whoseyrtiki carves!

It's been so long since my original carving post I can't find it! :o Here's some progress pics of my latest project. Router/chisel carve of a stylized PNG Yipwon hook spirit. Props to Monkeyman for inspiring me to try my hand at relief carving.



Reworking some of the wood grain effect. Had to sister up another board to guide my router depth.

Finished carve awaiting burnishing, stain, and maybe even some paint. Personally I think the heart came out looking more like a Serrano chile on life support, but my daughter gave me thumbs up and over all I'm pleased with my first effort at a router carve. :D

"I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity."

[ Edited by: whoseyrtiki 2014-02-25 09:18 ]

[ Edited by: whoseyrtiki 2014-03-02 14:16 ]

Really nice start. I love the way the spiral eyes and nose reinforces the the curves theme of the hooks...very creative. Can't wait to see it finished!

On 2014-02-24 18:45, amate wrote:
Really nice start. I love the way the spiral eyes and nose reinforces the the curves theme of the hooks...very creative. Can't wait to see it finished!

Thanks Amate! End result turned out a little different from my original concept. Detail and wood grain forced me to revise my vision, but then again that's one of the things I like about the medium... working with nature as opposed to fighting it.

"I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity."

[ Edited by: whoseyrtiki 2014-02-25 09:20 ]

That B+W pic really shows it off. I like the background, looks like a reed mat.

What's the axle that's under the work bench in the first pic out of??

On 2014-02-24 20:50, 4WDtiki wrote:
That B+W pic really shows it off. I like the background, looks like a reed mat.

What's the axle that's under the work bench in the first pic out of??

1963 Mercury Comet. Lol

Burnished and ready for stain :)

very nice work!

Really cool work. The heart is really well done, and I love the background texture...

Great work whoseyr!

Always a pleasure to get positive feedback from other carvers! Got around to adding stain today. :) Contemplating a second coat.

It tugs at the heart strings......
Nice job!

On 2014-02-26 16:31, Atomic Tiki Punk wrote:
It tugs at the heart strings......
Nice job!

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art website,
"During the primordial creation period, the sun, who formerly lived on earth, first carved a slit gong (a large musical instrument). As he did so, the chips of wood from the slit gong came to life as yipwon spirits, who lived with him in the men's ceremonial house. One day, when the sun was away, the spirits killed one of his male relatives and danced around his body. Hearing the noise, the sun's mother, the moon, turned around and saw what the yipwon had done. Terrified at being caught, the yipwon fled into the ceremonial house, where they stretched themselves out against the back wall, turning into wood images. Enraged by their act, the sun ascended into the sky, leaving the yipwon on earth to serve as patron spirits of hunting and warfare.
Yipwon images portray both external and internal features of the spirits. Although highly stylized, the head and single leg appear relatively naturalistic in comparison with the central section of the body, which consists of a series of opposed, concentric hooks depicting the ribs, surrounding a central element representing the heart."

I like to think the heart is at the point of the matter! :D

"I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity."

[ Edited by: Whoseyrtiki 2014-03-02 14:14 ]

Started trying to carve a story board into this 4 1/2' alligator prow canoe, but it soon became apparent that the pine is too soft and my chisels too dull to get the detail I envisioned. Contemplating routing the whole story board section out and inlaying a different wood with the relief carving done to it. I've access to exotic woods at a specialty shop nearby. Any suggestions on the type of wood I might look for?

You could try Exactos.
They're sharp.
Get #10 & #11 & band aids.

There are many ways to carve fine detail. A cutting tool may not be right - if thats the case you can try rotary tools (dremel, foredom, wecheer...). There is no stress to the grain of the wood and you can get amazing detail. You stated that your chisels aren't sharp enough - that is a personal problem. Sharpening is a refined skill that all wood carvers should begin with. If not then WillCarve's reply is spot on! Xacto blades are sharpened downed to the molecular level - they don't last long but to its very easy to change to a new blade.

Some good exotics I have used for carving are: Cocobolo, paduak, mahogany, Cherry, ebony, redwood, cedar... remember exotics can be toxic and caution should be used when working with them. I found out the hard way that I'm allergic to many exotic woods.

Looks Great

I like.

Good stuff

Very nice panel work Whoseyr!!!

Mahalo!

McTiki

Thanks to everyone for their feedback and encouragement! The wood is pine. Originally thought it was something different until I started work on it. Part of my thinking to use a different wood for a story board panel is that it would both hold more detail and be less prone to damage. Definitely reaching for more detail on the story board then I've ever done:) Here's another pic with 2 of the three passengers. Working on a stylized shield guy for the third.

Will post more as the project progresses.

"I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity."

[ Edited by: whoseyrtiki 2014-04-28 14:50 ]