Cowboy Bottle Stopper

[STAR]

Here is another bottle stopper. This one was a lot more difficult. I t shows where I need to improve. I have difficulty doing the human face and getting the paint to match up with the skin tone.

Overall a good learning curve with some positives. I was happy with the hat as it posed some problems for me but somehow i think for my first attempt it came out ok.

Then first time I had used a woodburning tool to do the back of the head and the whiskers. My painting is a bit ordinary still but now I have realized that I have two close friends, who are excellent artists and they are helping me overcome some difficulties. So maybe their is some hope in that department.

It is not easy when you are on your own and you have to learn from your own mistakes.

[Whittling]

Hi Star, Not a bad first effort at all. One of the hardest things to learn is a face UNDER a wide-brimmed hat. The hat complicates the setting up of the facial planes or foundations, which in turn are crucial to getting the face to look ... well... like a face!

Some things you did well, like leaving enough material for the nose. You'd be surprised how many don't and their face always looks flat because they try to carve the nose into the face instead of pushing the material around the nose back so that the nose sticks out the way its supposed to. Shaping the nose and cutting the nostrils is the next thing to practice.

[artme]

Good effort there Peter!!

The whole piece has a naive, rustic appearance,. Quite endearing!