Critique Request First for me.

[Dale Hatfield]

So this is something I tried. I dont know whats right or wrong. Or really where to start. But Ive got tools and Im going to make them work for me somehow.Gotta make this investment work.
I blacked the plate with Black marker Hand sketched my outline and key points.
I done some outline with detail graver.
Done some deep cutting in the nostril.
Then I grabed the Ngraver with a liner and went to town.
So what I ask Is this right wrong or a bad way to go at it. What not to do next time and so on.
I kinda like it .Im sure the next one could be better and I expect it to be.

Thanks for looking and any help ya might have.
Dale

 

[monk]

not sure if the foto is doing justice to your work. it's difficult for me to see detail to comment on. in any event, continue with practice- improvement will follow.

 

[GTJC460]

From what I can tell, it looks decent. Wish the foto was clear...too blurry

 

[FANCYGUN]

OK I'm still on my first cup of coffee and blurry eyed but I'll take a stab at it.
I see some interesting things going on here. It looks like you have some good tool control for a beginner and I see some varied type of cuts.
Now for the bad things. You said you blackend in the plate before cutting. This is not good because what you saw as you engraved are light lines. What you have created is sort of a "scratch board" type of engraving or you could say you were engraving in a negative. When engraving animals you want a dark line not a reflective light colored line. Sort of like drawing a pen and ink picture. Engrave through a ploished plate with your dark lines. As you engrave you cA take your sharpie and darken the lines in and wipe off the surface so you can see in fact what you are actually engraving. This way you can create those details and darks that you are trying for.
Good start and keep at it

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Looks like a horse to me, but indeed I think the photo doesn't do good to show it.
One of the most important things I realized from the beginning when I started engraving, was that I had to be able to make good photos of my work, only by doing that I could have the best feedback.

Sure showing your work to a master engraver is the best way, but even a video recording is sometimes better than a photo.
This one I couldn't make a good detailed photo of it that would fit your screen, so I made a video using a 80 euro webcam.

[video=youtube;WHbQB6O2a9Y]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHbQB6O2a9Y[/video]

arnaud

 

[Barry Lee Hands]

Marty has some good points. And it does look like a horse.
The eye is a bit large, this is a common problem in depictions of animals.
The muzzle/chin groove/ throatlatch area is really good. The poll and crest are a bit full.
Keep at it.