Critique Request First try at bullino with my travel kit

[tkelch]

This is my first try with this any tip or things I need to focus on would be much appreciated. This is on a peace of aluminumand I am using an onlet.


Tom Kelch

 

[dlilazteca]

What exactly is in your travel kit? Sounds like something I could do during lunch

Carlos De La O III

 

[tkelch]

I have a few gravers and handles a stone optiviser block of wood and a leather sand bag nothing fancy look at the older post on this I did when setting it up and at kcsteve's photos of his kit for his palm control


Tom Kelch

 

[Beathard]

Tom, sorry but I have to ask... Monkey? Baboon? Lion? Anatomy looks off...

 

[tkelch]

It is supposed to be a loin I need to find some better references to look at make a better lay out


Tom Kelch

 

[JJ Roberts]

Tom, Try drawing more before engraving, here a good book to look for on amazon How to Drawing Animals by Jack Hamm. It would be a big help to anyone interested in Animal anatomy. J.J.

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Hi Tom

Maybe you could tell us exactly what you did from the beginning. Did you hand draw the lion on the metal?? Is it your own creation or from a photo??? Are they dots or lines??

It's very hard to tell anything from the photo

Cheers
Andrew

 

[tkelch]

I drew the lion on the metal with a sharpy and did dots. I used the lion drawing in the art of engraving to go off of. It's not very detailed and looked up some on my phone. Once I started I did see right a way I need to draw it out first to have a better idea of what I am trying to end up with. Sorry for the poor photo I only have. My iPhone out here with me


Tom Kelch

 

[Andrew Biggs]

I drew the lion on the metal with a sharpy and did dots.

Hi Tom

Therein lies some of your problem..........To draw a lion straight onto metal and start cutting is a really big call.

I would suggest a transfer of some sort to get the basic outline and a bit of where the detail goes........... There are many quick and easy ways to transfer. Carbon paper, acetate, pencil rubbing and all then all the more complicated computer generated ways. This way you can get the basic shape and where the ears, eye and nose go. If any of these things are in the wrong place people notice immediately and all the work is spoilt because of it.

I would also suggest trying short lines instead of dots to begin with. You will cover an area far quicker that way.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[Beathard]

I use a light table and trace the outline and placement onto tracing paper. I then use the copier to scale the image. Then use more lines than dots to shade what appears to be a coloring book still image that I transfer to the project piece.

Example:


A dog done in Marty Rabenos class...

 

[tkelch]

I will do a transfer for the next one I have some tracing paper and tape and transfer solotion so I will see what I can come up with


Tom Kelch

 

[KCSteve]

A quick and simple way to do transfers 'on the go' is a pencil and some wax. Trace your image on the back of the paper with a nice, soft pencil. You can use a window as a field expedient light table for the tracing. Put a layer of wax on the metal (transfer wax, ren wax, etc.), put your drawing over it and burnish over the pencil lines. Enough of the lead will transfer to the wax to give you your pattern.

Oh, and the Box O' Happiness is built around a Classic - can't quite swing a Palm Control (that would make it even sweeter though).

 

[tkelch]

Thanks Steve I will try that and my bad about the box o fun I would like to set up something more like that when I can


Tom Kelch

 

[tkelch]

When doing the line bulino how deep do I want the line to be


Tom Kelch

 

[Beathard]

Very shallow, almost scratches. Darkness comes from multiple cuts or width of cut.

 

[Andrew Biggs]

When doing the line bulino how deep do I want the line to be

Hi Tom

Don't get hung up on any of that stuff. It's actually not important. People get hung up on size of line, thickness of line, size of dot, direction of dot, shape of dot, graver geometry, 120, 100, 90, 70 and all the rest of it......... Just do it and you will soon see that none of it really matters that much.

Some lines can be deep and others very light. Some dots big and others small. It all depends on the area you are shading and what you want the effect to be. Sometimes I use the power of the GraverMach and other times I push by hand..........it all depends on the area that I'm working on.

What is really important is light and shade which is what gives us depth, roundness and a 3 dimensional look. You are literally shading with a graver.

Follow the contours of muscle, bone, hair etc when you make your cuts and take your time. If you have to rework areas to make them darker then do it. It's a slow process that takes time and attention to detail.......rush the work at your peril.

Get stuck into it and don't over think it.

Cheers
Andrew

P.S. The one thing you have to have is a sharp graver. By sharp, I mean razor sharp. You have to cut the lines (no matter how shallow the cut) and see metal coming off the end of the graver. If the graver is rounded then all you will be doing is scratching metal. So keep sharpening your graver at regular intervals.

 

[tkelch]

Thank you Andrew that helps a lot


Tom Kelch

 

[Christian DeCamillis]

Hi Tom

Don't get hung up on any of that stuff. It's actually not important. People get hung up on size of line, thickness of line, size of dot, direction of dot, shape of dot, graver geometry, 120, 100, 90, 70 and all the rest of it......... Just do it and you will soon see that none of it really matters that much.

Some lines can be deep and others very light. Some dots big and others small. It all depends on the area you are shading and what you want the effect to be. Sometimes I use the power of the GraverMach and other times I push by hand..........it all depends on the area that I'm working on.

What is really important is light and shade which is what gives us depth, roundness and a 3 dimensional look. You are literally shading with a graver.

Follow the contours of muscle, bone, hair etc when you make your cuts and take your time. If you have to rework areas to make them darker then do it. It's a slow process that takes time and attention to detail.......rush the work at your peril.

Get stuck into it and don't over think it.

Cheers
Andrew

P.S. The one thing you have to have is a sharp graver. By sharp, I mean razor sharp. You have to cut the lines (no matter how shallow the cut) and see metal coming off the end of the graver. If the graver is rounded then all you will be doing is scratching metal. So keep sharpening your graver at regular intervals.

I am going to have to disagree with all of the above except for the sharp graver. It all does matter. It's not possible to get the best result by merely shading with a graver. You will never get a true black without the correct depth which is achieved by several layers of cuts . Even the direction of the line dot or dash can make a difference. The direction of those cuts are related to the images orientation as it is viewed by someone.

I have said it before and will continue to say that the bulino technique is not the same as drawing on metal or paper.

Tom. Get a copy of my first video on Bulino and the casting . The casting will hel you understand much more clearly as to the depth of cuts etc...

Chris

 

[Beathard]

Chris, funny you disagree with what I said. Then proceeded to say the same in more depth. I actually learned it from your video...

 

[Christian DeCamillis]

I didn't disagree with anything you said . My disagreement is with what Andrew said. I posted the quote that I am referring to.

Chris