Critique Request First Project

Domitilla

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Dec 20, 2016
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49
Hello,

Since this will be my first post, I think it would be best to get my first engraving critiqued by the professionals!

It's just a simple duck:

IMG_0357.jpg

The below image is a close up, sorry for the horriable messey background.
IMG_0345.jpg

Please can someone guide me on how to remove this stains.

Will highly appreciate you comments, critiques, and or corrections, as to how I could make this better.
 
Last edited:

John B.

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Domitilla,
Welcome to to the world of engraving. As a 16 year old you have a long and happy engraving journey ahead of you.
Your duck is a very good first effort and a great start.
Try to make your outline cuts lighter and in some places use no outline.
Let your detail and shading cuts end to form a visual outline.
Study the anatomy of your duck subject and try to get a little better detail on the feet and tail next time.
Over all you did a fine job but also try to control the overruns of your outline when shading.
You deserve high marks for your first effort. Keep at it and let's see more of your art.
You might want to revise your profile to include your area. It helps as a point of reference.
 

Sam

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Welcome to the forum Domatilla :tiphat:

John B did an excellent job of answering your question. :thumbsup:
 

Domitilla

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Thank you John for your comments, will keep them in mind during my next engraving. Yes, you were right there are a way too many overruns, I still have to learn to control the graver !
 

John B.

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Thank you John for your comments, will keep them in mind during my next engraving. Yes, you were right there are a way too many overruns, I still have to learn to control the graver !

You are doing fine Domitilla. Early days. Better control will come with more practice.
Few young people do as well as you did on their first engraving.
What method of engraving are you using? Push, hammer and chisel or power assisted?
Keep posting, there are lots of good people on the Cafe who will help and advise you.
Have a wonderful Holiday season and let's see more of your work.
 

Eric Olson

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You may have seen people here preaching about the value of drawing. They are not wrong.
There is a classic book called Drawing on the right side of the Brain.
Basically, people begin drawing "symbols" of what they see, like what their "left brain" thinks a duck looks like.
The "trick" to drawing is to remove this from your work, and to see and draw the actual "shapes" that, when seen together,
your brain will interpret as a duck.

Also, as a artist you can cheat. If your having trouble with the feet, put the duck in water! (ha ha)
 

Domitilla

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Joined
Dec 20, 2016
Messages
49
You may have seen people here preaching about the value of drawing. They are not wrong.
There is a classic book called Drawing on the right side of the Brain.
Basically, people begin drawing "symbols" of what they see, like what their "left brain" thinks a duck looks like.
The "trick" to drawing is to remove this from your work, and to see and draw the actual "shapes" that, when seen together,
your brain will interpret as a duck.

Also, as a artist you can cheat. If your having trouble with the feet, put the duck in water! (ha ha)


I know the feet look horrible, it's incomplete. Thanks for the name of the book. I'm getting along working with the left side of my brain, the right side stopped working!!
 

dlilazteca

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Good attempt, have you seen Chris DeChamillis dvd's, i hope I spelled his last name right sorry if I did not, but besides taking a class the second best thing is his dvd set. There really is to much to cover. Here is my first attempt with guidance from a professional at GRS so you can see that taking a class makes a huge difference. I'll try to take some close up pictures to help you study how it was done. Let me find the practice plate.

If you want to remove or attempt to remove some bulino areas, depending on how deep they are or to create light areas, try to burnish the area in question.

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dlilazteca

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Could not find my duck, but that is a picture of a casting that someone else did, castings are good study pieces, i own many and study them all the time.

GunEngraver.com Custom Guns Knives and More PAYMENT PLANS Available
 

Domitilla

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Dec 20, 2016
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Good attempt, have you seen Chris DeChamillis dvd's, i hope I spelled his last name right sorry if I did not, but besides taking a class the second best thing is his dvd set. There really is to much to cover. Here is my first attempt with guidance from a professional at GRS so you can see that taking a class makes a huge difference. I'll try to take some close up pictures to help you study how it was done. Let me find the practice plate.

If you want to remove or attempt to remove some bulino areas, depending on how deep they are or to create light areas, try to burnish the area in question. Yes, taking a class makes such a worderful difference, your work for a first attempt looks so great! I guess I will have to take the hard road, leading through trial and error, its tough! but great.



GunEngraver.com Custom Guns Knives and More PAYMENT PLANS Available


You are truly lucky to have the guidance of a teacher who has experience of many years. Unfortunately everyone is not so luck, I live in an area where from what I know there seems to be no engraving schools.
 

Domitilla

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Dec 20, 2016
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Dililza,

I believe in the old saying practices make perfect. Yes, I've also heard the other one common with engravers, if you go for a class you will learn what might take you months or even years. That's true, it's hard and very very slow learning alone but God has thankfully given me my mother ( who is also basically self taught ) to guide me. I believe the sun will shine someday and it's not too long from now I guess!
 

Domitilla

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Joined
Dec 20, 2016
Messages
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You are doing fine Domitilla. Early days. Better control will come with more practice.
Few young people do as well as you did on their first engraving.
What method of engraving are you using? Push, hammer and chisel or power assisted?
Keep posting, there are lots of good people on the Cafe who will help and advise you.
Have a wonderful Holiday season and let's see more of your work.

Thank you for your encouragement. I'm still learning the virtue of patience, not got enough to use the hammer and chisel method. I use a pneumatic hand piece primilary.

Wishing you all a warm and merry Christmas and a happy new year of engraving!
 

John B.

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Thank you for your encouragement. I'm still learning the virtue of patience, not got enough to use the hammer and chisel method. I use a pneumatic hand piece primilary.

Wishing you all a warm and merry Christmas and a happy new year of engraving!

Thank you Domitilla, and merry Christmas to you and your family. Have a Happy New Year of engraving.
You may not be close to an engraving school but if you post a location you may find an engraver close by that you can visit.
Very glad to hear that you have some good pneumatic engraving equipment to use. You are well on your way.
Best regards.
 

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