Critique Request Bulino polar bears on mini spyderco set.

Dani Girl

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Here is the first of a set of three miniature spyderco folding knives I am engraving for a young friend of mine who makes incredible knives back in Oz.

I couldn't find any mountains or trees that quite matched what I wanted for the knife so they came from my head and are 'artists impressions' of mountains and trees. I attempted to pull off the appearance of snow sitting in the branches in the foreground. The bears were from a photograph but rearranged slightly to fit the knife.

Between Brian teaching me how to correctly sharpen the tool, helping me with design ideas and helping me transfer the design and Katherine showing me an alternate grip that doesn't make my hand ache as fast I managed to get through this one. Hand pushing the lines in the foreground branches was still more than I could manage with much control, so they have a rather random messy organic look to them. The bears and background are entirely dots except for some of the trees on the distant hills were pushed in with one deep stroke.

This is the middle sized knife in the set of three.

I broke my chisel 3 or 4 time, spent a day finishing the designs and transferring them and over 10 hours with a hand burin getting this design to where it is. I am not calling it done yet because I value and look forward to the input I hope you will provide and I may do some more significant work to it because of that.

Please feel free to pick it apart, critique it as harshly as you please, or just say awwwwe that's so cute. Don't hold back.
 

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Diacutter

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I love how you continue to step up your game. It's been a real pleasure to see you grow as and artist/engraver. Thanks for sharing. Love it.

Dave
 

MoldyJim

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Wow! very nicely done.
I just want to hug the little one.
Can't see anything I would change.

How was the metal to cut?
I have a handful of those Spyderco knives I plan on engraving.
 

speeedy6

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Dani, I really like your work. I'm getting my nerve up to try some Bulino and I'm wondering about the cubs eyes and noses . Are they all dots or relief cut ? And is your work inked or blackened ?
Thanks for showing. Mark
 

Archie Woodworth

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I love the spyderco steel to cut. Has might be too soft. M42 or carbide should make it sweet to work on

Dani, you are so correct that the Spyderco steel engraves well....another brand that you might consider is Buck Knifes. That stainless steel engraves very well....so much easier than some of the cheaper SS from some of the other manufactures. Enjoy seeing your work...thanks for sharing.
 

Dani Girl

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The eyes and nose are just picked out with dots... but they do end up relieved slightly in the process. The nose is dropped down completely with dots... then the inside of the nostrils is picked out a little deeper. Hope that makes sense.
 

Doc Mark

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Yes, the bears are really cute! But since you asked for a critique, I would say that it could use a lot more dots! Working with an all white animal you really need to study the subtle variations of shading within the fur itself. Almost the entire surface of the animal should have some subtle dot work. Really study close-ups of Katherine Plummer's scrims and bulino and see the density of her dots.
 

Dani Girl

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Second knife in the works. This is the smallest one of the three.
 

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mitch

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i agree with Doc, to a point. it's always a compromise between putting in the necessary fur or feather detail and ending up with the nice white critter looking dirty. imho, tighter close-ups can withstand more detail shading than broader, full body views. sometimes there really IS just a big, bright white space, but it always feels like if i leave it completely blank it becomes flat, 2-dimensional.
 

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Dani Girl

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Yes. And nothing will absorb more light than clean white fur. I wanted to give them a cleaner look than would probably be realistic.

On the second knife I don't know if I should add any mountains behind the trees at all. I feel like that will just be a mess to the naked eye.

Yikes, comparing my work to Katherine's... give me something less intimidating to aspire to. I read in her scrim thread that she makes all her dots the same size. Would that be true for most bulino engravers too?
 

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Marcus Hunt

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Very nice. However, I'd be tempted to give the knives a bit of prep first as the finish kinda detracts from the engraving. I doesn't have to be a mirror polish but say to 600 grit to get rid of those 'streaks'.
 

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