opinion- work in progress

[grommet]

this isn't done, just a quick question. Is the transition from head to "hair" too harsh/ does it need to be integrated better?

[IMG][/IMG]

[cooljamesx1]

yes. they seem disconnected. perhaps if it were presented in front of a very neutral and consistent background the effect would be different. another thing I imagined would be to enclose the whole piece in like a border or "frame" of some sort to close off the openness of the wild hair and establish the piece as one unit. that probably is far from the best solution, but I cant think of anything else now. good luck-I imagine a solution is out there.

[chris 71]

hi grommet i have no help with your question but would like to ask what the face is made or cast with i like it chris.

[suburbanartists]

Yes agree with needs better transition. You know this and that's why you asked. Right now it looks just like what you did, stuck the hair behind a mask.

Keep going you will figure it out.

[Duck]

Do you think a colorful bandanna would be too simple a fix? maybe a barbed wire bandanna……

[GlennT]

I'm wondering about the idea of painting the antlers, up to the point where they divide into two parts, in a colored pattern matching the mask. I think that would provide a better transition.

[grommet]

Thanks for the input. I just didn't want to overwork that point if it wasn't necessary.
face is polyester resin with pigments and inclusions of treasures.

Boxing it is not an option, bandana is too funny, may use it for another piece, looks too hippie on this one. Barbed wire bandana would look like crown of thorns & that's decidedly the wrong read, though the texture idea.

I had planned a texture transition if necessary that would also work for color. More of the elements of the face still to go on the "hair". I was concerned about deviating too much from "antler colors" & losing the reference-- it becomes Medusa then. Maybe some is okay...
Thanks again.

[cooljamesx1]

I think Glenn's suggestion is pretty good.

[steponmebbbboom]

how about tuck-pointing some material around the "roots" so it appears to grow out from the head instead of bunch around behind it, and perhaps spraying a very subtle shading of stain onto the wood to darken its shade just a little bit.

[grommet]

Originally Posted by steponmebbbboom

how about tuck-pointing some material around the "roots" so it appears to grow out from the head instead of bunch around behind it, and perhaps spraying a very subtle shading of stain onto the wood to darken its shade just a little bit.

Yeah, that's my point about adding the textured element at the "seam". Just deciding what the right thing is. There's no wood there & it's meant to look like antler. Any suggestions toward that end?

[steponmebbbboom]

off the top of my head, how about carefully applying some short strand fiberglass automotive body filler? as opposed to regular body filler which is a light pink in colour, kitty hair filler is a dark green, which is close enough in colour to your resin mask that you could apply a paint over it that wont show the base colour through. you could probably carve it to the desired shape with fine woodworking chisels while it is still setting up, and if the paint you use is thick enough, you might not need to sand it. be very careful not to get any excess on the wood. as for the transition between wood and the head, it will be abrupt. you could try sculpting a border at this seam using body filler, to simulate the joint you would see on a deer or other horned animal; tint it to roughly the right colour, moisten it with hide glue and apply flocking available at modeling stores to simulate the velvet you would find on antlers. does this sound more in line with your vision of the finished look?

[grommet]

Originally Posted by steponmebbbboom

off the top of my head, how about carefully applying some short strand fiberglass automotive body filler? as opposed to regular body filler which is a light pink in colour, kitty hair filler is a dark green, which is close enough in colour to your resin mask that you could apply a paint over it that wont show the base colour through. you could probably carve it to the desired shape with fine woodworking chisels while it is still setting up, and if the paint you use is thick enough, you might not need to sand it. be very careful not to get any excess on the wood. as for the transition between wood and the head, it will be abrupt. you could try sculpting a border at this seam using body filler, to simulate the joint you would see on a deer or other horned animal; tint it to roughly the right colour, moisten it with hide glue and apply flocking available at modeling stores to simulate the velvet you would find on antlers. does this sound more in line with your vision of the finished look?

Sounds like you do things the hard way Again, there is no wood. I'm a fan of bondo, but if I were going to do scalp I would probably bridge first with just a 4lb. polyurethane foam, using barriers & go from there. was toying with the flocking, but don't want to be too literal if something more simple (and free!) gets the point across. I found some textured elements that are more decorative in nature, but may be a good thing, less austere.
Thanks for your thoughts.

[suburbanartists]

How about a light gauge copper wire head band wrap sort of thing. Not hippy, easily formable, and an aged copper wire (brownish) could be good natural color transition. The headband shape would need to be figured out by you. Braided, Twisted, straight, random, thin, fat, etc.

[steponmebbbboom]

Originally Posted by grommet

Again, there is no wood.

