OK, I put a few more wrinkles on the forehead, fixed the nose-hair mustache, thinned down the cheekbones, and I am going to deliver him to the builder tomorrow who will mail it to the customer who lives in Boston. The customer has not seen it yet, so I hope he will be happy with it.
The customer is a psychiatrist who wants 4 of these faces (now if he likes this one, I have to make 3 more similar, but not identical – yikes!) These will be used as keystones on 4 arches in his downtown Charleston home. They are doing a complete gut of his 200 year old home, and these faces will be watching everything. He wanted a particular regal, classical & authoritative mood. That is why the placid “nice” face of the guy who just walked out of the woods from a hunting trip wouldn’t do. He wants someone with a look of authority. I think this guy could run a country, right? (maybe we should vote him in for president??)
I think he has a look of authority (or maybe irritation) but still has a kindness behind that stoic face.
Authoratative and stoic. It’s a beautiful carving!
The next 3 should be easy. 🙂
Somehow the cheek bones seem more pronounced in this shot. It gives him a more gaunt and hardened appearance. Or perhaps it’s just the lighting again. Just a thought but perhaps, since this one, to me, seems northern European, the other three in the series could take on slightly different characteristics. Perhaps one more Roman, another Gallic and the fourth maybe an Egyptian or Turkish character for variety.
Rembrandt would have you carve at least one with the mouth open.
I suggest you carve one as the back of the head only. Symbolically, this represents the patient’s view when on the couch. Also, a psychiatrist should find this view an excellent talking point,.
That’s too funny! It certainly would eliminate any facial expression issues…
You do beautiful work!