Wood Carving for the Highlands

Imagine you were retired and approaching the age of 70. What’s the best thing to do?

Well, what about learning a freaking hard to learn instrument? Maybe one that is even loud as hell and not so easy to find a teacher for?

Yeah, that’s my dad.

Interested in anything in the world and light minded - he doesn’t fear to approach such new things.

If there is one wish for my life, then it is to have that attitude even as elderly.

Happy little Accidents

The mini is a present and came together accidentally.

My memory is a bit blurry. I think it started with a 3x3cm wooden block that I started carving for fun and found it appearing like a scotch coast.

Or I found that piper somehow, maybe even searched actively? However, Carving the block was the key. A dump idea because it was very hard wood and I used my xacto knife with a few drills.

Wooden block with drill holes and first cuts

Building the Cliff

I still remember my wife screaming that I’ll cut my fingers off. Luckily I didn’t - but I could have made my life way easier with proper tools or material.

During the carving a corner of the block broke away - Happy incident, cause it looks more like a natural coast now and I’d planned to add waves.

Printed piper mini on wooden block carved like a cliff

Afterwards, some styrofoam was added, sanded and that’s it.

The Piper was 3D printed from Medburyminiatures.

Sketching a cliff coast

Now that wave effect puzzled me. I tried some waves at the coast on a dummy base with cotton and acrylic medium. Inspiration is this clip from Chris Flodberg

Styrofoam wall with a test wave splash effect

Not perfect but somehow it’s a selling effect with low effort.

Painting a Kilt

As for the painting, there is nothing really special.

The base is some wet in wet from brown to greens and a little desaturated yellow drybrush.

The Piper received all it’s colors - whereas the kilt was fun. It is amazing how many types of kilt patterns exist. I’ve chosen a rather big one to simplify the painting but even wasn’t able to add the very fine “in between” lines in the bigger red stripes.