OK, if the antlers are not wood i am guessing they are also resin-based. it seems to me if you use polyurethane foam between the seam of the mask and antlers, it will be difficult to hide the transition at the mask seam. using short strand fiberglass filler, if you bevel the edge of the mask, will allow you to feather the transition so that it is not visible, and does not crack at a later time.

[grommet]

OK, if the antlers are not wood i am guessing they are also resin-based. it seems to me if you use polyurethane foam between the seam of the mask and antlers, it will be difficult to hide the transition at the mask seam. using short strand fiberglass filler, if you bevel the edge of the mask, will allow you to feather the transition so that it is not visible, and does not crack at a later time.

Antlers etc. are papier mache' over wire. True about the short strand, if I were doing the scalp. I found a nice piece of fungus that looks mighty fine. Sorta girly looking though.

[steponmebbbboom]

actually i think the sculpture is brilliant. i love it. i just wish i had a better idea of what you were trying to accomplish so i could help you better. please, keep us updated.

[evaldart]

G, the break point between the two things going on here is not the issue. . The issue is the fact that two opposing things ARE going on. two very different things, and thats one of the things I like about it. It must be preserved NOT smoothed-over. The unbridled wildness of all that great stuff springing from that rather smooth and docile portrait should be ADVANTAGED in the composition, not compromised. As long as there is not any distraction from the fastening or attaching DONT COVER ANYTHING UP, dont blend anything. The balance you are after will occur by the carrying-over of one element into the other. And since you cannot as readily bring the head into the hair, you must bring the hair into the head. Re-compose by adding or moving the coarse wildness down over the face or scarfing it under the chin. Make us look through it to get to the face. It doesnt have to look like anyones being bound in barbed-wire (great material choice btw, better than the antlers) but it could look like someone is hiding. It might be like camoflaging yourself so that no one will discover you and rescue you from that itchy, pokey and puncturing yet tickling place you're so fond of.

[Tired Iron]

I prefer it just the way it is, thank you very much.

[grommet]

with fungus.

[grommet]

Originally Posted by evaldart

G, the break point between the two things going on here is not the issue. . The issue is the fact that two opposing things ARE going on. two very different things, and thats one of the things I like about it. It must be preserved NOT smoothed-over. The unbridled wildness of all that great stuff springing from that rather smooth and docile portrait should be ADVANTAGED in the composition, not compromised. As long as there is not any distraction from the fastening or attaching DONT COVER ANYTHING UP, dont blend anything. The balance you are after will occur by the carrying-over of one element into the other. And since you cannot as readily bring the head into the hair, you must bring the hair into the head. Re-compose by adding or moving the coarse wildness down over the face or scarfing it under the chin. Make us look through it to get to the face. It doesnt have to look like anyones being bound in barbed-wire (great material choice btw, better than the antlers) but it could look like someone is hiding. It might be like camoflaging yourself so that no one will discover you and rescue you from that itchy, pokey and puncturing yet tickling place you're so fond of.

Thanks for the vote of confidence.
Would prefer not to hide anything & there's porcupine quills in the face, so I was thinking that related to the top part. Antlers are the Cliff's Notes for the barbed wire impaired.
I'm getting crickets on the shelf fungus. I know, you're wondering where you can get some too. First cut down the 85 year old maple that started to drop limbs around the neighbors' cars...

[fritchie]

Sorry I got to this late. My feeling about the "headband" would be an encirclement of barbed wire itself, maybe 2 inches wide and 1/2 to 1 inch thick. I also like the idea of a strand or two completely encircling the face, down around the neck area. Of course, there is no neck, but this would help establish completeness in the lower section - sort of like the "frame" idea - without pinning it anywhere.

[GlennT]

I've got mixed feelings on the fungus. It does make a more natural transition, but at a cost. The fungus is so interesting that it takes some of the attention away from the other elements. Which may be fine, too. It is more unified, but for some reason the impact is not as severe. Depends on what you're after.

[grommet]

And thanks for the compliments along the way. But of course you knew I was raised by wolves..
Fritchie, the encircling barbed wire brings a cameo concept to mind, though I think you were talking tighter to the face. Interesting from that perspective, though I'm averse to framing in general.
Glenn, I told ya the fungus was pretty. Someone here said "Gibson girl" as to the read. I'll have to think about that.
I know there's a few who appreciate the previous austerity, as I do also.
Thanks for all the comments, time to sleep on it & see if it's itchy.

[steponmebbbboom]

id love to hear more about the inspiration for this piece.

[grommet]

surely you can figure out from my posts, as Evaldart did, that in that respect it's a self portrait. My barbed wire is shorter though.