# Carved Portrait



## Phil32 (Aug 31, 2018)

Here is an example of taking a non-carving idea, and adapting it for a relief carving. The original is a woodcut by M.C. Escher. For those unfamiliar with the term, "woodcut" is a technique for printing designs by etching the pattern into wood (often endgrain), then rolling ink onto the raised portion of the design. A sheet of paper is placed carefully over the inked surface, pressed in place, then peeled off. This process may be repeated many times and numbered, for example 87/400 - the 87th print in a run of 400.
But in this case the carving would not work for printing. The surface is not flat or uniform. The wood consists of a 12" square of old black walnut, with an overlay of basswood. It is being carved entirely with hand tools, mostly fish-tail gouges.


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## ClaudeF (Sep 22, 2013)

Looking good, Phil!

Claude


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

That's come along quite a bit from last time I saw it. Looking good!


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## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2017)

very nicely done !!


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

Very intricate. It reminds me of those paintings where there is something hidden if you look at it a certain way or something


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## PaulDoug (Sep 26, 2013)

Love that.. Carving is something I wish I had a talent for… Thanks for the additional information your provided also…


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

Looks good and very time-consuming.


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

Very cool nicely proportioned.


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## bobnann (Apr 19, 2019)

Very nice! SMP mentioned something hidden in the image… M.C. Escher for sure.


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## Phil32 (Aug 31, 2018)

Here is what this carving looks like now that I decided what to do with the background. Note that the #7 gouge scoops get smaller and disappear at the artificial horizon. I'll smooth it out a little, but not remove the edges of the ripples. Then it will get a coat of clear satin polyacrylic, and my mark on the back:


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

Nice!


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