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Green Man in Red Oak

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Green Man in Red Oak

Postby kirkpoore1 » 28 Feb 2021, 06:30

This is the first time I've tried to carve a human face, taken from a photo. Don't ask me to draw one, there's no way I could do it. But this is going OK so far. The workpiece is pretty green piece of red oak. It is drying rapidly so is getting a lot of little checks in it, but I don't think that's a big problem.

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In carving light
(282.43 KiB)


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Side lit with LED light
(261.95 KiB)


So far I'm pretty happy with it. Plenty more to go, though.

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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby Andyp » 28 Feb 2021, 07:48

Providing those checks do not go too far they can only add to the character of a piece like that.
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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby Mike G » 28 Feb 2021, 08:50

Ooh that's fun, Kirk. Is this a stand-alone piece, or is a panel going into something bigger?
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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby TrimTheKing » 28 Feb 2021, 09:41

I like that Kirk. Amazing how the change in lighting totally changes the look of the piece too!
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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby Malc2098 » 28 Feb 2021, 11:42

I agree, the cracks add character.
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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby droogs » 28 Feb 2021, 12:01

being red/green colourblind, i don't see any dolphin just a bit of wood :?
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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby kirkpoore1 » 28 Feb 2021, 12:55

Mike G wrote:Ooh that's fun, Kirk. Is this a stand-alone piece, or is a panel going into something bigger?

Stand alone, Mike. Or at least it is right now. I don’t know where it will go when done.

I am finding green is easier to carve than dried oak, but that’s no surprise.
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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby kirkpoore1 » 28 Feb 2021, 12:58

droogs wrote:being red/green colourblind, i don't see any dolphin just a bit of wood :?


Not to worry—the dolphin will be blue with gold fleur-de-lys! :)
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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby Rezi » 01 Mar 2021, 18:18

That's very good. I've tried carving a green man onto a small (4") piece of dry walnut which was nice enough to carve. I still haven't finished it as I still have to do the eyes but I know that if it's going to go wrong somewhere then the eyes will be it.
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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby kirkpoore1 » 01 Mar 2021, 18:31

Rezi wrote:That's very good. I've tried carving a green man onto a small (4") piece of dry walnut which was nice enough to carve. I still haven't finished it as I still have to do the eyes but I know that if it's going to go wrong somewhere then the eyes will be it.


Steve, that's why I did the nose & eyes first. Why put in a lot of work just to blow it at the end? :)

Edit: I should also say that I did a quick & dirty practice piece of the central face portion in poplar before doing this just to see if I was going flub it badly.

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Last edited by kirkpoore1 on 01 Mar 2021, 19:55, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby Cabinetman » 01 Mar 2021, 19:33

I really like that, – always had an interest in the green man mythology.
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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby NickM » 02 Mar 2021, 17:42

Great work.
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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby kirkpoore1 » 07 Mar 2021, 05:12

Here’s the latest, from last night. I’ve done a lot of cleanup and undercutting, but of course there’s just so much detail that there are plenty missed tool marks and hanging splinters there that I will clean as I go.

Next step will be gessoing the leaf and and acorn surfaces in preparation for painting.

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(340.47 KiB)


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(275.41 KiB)


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(387.67 KiB)


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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby RogerS » 07 Mar 2021, 08:46

Wow! That's rather good. :eusa-clap: I like it a lot.
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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby Cabinetman » 07 Mar 2021, 08:48

It seems a shame to paint it Kirk, and wouldn’t it have been easier just to make it from clay if you were going to paint it anyway? Ian
Edit, sorry just re read what you said you’re only painting some of it?
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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby AndyT » 07 Mar 2021, 09:11

I like it too. And I must say, it's very encouraging that you say you couldn't have drawn it.
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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby Woodbloke » 07 Mar 2021, 09:23

That's rather good! Those look like Pfeil gouges; my set for linenfold carving is gradually coming together as CHT get some more stock from Switzerland - Rob
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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby kirkpoore1 » 07 Mar 2021, 12:26

Andy: For many things, good old carbon paper is my friend. :)

Ian: A lot of medieval woodwork was painted. It will increase the contrast and emphasize detail. Or so I hope...

Rob: yes, the tools are a mix of Pfeil and Stubai. I like both a lot. I really need to paint rings on the handles soi can find the one I want faster. For example, the easiest way to find one narrow gouge is to look for the handle that got chewed by a puppy over 30 years ago! :)

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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby kirkpoore1 » 20 Mar 2021, 04:16

It's been a couple of weeks, but this project is on the last lap. Now, modern taste runs more to leaving things unpainted and just covered with a clear finish. But the medieval style was to paint things, so that's the way I went here.

Since this won't be outside, I went ahead and gessoed the leaves and acorns to allow smoother painting, then recarved the leaf veins. I then painted with egg tempura paint, and used imitation gold leaf on the nut part of the acorns. I then used an oil/varnish mix to oil the remaining bare wood. This revealed some flaws which I have since touched up a little (but after these were taken.

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(301.19 KiB)

Gessoed and starting to paint.

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(355.03 KiB)

Leaves painted

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(325.14 KiB)

Acorns painted

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(208.94 KiB)

First gilding. Wow, these edges look a lot more ragged than they actually are.

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(304.66 KiB)

As you've seen, the look varies a lot with the light. Here it is from above on my mantle.

I will probably varnish over the painted and gilded parts, but haven't done that yet.

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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby Phil » 20 Mar 2021, 07:54

That is extremely very nice and well executed :eusa-clap:

Give the man a Bells 8-)
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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby Mike G » 20 Mar 2021, 08:18

Well, I very much prefered it un-coloured. I know a lot of mediaeval carving was decorated, but my personal preference is for the bare wood. However, it's not my preference that counts!!
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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby kirkpoore1 » 27 Mar 2021, 03:32

I’m calling this done. 3 layers of oil/varnish on the wood, one coat of clear waterbased poly on the painted and gilded areas.

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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby Malc2098 » 27 Mar 2021, 11:30

Nice.

To my eyes, more than a parshing reshemblance to Sean Connery! ;)
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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby Andyp » 27 Mar 2021, 11:37

I’m in the un coloured camp too but that doesn't take away from the fact that you have produced a very nice piece.
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Re: Green Man in Red Oak

Postby kirkpoore1 » 28 Mar 2021, 17:11

Malc2098 wrote:Nice.

To my eyes, more than a parshing reshemblance to Sean Connery! ;)


Well, a friend said Saddam Hussein-, so good answer!

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