Carved Human Hand in Lime

[monkeybiter]

This one's been a long time in the making, probably ~ 95% of the time spent waiting to be finished .
The hand is mine, main shaping done from photo's, details refined from direct observation.
The veins on the back of the hand are done by compressing the veins into the wood, then levelling the surrounding wood after which water is sprinkled on and the veins rise up out of the surface, quite quickly too. It's an old technique, I saw Ian Norbury demonstrate it and adapted his method. I need to regrind my tool a bit broader.
As usual I am not completely happy but it was time to call it done. The finish is sanding sealer and the Oak plinth may be temporary.

All comments and criticism welcome, even the bad kind.

Thanks for looking.

 

[MickCheese]

Wow, fantastic. Looks almost too good.

Mick

 

[memzey]

Wow. Just wow. That's some skill you have there.

 

[n0legs]

That's cool =D>

 

[Bm101]

Yet more amazing work. Wasn't sure you could top the wallet but you have. You have a very real and innate eye and talent. I've seen far inferior work on display in galleries.

 

[rafezetter]

That's amazing, the palm details are particularly effective - I'd read about that technique you used for the veins for a different effect, interested to know how much you compressed the wood by to get what you did, and was the tool rounded or square edged?

How much did you have to resist modelling a different finger :lol: ?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yeah ... no happy/important finger? :lol:

Unreal ... no, that's not praise in this context, real.

 

[Claymore]

......

 

[SVB]

Wow, amazing piece.

If you don't mind me asking, how many hours do you think you have in this piece?

Simon

 

[thetyreman]

looks very realistic! wow, stunning work.

 

[Harbo]

Excellent work

Rod

 

[transatlantic]

Fantastic!

 

[Woody2Shoes]

Truly excellent work. I'm sorry to mention it, but there is an unfortunate connection in my mind when I see it ( :roll: ) :

https://incprocollect.com/wp-content/up ... 00x200.png

Cheers, W2S

 

[MrTeroo]

As usual I am not completely happy

You should be, it is is beautiful.

 

[monkeybiter]

Wow! Thanks chaps, very very kind.
rafezetter: The tool is an old steel centre punch with the point ground off, rounded and polished. Ian Norbury used a rounded rod which he pulled along the wood while pressing hard into the surface, he didn't seem to have very good control so I tap this along the surface like a gouge, with a light mallet, which went where I wanted it to. I maintained a depth of approx 2mm, the resulting veins are raised far enough but could do to be a bit broader hence the regrind required..

SVB: That's the hardest question, a few here and a few there for a few months, then nothing for a good while. The more I practise and aim to improve the quicker I get, confidence builds etc. but there's a long way to go. (hammer)

W2S: I was aiming for this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Kitchener_Wants_You#/media/File:Kitchener-leete.jpg but the forum software kept insisting on it's own orientation :lol:

 

[AJB Temple]

Nice work.

 

[Jasper42]

Amazing piece of work, wish I had 10% of your skill. Even better would love to be able to produce something like the hand but no artistic flare....

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Blimey Monkeybiter - that's a bit good! I posted yesterday on the handtools forum that the tools I found most difficult to come to terms with were carving chisels, and that I'd come to the conclusion that my artistic gene is dormant. Yours is clearly rampant!

 

[skipdiver]

Superb! No other word for it and along with the wallet you did, very impressive.

 

[Lons]

Beautiful piece of work Mike, you should be delighted with that. =D> If it was my hand I'd be looking for all the cuts and battle scars gained over the years.
Quite right that you feel you could do even better as that's the drive that makes you strive for perfection but I bet there's no one else would be even remotely critical.

The technique of raising the grain has been around a long time, it's commonly used with punches to make up backgrounds and I used it to make the bumps on a toad I once carved.

Bob