future carver. He’s almost 3.

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"Ah, good taste! What a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness."
-Pablo Picasso

[ Edited by: Aaron's Akua on 2004-09-16 14:00 ]

Rodeotiki this third one is definately the best. You are coming on strong. Keep at it and the progres will amaze you.
Most metal cutting tools cut wood easily so if you have any, Use them too.

Well here is #2 with the first bit of stain, and a small shot of #3 still underway. I am going to sand and apply a couple more coats of stain before I lay on the varnish.


Thought I might try and keep track of them somehow with a small signature on the back.

Cool work, rodeotiki! You have a cute little carver too. I have a 3 year old who loves to hang out with me and paint - she requires M&Ms and Vernor's Ginger Ale.

I decided to experment a little with fire tiki and my camera .
Heres what I got. Now to do some more sanding and some stain and varnish and its on to # 4. This is sooooo much fun.

Cool looking Fire. Thats one way to smoothe it out. RT, your stuff is really getting better. Keep up the good work.

huh, huh. FIRE!! FIRE!! FIRE!!

Now that's a piece of art in itself! You did put it out, right?

HOT!

Yes of course I put it out. The picture is a little decieving, as the flames never really got that big. I just poured a little stain in his mouth and hit it with the torch. Took the picture and blew it out.
Thanks for the kind words everyone. They mean alot to a newbie coming from such talented people.

Well here is #3 with stain and varnish.
More things I have learned...
1-I need to spend more time on the final detail and sanding work
2-I still get slivers , they dont hurt as much anymore.
3-#4 is going to be more detailed and complex as I am going for a fully body tiki.
4-A bad day carving is better than a good day at work