After my FAS FES version I’m looking for a more naughty style

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

While looking for different styles of engraving that could decorate some prototypes I’m working on, after some basic scroll design and my FES, FAS or however you call my stylized version of Fine English Scroll, I thought something more naughty would be more interesting to look at.
To be honest, Fine English Scroll is a bit boring, a sort of texture. Of course it is a nice style to accomplish a bulino scene.
I have a real nice Belgium book whit 120 designs: “ Specimens de la décoration et de l'ornementation au XIXe siècle / par Liénard... “And it are the scenes that do fascinate a lot.

Bulino style, I didn’t practice that much, probably because it is so time consuming. And most of the time when asking for critique, “ it should be more photorealisticâ€￾
But when I look at these designs, there are not that much lines needed to make a nice animal design.
So why not just drawing a design using a bulino graver? Those creatures are just designs, you cannot take a photo of them first.
Here is some practice I recently finished.

arnaud

 

[rayf24]

Nice touch simple and clean
Ray

 

[monk]

arnaud- you know it's always nice when You "monkey" around. this is really great stuff !

 

[glstrcowboy]

Looks like you have the same book I do! I keep putting off trying something out of it, and now I don't think i will. You set the bar too high!

 

[Chujybear]

That's a knockout man

 

[Peter_M]

This is really cool Arnaud, I think you are onto something there.

Peter

 

[graniteguy52]

Arnaud,
Very nicely done!
Gordon Alcorn

 

[rod]

Arnaud,

This is looking good. These illustrations require a light touch, and quite often I notice shading cuts that are way too heavy, but not with you, if this is a first example you have engraved in this style, I would say well done, as the balance of outline and shading sits well to my eye. Clearly there is a lot going on. All the creatures are shaped pretty good except for the bird, it is pretty good but looks a bit like it is having a bad hair day, sorry a bad feather day. Referring back to the original drawing, the bird was done with less detail and seems more successful.

Wish I could do that well with a light touch. Overall, very well done!

Rod

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Rod, yes you are right about the bird, thing is I had to find out the technique to deal with the Bulino graver, so only after a while I came to the conclusion that doing Bulino for me works best without power assist. That way I can cut more precisely. But by the time I found out, I already did screw up the bird and other parts of the other creatures.
The next one only can get better.

Thanks Gordon, Peter, Chujybear, Mike, MOnk and Ray. It is indeed a great book, very inspiring. Years ago my brother came up with the "Jofra sketchbook" it is a fascinating book as well, but this one is way better.
I would be interested to see where these decoration designs were used for, probably on some big country houses were the rich had naughty parties.

arnaud

 

[Willem Parel]

This picture shows more detail then on facebook Arnaud and I am even more amazed now.
Fantastic work and you have now your first real monkey tool.....
FANTASTIC!

The canvas you cut it on, is that a bit of quality knife? otherwise it's about time to do so.

 

[RDP]

That looks great Arnaud, nice cutting,
Richard.

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Willem thanks, it is a made in China knife, indeed I have to start cutting on better canvas.

arnaud

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Thanks Richard, it looks nice with the naked eye, the next one will look nice using magnification. Thing is that when looking at the designs, you don't need that much shading and cuts to make a nice bulino scene

arnaud

 

[Willem Parel]

Another question Arnaud, how do you transfer a scene with so much detail and which method do you use then.

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Willem, I do some PS manipulation I'm good at and then print it with my Brother laser printer on bakery parchment. Then I cut it very light and remove the Damar before doing the outlines again and start the shading and Bulino cuttings.

arnaud

 

[Southern Custom]

Nicely done Arnaud. I've studied these designs as well and they have never failed to amaze me. Start using better quality knives. This work deserves a nicer canvas!!
Layne

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Anyone any suggestions what knife canvas for this sort of engravings that could interest some customers?

arnaud

 

[Paulie]

That is some VERY nice work on the knife handle, Arnaud! I really like that old fantasy style of Mr. Liénard too! Prachtig gedaan!

 

[Sam]

I think you did a really nice job on this knife. The cutting looks great to me, Arnaud. Well done.