Cafe Interview with Andrew Biggs

Sam

Chief Administrator & Benevolent Dictator
Staff member
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Nov 6, 2006
Messages
10,490
Location
Covington, Louisiana
::: Engraving :::

Q. What's your name?
A. Andrew Biggs

Q. Where are you from?
A. Christchurch, New Zealand (just below Australia)

Q. How long have you been engraving?
A. About 15 months

Q. What made you want to become an engraver and how did you learn to
engrave?
A. As you can see I'm still learning and I'm probably at the stage where I
can get myself into deep doo doos quite easily!!!! But how it all started is I brought the Meeks book at an auction on a whim. I hadn't even looked at it. When the auction was over and I opened the book I was instantly hooked. I thought to myself "I'd love to be able to do that". In the beginning all the learning was from books. Then I stumbled across the embellishment part ofthe knife network forum and met some truly wonderful people & engravers there. Then one day, out of the blue, I got an e-mail from John Barraclough saying he liked my designs and asked if I would like a bit of guidance. I was truly stunned as I'd seen his work in a couple of publications and on the internet. That has blossomed into a friendship and he is truly a remarkable man that has opened my eyes to a lot of things. His gentle teaching, encouragement and generosity is amazing. John has never held me back. Just the reverse in fact by encouraging me to do all sorts of stuff. He introduced me to FEGA where I met some more wonderful people. Most of whom I get to meet in person at Reno in January next year.

Q. Are you a hobbyist or professional engraver?
A. Hobbyist. But..................one day I would like to become a professional engraver at the artistic end of the market. It would be nice to think that one day my engravings will end up in the hands of collectors and long after I'm gone, there will always be a little bit of Andrew Biggs left behind. Maybe it's just a pipe dream, but who knows, stranger things have happened at sea!!!

Q. What was your biggest obstacle when you first started?
A. Good examples of real engraving. By that, I mean I'd seen lots of superb engravings in books and on the internet. But a photograph only tells a small part of the story. Probably one of the best things I brought were some castings of engravings from FEGA. They gave me a sense of scale and depth. The third dimension if you like. I would highly recommend them to any beginner. I used to study them for hours and even now I still find myself referring to them. The FEGA DVD's are a real blessing as well. You get some of the United States best engravers showing you various techniques of engraving. Just wonderful.


Q. Are you a hammer & chisel and/or push engraver, or do you use pneumatic tools, or a combination of hand and power?
A. I started with a Foredom graver and power hone. It's a pretty good tool really but I began to see that it was limited in certain areas that I wanted to go to. So I brought a Lindsay classic Air Graver. Well, that was like going from a Mini Cooper to a Ferrari. I still use the Foredom power hone


Q. What are your favorite books pertaining to engraving?
A. Meeks obviously. I still love looking through it. He has a very nice way about him that is inspiring. Neil Hartleips Book on Basic Gun Engraving is a must have. His enthusiasm is truly contagious. It leaps out of the pages at you. He was good friends with John Barraclough and I can see why as "they're peas out of the same pod" those two. Ron Smiths Scroll design books are essential for any beginner and are worth their weight in gold. For pure inspiration British Gun Engraving by Douglas Tait and Fine European Gunmakers by Marco Nobili are simply amazing. When you see the work of Phil Coggan, Brown Brothers and Creative art, you can't help but be inspired. Another book that is a pure joy to have is Steel Canvas by R.L Wilson. All of the above books I regularly read and look at as every time I open the pages a little bit of magic leaps out at me.

Q. Of the old masters, who's work is among your favorite?
A. I really don't have a favorite. All of their work was stunning given the tools and circumstances they worked under.

Q. What's the worst engraving mistake you ever made, and how did you fix it?
A. Just normal slipping etc. But I know the days coming....it's not a matter of if....but more like when!!!!!


Q. What are the majority of your engraving jobs (guns, jewelry, etc)?
A. Practice plates in the shape of home made knives and a shotgun action with a few bits and pieces in between. I do like the gun engraving. It's only my personal opinion but I think it's the ultimate in the engraving arts. Naturally other people will think differently according to their own tastes and preferences.


