Critique Request Some new year Practice

The double scroll I did tonight.
The other one a week or so ago.
I need to watch Sams video again. The shading part is giving me fits.

Hi Dale

It's actually not to bad. I've seen worse....and I've cut worse.

You've got the right idea with fairly smooth scroll backbones and leaf cuts........What you are lacking is good tool control. But that comes with practice. It is that tool control that gives you the ability to cut fine, delicate shading lines.

Just remember that you backgrounds are just as important as your scrollwork. The background is the negative space and an integral part of the engraving. So that means they have to be neat and tidy.

How are you working and with what tools??.........Air assist, push graver, hammer/chisel??? Microscope, loupe, optivisor?? Ball vise, home made vise, other type of vise????

Cheers
Andrew

Study some finely shaded pencil drawings of leaves and look at the shading closely. Shading is never random. Remember that every line is placed for a reason. It's one of the hardest things to master.
Layne

Andrew
Im working with a Lindsay classic, Grs mega ball Vice, Scope, Optivisor,. I have power hone and dual angle as well as sharpening templates.
I used a 120 parallel for main lines and a 110 parallel to shade with.
In the double scroll I played with depth of main lines. I really like deep cuts. But I know that is not what it should be.
In the single I cut the stippled without background removal. On the double I stippled the cut lines no background removal.

Layne
Thanks for the tips. I have looked at a lot of engraving sketches and the shading is always smudged , blended and not clean like a engraved line would be.
Im still looking for a sketch that has not been blended and smudged.

Hi Dale

Well, you certainly have some good tools.

Here is what I suggest.

1. Relax. The more you relax the easier is will be to make better cuts. Hold the tool in a relaxed way that gives you control without using a death grip on the handpiece.

2. Don't over think the whole thing because it's highly over rated. Concentrating to much just tenses you up. Think about when you drive a car. If you thought about everything that you have to do like change gears, brake and accelerate, then you would never make it to the end of the street because you would be a nervous wreck...........It is an intuitive process done without to much thought.

3. Prep some practice plates of mild steel. Put one in the vise. Look through the microscope/optivisor. Set your graver on the metal.............then close your eyes. Yes, close your eyes. I'm not kidding.

Then start cutting a small circle by locking your wrist and spinning the vise. Do this reasonably quickly. To slow and it won't work and all you end up doing is stalling the car. You need some speed. After a few attempts you should have some reasonable circles on your plate. This is because the vise is doing the moving/rotating and you have locked your wrist like a lathe. So your graver should cut a circle.............don't think about what you are doing, just do it. And keep doing it till you have relaxed and it feels natural........then you can freeform over the plate. By this I mean just keep the graver tip in the metal and dive it all over the plate without lifting the graver.

4. With another practice plate draw a whole lot of small circles on a plate. Practice cutting clockwise and anti clockwise............and relax.

5. On another plate repeat the process........but make the cuts a lot lighter....and relax.

6. Did I mention that you have to relax and not over think it??? Blow a joint (if you live in Colorado), drink a bottle of gin or take some valium if you have to (just kidding

Cheers
Andrew

andrew seems to know his bizzness ! the thinking will stiffle you're every effort. when you get to the point where thinking about it is no longer in effect, you'll see a real improvement in your work. practice will allow this to happen.