Driftwood Fish #1: Bass almost completed

https://s3.amazonaws.com/lumberjocks.com/n4wq1v4.jpg

My first “real” carving and first time ever posting the process of a piece of work, so please just have patience with me

The fish began with a piece of driftwood I found in the creek behind my house. It already had a nice curve to it, was fairly solid and had a natural “mouth” which I immediately thought would make a pretty cool fish. (sorry I don’t have a pic of the driftwood before I began sanding it some, I just wanted to see what it looked like underneath the moss and dirt). After some cutting and sanding, the fish started to take shape. A good portion of the head was rotten and I had to add some wood from the scrap I had cut off, but thanks to Elmer’s wood glue, putty, and a lot of sanding, you can hardly tell.

The final picture is with it mostly painted. I still have to work on blending the colors because I just can’t get the look I am going for. I also have to do something with the eyes, but that will all be done in a week or so and I can post the completed project.

I would love some “friendly” advice or critique. Like I said, this is my first real carving and I know I have tons of room for improvement. The body turned out thinner than I would have liked and the fins are a little thick, but those are just things I will have to correct on my next project.

Source: LumberJocks.com

Driftwood Fish #1: Bass almost completed