Amon Amarth Fanart (wood-carving)

[F_Slim]

Hi,
I just returned from my vacation in Sweden. While I was there, I tried to do some wood-carving.
An expert will most likely say that it's some really amateurish piece of work ... but that's ok, since I am an amateur (this is my first attempt in years), and the only tool I had was a swiss army-knife.
(And I probably piked the worst piece of wood there was, but I didn't want to hurt any trees to get a decent one).

I started with Odin's head. I used the spot from where a branch was for his seeing eye. When I started I actually wanted to make a small Odin-figure, but that didn't work out.
So I made it into a piece of fan-art, since Amon Amarth brought me to the ancient gods in the first place. I guess this is my "thank you" for that
The writing is carved in and darkened with a lighter. (It's Amon Amarth, I just had to use fire, right? )
Last but not least a Thor-Hammer on the bottom. (There was a thunderstorm comming up while I was working on it, so I guess Thor wanted to be on it as well).

Here are some pictures. I hope you like it!

 

[Knarfi]

Wow very nice! and this was your first attempt? i guess i'd need about 10 attempts before i got any shape to it!

 

[Forlornson]

Duuudeee! THATS FUCKIN AWESOME! XD
I bought a knife too, just for shit like this. But I couldnt get near something like this

 

[Maggot9]

Thats pretty wicked, If i could do that, id make a fork or something, and use it for every meal

 

[Tyra]

Dude, that it truly awesome! Bet you could carve really cool looking runestaffs...

 

[Daru_Jericho]

That's awesome. If I were you, I'd make loads with different designs and sell them. I'd buy one.

 

[F_Slim]

Wow, thanks! (And I thought it looks rather bad ...)
Making runestaffs is a great idea! I think that's what I'll do when I start carving again. (Could be a long time though, because I only have enough time and patience while on vacation)

 

[skinnywhiteboy]

you're a much better carver than that kid in Bad Santa, that kid sucked and bled on his work besides...

just kidding, it does look pretty damn cool

 

[masaccia]

I started with Odin's head. I used the spot from where a branch was for his seeing eye.

this is such a good idea! looks great!

 

[Tyra]

To incorporate the grain and natural features of the medium with which you are working in the motif is a typically Norse thing, and suits your piece very well. Scandinavians have done that since the stone age (petroglyphs incorporated cracks and bumps in the rockface in the motif). It somehow seems natural that you should use that technique on Oden's eye!

 

[F_Slim]

Well, I didn't actually have that in mind when I carved it, but now that you mention it ... two years ago I visited a stunning runestone! The "Sparlösastenen". Here is a site about it for example:
http://www.algonet.se/~hkkbs/sparlosa.htm
They used the shape of the stone for the body of that creature. On the other side of the stone (hard to see on the foto) there is a wolf(?), done in the same way. It really looks amazing!

 

[sdmf2]

thats cool man