Wooden Sculpture of Primitive Archer

This is soooo cool!

As usual Del, very nice work.

It was interesting to see it go from sketch to cardboard model to finished piece!

Thanks for the post!

I can only but view with jealous envy.

Cheers guys...
I had a fleeting thought of doing another as an automaton, but i think that would prob end up turning ito a nightmare and I don't have the metal working facilities ...
Dear Santa please send a small lathe.
I may do one in copper as i have a length of old 28mm thick walled copper pipe which I unearthed when refurbishing my central heating, that would open out into a decent sheet (almost 88mm, if Mr Pi is to be believed)
Del

Ditto on the lathe....Harbor Freight has one for about $200, I keep looking and wondering where I would put it.

I thought of turning my drillpress on it's side and making a bearing jig to mount on the base. It might make for an interesting project. Then I get a lathe and a drill press in one small footprint. Hmmm.

Yeah, I call my drill press my 'poor mans lathe' it's ok for turning pegs of Yew to plug knots in my bows.
Del

I like it....it shows movement....why not continue with a third with the arrow at discharge....at last some art, we've been in a drought for ages it seems....thanks for sharing

nice work, but why does it have 4 arms, is it a mutant?

how about something like this?

Nice looking material surfaces, but the limbs and torso make it look like just a stick-figure study-piece, with not much actually "going-on". Maybe adding two or three intermediate positions would do more to "bring it to life"...

You can get a bit too much motion

Marcel Duchamp. Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2

Philadelphia Museum of Art via Wikipedia

Not sure if I should step in as an Admin for the "Nude Descending a Staircase" but I think I have to pass on it because, honestly, I just don't see it Guess I'm simply not artistic enough to moderate

I'd like my artist wife to paint a classic Botticelli nude descending a staircase, and title it "Explosion in a Shingle Factory"; 2013 is coming up, and it would be the perfect centennial in-joke.

I find it very presumptuous of you to try to tell an artist how to produce their art.

"bring it to life" indeed.

Why not show us how you'd do it.

'Fraid I dissagree... I've posted it so it's open to criticism.
Everyone is entitled to their view (even if it's wrong) and they don't necessarilly need to be able to do it them selves to have the right to criticise.
Pplenty of sports coaches can't perform as well as the people they coach.
It amused me once when I was a school kid, we had some work up on the wall and I was criticising the perpective on one piece, a girl (this was before I'd discovered girls) said to me in a snotty voice "I s'pose you could do better then?"
The guy who painted it leaned over and said to her "As it happens, he could" .
made us both chuckle and put her in her place.
Del

Magnanimously put.

Del,

I just want to acknowledge the objectivity and neutrality of your response to my attempt at a constructive comment about your scupture. Your response is a "breath of fresh air" and I give you a "GA" for it.

Please provide fotos of the final result, but most of all, enjoy the effort for it's own sake.

Cheers,
I think it is finished now (as in those pics), but I may make another in a similar vein, as one is rarely 100% satisfied with any piece. My daughter (who has a degree in fine art.. oooooh) said she though it looks/feels much better in reality to in the photos)
Del

Thanks for the interesting comments, its good that some want more arms and action and some less!
My original intention was more action, as in the sketch were you can see the figure extracting the arrow from the quiver drawing and loosing (5 arrow positions are shown).
However there was also the desire for clarity (compare pic 1 vs pic 3) and the 'cave painting' (stick man) fee,l both of which contribute to the finished piece.
I was even undecided about the small detail of adding an arrow to the lower arms/bow, but thought that would make that position look more fixed and static whereas it is merely a step on the journey to the loose, which is a split second away.

Each tiny element is carefully considered, but not in a way that detracts from the spontaneity and freedom of the piece.
That's one of the dilemmas of art.
As an example, consider how difficult it would be to 'copy' the original sketch but with better defined crisper darker lines. It would be hard to clean it up without removing the very things which make it dynamic.
There is no point depicting the actual loose as the only real difference would be the bow limbs starting to recover,the arrow moving and a slight movement of the archers right fingers.
it's all a balancing act and a compromise, tyring to give the impression of what it's like to actually draw and shoot a primitive bow rather than the stiff regimented performance of a target archer.

There is nothing to say that this discussion hasn't made me reconsider, I can easily try adding additional arrows, quiver arms etc. I've already been considering trying to model the complete path of the bow from rest to full draw. There would be a lot of work involved but it would generate an interesting curve.
I've even considered adding extra limbs, bows arrows etc in a transparent material, but I like to maintain the homogeneity of material.

I think the variety of comments nicely illustrates the subjective nature of art.
Del
(Of course, some of you just want scantilly clad lady archers and who can argue with that)

I am of the KISS school. I think your sculpture captures the essence of the movement, without over-complicating the concept. I especially enjoyed your notes on adhesives. If yew is a naturally oily wood, it would be difficult to find ANY adhesive that would work...

Wonderful work of art!!!! congrats.

What kind of automaton were you possibly thinking of? I build a lot of "Auto's" for visual props. (mostly haloween) and may have a few ideas for you.

Lonster

If I tried to do an automaton version it would have to be a very simple single action wire/string which would pull both arms up and back together, pulling the various joints into the right position in sequence (Presumably if they are spring loaded correctly I could get the elbow joint to move then the shoulder), then dropping 'em back. Anything more complex would entail actually shooting the bow with the consequent danger* and reload problem. The head could maybe pop up too from looking down at the arrow being fitted onto the string to the aiming position. I'd prob' use a small electric motor as I have plenty. Don't s'pose i'll get round to it though, too many other projects and it's prob trickier than it at first appears.
Del
*These small scale bows shoot a very light arrow surprisingly fast. (that's one of those miniature drink cans 150ml. The arrow was later fletched with pigeon feather flights).

Del,

You have done it again!

I salute your creativity and artistic ability.

No, don't encourage him ! I am bashing my head on the wall becase it's so good. Damnable cat.

I can see his tail swishing now.