Need help with a couple of things

[Kustomizer]

I'm doing this Koi and I have a couple of area's that I'd like some advice on how to tool them. Here is a pic of where I'm at:

The three questions i have are:

#1 - How would you tool the water area's?

#2 - I want to tool the clouds on the left and I need them to look like each layer is farther away starting with the layers with the big curl on the end.

#3 - What would you do with the scales? Just leave them cut in like they are now or add tooling> Or should I add just some tooling on the edges of the Koi to kind of give it some roundness?

Any and all input would be greatly appreciated!

[Casey Jordan]

I'm doing this Koi and I have a couple of area's that I'd like some advice on how to tool them. Here is a pic of where I'm at:

The three questions i have are:

#1 - How would you tool the water area's?

#2 - I want to tool the clouds on the left and I need them to look like each layer is farther away starting with the layers with the big curl on the end.

#3 - What would you do with the scales? Just leave them cut in like they are now or add tooling> Or should I add just some tooling on the edges of the Koi to kind of give it some roundness?

Any and all input would be greatly appreciated!

Here's my input:

#1- I'm not up on koi pictures to give advice on the water.

#2- I would bevel the clouds deep at the back and get more shallow as you get closer. The clouds on top of others should not be beveled the same depth.

#3- The scales look great, I would not touch them. Scales are very thin and don't need to be beveled.

Well that is my opinion, hope it helps.

Casey

[Kustomizer]

I'm doing this Koi and I have a couple of area's that I'd like some advice on how to tool them. Here is a pic of where I'm at:

The three questions i have are:

#1 - How would you tool the water area's?

#2 - I want to tool the clouds on the left and I need them to look like each layer is farther away starting with the layers with the big curl on the end.

#3 - What would you do with the scales? Just leave them cut in like they are now or add tooling> Or should I add just some tooling on the edges of the Koi to kind of give it some roundness?

Any and all input would be greatly appreciated!

I think it might be easier to answer these questions if I throw up the picture I'm working from.

[mendedbowl]

Hi Kustomizer,

what you have done so far looks great! very nice.

i would suggest searching for the thread where David Theobald was doing a wonderful koi and dragon on a motorcycle seat. He would be the one i would ask for advice on how to get the effects you're wanting.

i hope to see it when you get it finished.

ken

[Bree]

That is an awesome carving. How about using a pear shader to reproduce the shadows and highlights of the waves in the picture and then using some decorative cuts to bring out the motion of the waves? Maybe background mat the darkest parts of the water?

My $.02