Flashin' Dreads Progress: Part 1

A new face begins with a pencil-drawn outline...

Slowly but surely Bill figures out the face placement to suit the shape, grain and texture of the wood.

With each cut, a little more progress...

Queen: Part 6

Here she is! Tung-oil finish and wall-mounted with countersunk stainless steel eye screws and 480-lb. stainless steel cable.

The happy couple! Here's Queen with her King. They're available as a pair for $4,500 (U.S.).

Queen: Part 5

Last time you saw Queen, this is what she looked like. Bill wasn't feeling quite right about her yet and felt there was still some fine-tuning to be done. So...

... here she is now! She's had a bit of a spa day – face lift and hair cut. Bill thinks the top of her head looks better now and the cheeks appear softer. It's amazing what a difference in colour and grain sharpness the Tung oil makes, isn't it? 

Queen: Part 4

Here's Queen with a Tung-oil finish. She looks complete, but Bill thinks the face needs to be rounded and is still wondering about the top of her head. Maybe she has too much hair. There's still some work left to do.

Portrait of Buddha: Part 7

Portrait of Buddha, oiled and finished.

Queen: Part 3

Queen wakes up! And what beautiful eyes. Bill is starting to work on the details of her dreadlocks. 

Now in this photo you can see there's more detail on her hair and he has been fine-tuning the face. He's wondering about that bump on top of her head, though.

Portrait of Buddha: Part 6

Here's the Buddha portrait, sanded and mounted, now ready for oiling!

Oiling with "lint-free cloth" – really?! There's almost enough here to make a pair of socks! Gotta wonder if lint-free cloth expires...

Queen: Part 2

Queen's face begins to take shape. Bill is using the rule of thirds as a guide.

Portrait of Buddha: Part 5

Here's another update on the Buddha portrait. Nose and mouth are taking shape. Bill says the domes above the ear and brow are a challenge! The grooves in the ear require a gentle touch. Bill says, "If I can see it done in my mind, it will happen in the wood."

King Part 5: A portrait in progress

Here's a profile shot of Bill's recently completed wood portrait, entitled King.

King Part 4: A portrait in progress

The King piece has come to an end. After completing the sanding, Bill finishes it with tung oil. The piece is wall-mounted with countersunk stainless steel eye screws and 480-lb stainless steel cable. Bill says he's very pleased with this piece. Feel free to email him with any questions!

Portrait of Buddha: Part 4

Bill's almost there on the Buddha portrait! He says his next step is to fine-tune the details and start the lengthy process of sanding through various grits – 100, 150, 220, 320, 400, 600, 00 steel wool, 0000 steel wool. Sanding the tight spots by hand takes the most time but a fully loaded iPod on random play at maximum volume is very helpful!