Q. What type of magnification do you use (microscope, Optivisor, etc)?
A. My eyesight is not the best so I use a microscope almost exclusively. I really admire people that use mainly optivisors. They must have the eyesight of an eagle.

Q. What part of engraving do you find the most challenging or difficult?
A. Without a doubt, holding the work and making it accessible with a graver at the same time. I think that's more challenging most of the time than the engraving itself.

Q. What part of an engraving job do you dislike the most, and why?
A. Background removal. If your ever going to really bugger things up, it's at this stage. It's also tedious and boring.

Q. What's your favorite part of an engraving job, and why?
A. The pencil and paper designing stage. Then watching it transform a piece of relatively plain steel into something you've created. It must be a real blast to have a collaboration between two artists with each artist adding their little piece of magic to create something beautiful. A good example of this is a Don Cowles knife with a Jim Small engraving.

Q. Do you like or dislike lettering, and why?
A. Well, I'm a signwriter in my day job so what can I say. I love lettering. It's an art all in it's own right.

Q. What kinds of engraving do you refuse to do?
A. When I started this journey I vowed and declared that I would only produce the best work I can do given my skill level on the day.

Q. How do you rate the quality of engraving done today as opposed to 50 or 100 years ago?
A. I don't think you can compare the two. The artistic endeavor is exactly the same and at the end of the day, that's all that really counts.

Q. Do you perceive any part of hand engraving as a dying art?
A. No

Q. What country or countries impress you with their highly skilled engravers?
A. USA, England and Europe. Each has their own style that has it's own
cultural background.

Q. What effect has the internet had on your hand engraving?
A. Everything. In a small country at the bottom of the world, the internet is a life saver. From buying supplies to meeting people. My friendship with John Barraclough is a perfect example.

Q. What advice would you give to someone who wants to learn engraving?
A. This may sound a bit harsh but Toughen up!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stop whining and get on with it. If you want to learn how to engrave, spend the money, sacrifice the time and sleep, and make the mistakes. If you aren't prepared to do any of those things then find something else to do. Don't hold back, dive in there boots and all and get your feet wet. The biggest thing is learn how to draw with a pencil and paper.............I can't emphasize that enough.



::: Personal :::


Q. How many children do you have?
A. Three, all grown up. Oldest son Matthew in Japan teaching English to the Japanese. Rebecca, the middle one, works with me and has done for the last 10 years. Francis our youngest has just finished his degree in performing arts (acting) Mary & I are extremely proud of them and their individual achievements.

Q. What's the occupation of your wife?
A. Registered nurse that works in the community and specializes in palliative care.

Q. If you have traveled, what was the most exciting country you visited and what did you enjoy most?
A. Australia and Rarotonga and they're as different as chalk and cheese.

Q. Besides engraving, what are your hobbies and interests?
A. Fly fishing, black powder shooting and reading.

Q. Where is your favorite place to be?
A. Home

Q. What's one thing of which you are most proud?
A. Not strangling our kids when they were teenagers.!!!!!

Q. When you were a child, who was your hero?
A. Doctor Who traveling through space and time in the Tardis battling the Darlecks (the Darlecks make Darth Vader look like a boy scout) and I'm still hopelessly addicted to the TV programme. Hot on his heels was Tarzan and of course Biggles and his adventures with his side kick Ginger.

Q. Tell us something few people know about you.
A. I'm pretty much an open book. What you see is what you get

Q. Where were you on September 11, 2001?
A. In bed. We awoke to it on the breakfast news. It was the first time we ever turned on TV at that time of day. Even to this day, watching the video footage is shocking.

Q. Do you have any pet peeves?
A. Heaps. It generally depends on what mood I'm in as to how much it peeves me.

Q. What is your favorite thing to do in your home town?
A. Lazy Sunday afternoon lunch at the pub. We don't do it all the time but just as a treat.

Q. If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be?
A. At the moment it would be our oldest son Matthew. We haven't seen him for two and a half years and we miss him very much.

Q. What one person was most influential in your life?
A. This has to be two people. Mum and Dad. They instilled in us kids the value of love, friendship, loyalty, honesty and humor. Something that we managed to pass onto our kids.

Q. Who (living or deceased) would you most liked to have met?
A. Horatio Nelson. A life of courage and passion. A true hero and a leader
of men.

