Wild Fire Artistry...first two plaques done

[Hooked]

By the way, I have been assured that neither one of the fellas on the plaques below are internet surfers.  So, if by some chance you know them, please do not tell them about this.  The plaques are meant to be a surprise for them.

What do ya'll think?  I just have to put a finish on them and they will be done.  Like to look at them for a few days before I officially finalize them with the finish,  Just in case I see something I want to add or change.

Dan Fox's Bighorn Sheep is next.  Started carving on it last night.  I have been keeping an updated list of orders in the Sponsor's Classifieds for anyone interested.

   

   

   

For anybody who hasn't seen these, I hand carve then into a few different levels, then hand woodburn the pictures.  Kinda like drawing but with a woodburning tool instead of a pencil.

[Tim Fishell]

Wow that is just amazing!!  Great work!!  

[Chester Thompson]

Wow.

[Whip]

Wow is right!!!  Those are absolutely beautiful!!

[greywolf63]

tHOSE ARE JUST BEAUTIFUL!!!! very good work

[DesertDude]

Sweet.........

[tarponnut]

Great work!

[joevan125]

I would love to get my first trad kill done like that.

[NorthernCaliforniaHunter]

YOU ARE INSANE! That's like the guy that paints pictures on pin heads!

BEAUTIFUL WORK!!!

[yellow bow]

super work  

[Hooked]

Thanks for all the compliments!  Most important thing is that the recipients, Alvis and Mark like them!  

I am excited about the next one.  Gonna be doing Dan's Bighorn Sheep.

[oneshot-onekill]

That is Awesome! Great job.

[preflex]

ur pretty talented you could prolly make some side money with these (support your hobby)

[kadbow]

Very Cool!  

[kbetts]

Absolutely beautiful work.

[Gatekeeper]

Nice work! Are you doing freehand drawings or are you projecting the image onto the wood?

[Bear]

Awesome!

[bohuntr]

Beautiful stuff Chip!!! Can't wait to get mine.

[Hooked]

Gatekeeper,
I use graphite paper to transfer some of the detail, but mostly I look at the pic and try my best to make it look like the pic.  What I transfer with graphite paper helps guide me some but it is primarily looking at the pic and freehanding it.

The people's faces are the most difficult part! That and getting the shading right to make the image pop!

Chip

[Gatekeeper]

That makes sense.

Well… I’d say you have a very good understanding of the tools that you are using. The next step would be to get some water based wood stains to add another dimension to your work. It’s not necessary but it would look cool.

If you ever find yourself looking at one of your pieces and you feel restless with the way that it looks, hold the piece up to a mirror and look at the image in reverse. This trick will make anything that may be funky within the piece, such as proportions, negative spaces or shading jump out at you. After staring at something a long time you have grown accustom to the way it looks but if you change your perspective flaws will become apparent. Not saying that your work has any I’m only passing along a trick that has helped me in the past.