Q. Describe what you would think of as a perfect day.
A. Any day above ground!!!!!!

Q. Tell us a good short, clean joke.
A. I don't know any clean ones. Sad but true.

Q. Is there anything else you'd like to say to the folks reading this?
A. To Mary, thanks for all your understanding, encouragement and patience. You truly are remarkable in every sense of the word. To John Barraclough, Rex Pederson, Marty Rabeno, Jim Small, Andy Shinosky, JJ Roberts. Tim Adlam, Marcus Hunt, Mike Bissell and a whole bunch of other people. Thank you for your encouragement, support and timely advise. I owe you all a debt of gratitude that the only way I could ever possibly repay is by passing it on.
 

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Abigail

Administrator
Joined
Nov 6, 2006
Messages
476
Location
Covington, Louisiana
Andrew,
I can't believe you have only been engraving for 15 months! I am enjoying the photos of your work very much. Looking forward to seeing more.
Abigail
 

Jim Small

Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2006
Messages
11
Location
Madison, Georgia
Readers...
I have followed Andrews work, I think, from the beginning. He has progressed faster than anyone I have ever seen. The quality of his work gets better and better with every stroke of the graver. I don't know why I would question this....John Barraclough has mentored Andrew from the beginning. Andrews' passion for this art we do is so impressive. When you understand that he lives half a world away it really comes home. His understanding of cut lines is amazing and it is my belief that Andrew Biggs will be one fine engraver....if not already. Andrew really puts power behind the statement " pass it on"....we did and look at Andrew.
As I always say..."Engrave one inch a day....Regardless".
Sam, Thanks again for a great interview.......
Jim
 

dclevinger

Elite Cafe Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2006
Messages
267
Location
Arvada, CO
Another great interview Sam. Andrew, your progress truly is amazing. I look forward to meeting you and attending your seminar in Reno. David
 

Glenn

Elite Cafe Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2006
Messages
714
I really enjoy these interviews. It makes one feel like you know this person and he is a friend. Great interview Sam.
I would like to read an interview about Sam by Sam. You're a wealth of knowledge and talent. Let's have an inerview so we know more about Sam Alfano.
 

Sam

Chief Administrator & Benevolent Dictator
Staff member
Joined
Nov 6, 2006
Messages
10,490
Location
Covington, Louisiana
I'm glad you like the interviews, Glenn. Andrew Biggs should be an inspiration to every engraver. One cannot help but marvel at what he's accomplished in a few short months. Like many Cafe members, I feel like I know Andrew a lot better after reading his interview, and you can't help but like him!

As for future interviews, I'm out of the loop, but I can assure you that there are more great ones ahead! / ~Sam
 

Ken Hurst

Elite Cafe Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2006
Messages
322
Location
Robersonville, N.C
Andrew, great work & interview ! I especially liked the knife along with the other pictures. I find it amasing that you have only been scratching for 15 months ---- looks more like 15 years. The future will certainly show greater samples of your art & abilities. Warmest regards, Ken
 

Joe Mason

Elite Cafe Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2006
Messages
430
Location
Brandon, Mississippi
Andrew, I really enjoyed the interview and seeing your engravings again. I also have been following your progress since you posted that wonderful knife sheath. Keep up the great work.

Joe
 

Abigail

Administrator
Joined
Nov 6, 2006
Messages
476
Location
Covington, Louisiana
I really enjoy these interviews. It makes one feel like you know this person and he is a friend. Great interview Sam.
I would like to read an interview about Sam by Sam. You're a wealth of knowledge and talent. Let's have an inerview so we know more about Sam Alfano.

Hi Glenn,
I'll see if I can talk him into it. Maybe if he refuses, I'll just answer all the questions for him and make stuff up. :D just kidding
Abigail
 

M A Smith

Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2006
Messages
21
Andrew,
I am impressed at the progress you've made. I'm also very impressed with your intregity and honesty. I look forward to your seminar on computer photo techniques in Reno. I plan to be on the front row with my notebook. It is my hope that you will always continue engraving.
M A Smith
 

John B.

Lifetime Pledge Member
::::Pledge Member::::
Joined
Nov 9, 2006
Messages
3,950
Location
Los Angeles area, California.
It is just wonderful to see Andrew's fine interview.
His values, dedication and resolve are clear for all to see.
These, together with his natural skill will be sure to create a world class engraver in the near future.
Andrew make friends and helps others.
I am very pleased to see so many fine engravers reach out to help and guide
him in his development.
It's wonderful to welcome Andrew Biggs as part of our engraving community.
Many thanks to Sam for this valuable forum which brings us together.
And to quote Glen, the good woman behind the good man.
John B.
 

Brian Marshall

~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Joined
Nov 9, 2006
Messages
3,112
Location
Stockton, California & Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico
Andrew,

How much of difference do you think that the power-assisted pneumatic tool has made in your remarkable progress? I'm guessing you never tried hammer & chisel, just the Foredom?

We have one of the Foredom PowerGravers in the classroom, but mechanical impact tools (including NGraver) have some disadvantages - mainly the awkwardness of the flexshaft, the fact that they wear quickly, strokes are limited a bit, and the handpiece designs are not really "ergonomical". However, I have students come here who already own them, and even a few who have stayed with them...

What was your experience?

Looking forward to meeting you in January!

Brian Marshall
 

Andrew Biggs

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Nov 10, 2006
Messages
5,034
Location
Christchurch, New Zealand
Thank you all for those very kind and encouraging words. I must admit that I was very surprised to be asked for an interview and felt extremely privileged at the same time. Thank you also to Sam an Abigail for asking me and for providing a wonderful forum and tutorials. Hopefully one day in the future I’ll get to meet you both in person. I would enjoy that.

Hi Brian………….Yes, I tried the hammer and chisel and hand sharpening for maybe a total of 3-4 nights. I’m 48 years old and quickly realised that if I really wanted to get a grip on this engraving thing before I turned 100 then I’d have to get better tools that were more suited to my particular level of patience. The Foredom is a good little tool because you can get a power hone with it, but your right, the flexishaft is a pain and the level of very fine control is not really there.

The air tools are amazing and I would say without a doubt they have been a strong contributor to my learning curve. They don’t prevent flat spots, wonky scrolls or uneven cutting or make your design look any better as that’s the job of the hand holding the tool.

What the air tools and the power hone do is give you confidence. You can read the instructions and sharpen a tool properly in a few minutes so that it actually cuts the metal. Then with the air tool you only have to guide it. (How well is the hard part)

All of which is really important for a beginner. As a novice of anything you have to have a few quick successes to keep your interest up and boost your morale. If it takes a few months to learn to sharpen a tool properly by hand and then a few more years to get to grips with a hammer and chisel, or burin, then the motivation levels can start dropping fairly quickly. It also distracts from other more important issues like design and layout, metal preparation and finish etc.

Now in saying all of that………… I’m not in any way shape or form trying to start any kind of tool war over which tool is better than the other. This is purely my own personal opinion based on my experience. Naturally there will be others that have a different opinion based on their experiences. And that’s the way it should be.

At the end of the day, a tool is only a tool and it’s the hand driving the tool that makes it work or not. For me personally, the air tool and power hone were a God send.

I’m also very much looking forward to meeting you in January as well Brian. How many more sleeps to go now???? John’s probably going to have to get me deported because I won’t want to leave!!!!

Merry Christmas to you all

Andrew Biggs
 
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William Grubb

Elite Cafe Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2006
Messages
119
Location
Haubstadt ,In
Andrew,
I'm truly amazed at your work, and only 15 months at it ,is amazing to say the least. I had seen some of your work posted before ,and thought you had been at this for years. It is no doubt that you will become one of the great masters of this of this fine art form. I very much enjoyed the interview,and hope to meet you in Reno, and wish you all the success in the world.
 

Harold

Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2006
Messages
39
Location
Hickory, N.C.
You are making some great cuts.
This is my 1st year engraving and had 3 classes this year also. I am nowhere near where you are in skill. It would seem it does take more than just tools and classes.
 

Yves Halliburton

Elite Cafe Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2006
Messages
127
Location
Savannah, Georgia
Andrew, very impressive no matter how long you have been at it. Unfortunatly, I am unable to make Reno and would have been in the front row as well. So I will purchase the seminar from FEGA. ? What is your computer seminar going to cover.
 
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