was wondering if anybody did scrimshaw i want to learn it i cant draw worth anything but i figure the old time whalers most of them couldnt draw either so i have hope for myself ive ordered some books from amazon theyll be here next week any insight would be apprecieted (cant draw cant spell either he he!)
Scrimshaw: hello im new here
- Thread starter souper
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Gemsetterchris
Elite Cafe Member
Plenty of fantastic scrimmers to be found here souper, just use the search function & away you go.
souper, Welcome to the Café, before you do anything learn how to draw if you can draw it you'll be able to scrim it engrave it or what ever. Newbes stop putting the cart before the horse. J.J.
That's why all their work was in the form of crude Folk Art and stick figures, which they did as a means to take up their free time and prevent boredom aboard ship. Any grade school kid can do that. If you plan to sell your work, you have better learn to draw first.
I disagree... While learning to draw is important, there are many copyright free design books out there. Sandra Brady's series of training DVDs and most books will show how to transfer the designs. This will allow you to learn to cut at the same time as learning to draw.
You will get bored with your creativity level if you don't design yourself. So... Learn to draw at the same time. There are many books, web pages and videos to help.
It's kind of like music. The old pros will say that you have to learn to write your own music. But there are a lot of cover bands playing other people's music. It's two different skills that are both needed by top professionals. But you can be a very happy hobbiest just doing one.
You will get bored with your creativity level if you don't design yourself. So... Learn to draw at the same time. There are many books, web pages and videos to help.
It's kind of like music. The old pros will say that you have to learn to write your own music. But there are a lot of cover bands playing other people's music. It's two different skills that are both needed by top professionals. But you can be a very happy hobbiest just doing one.
Is it any wonder that our fellow engravers across the bond are so far head of us at a young age and are master engravers by the time there 20.They paid their dues with hard work and four years of dedication and I bet the head master was not easy on his students. J.J.
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JJ, does everyone have to be a master engraver? Can someone be a hobbiest? If one is a hobbiest, should they go through hell for years before they have fun? From your posts to newbies it sounds like it is all the way to master or quit now...
Souper, many plastics are available through local hardware stores. I turn pens from acrylics. Many of the acrylics would work fine for scrimshaw. If you can find someone that does countertops and beg for his scrap you could have a lot if free practice plates.
What I really want to do is go cruising around the waterways of the eastern US. But I can't due to my health. 
.... So the next best thing I can think of is learning to do scrimshaw. I know it's kinda like cheating to use free images but not everyone has the money or the time to learn how to do it as a professional. So I hope you understand and forgive my indulgence.
.... So the next best thing I can think of is learning to do scrimshaw. I know it's kinda like cheating to use free images but not everyone has the money or the time to learn how to do it as a professional. So I hope you understand and forgive my indulgence.
Jerry, I never said everyone should become a master just learn how to draw,if you don't you will not succeed as a hobbyist or a master and just keep drawing and engraving the same old same old. J.J.
Roger Bleile
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Here is a link to a tutorial by Katherine Plumer, who is one of the world's foremost scrimshanders. If you simply follow her instructions you will be well on your way. http://www.engravingforum.com/showthread.php?t=2256
If you can't get your hands on a piece of pre ban ivory, a good material for practice is tagua nut. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytelephas
Most gun enthusiasts do their scrimshaw on bleached cattle horns. You can buy powder horn kits very inexpensively.
While I am personally very critical of amateurs and unskilled hobbyists attempting to engrave guns, I don't feel that way about scrimshaw. It has been considered a folk art for centuries and if you ruin a cattle horn while learning, toss it and start again.
Have fun,
Roger
If you can't get your hands on a piece of pre ban ivory, a good material for practice is tagua nut. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytelephas
Most gun enthusiasts do their scrimshaw on bleached cattle horns. You can buy powder horn kits very inexpensively.
While I am personally very critical of amateurs and unskilled hobbyists attempting to engrave guns, I don't feel that way about scrimshaw. It has been considered a folk art for centuries and if you ruin a cattle horn while learning, toss it and start again.
Have fun,
Roger
Doc Mark
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Drawing skills ARE ESSENTIAL to create exciting, fresh scrimshaw works. However, there is NOTHING WRONG with copying or even tracing open copywrite materials while learning. I got a kick out of finding in a quick Amazon search a book titled "Scrimshaw, But I Can't Even Draw! A Beginner's Guide etc." If your buying books, one of my all time favorites was Gilkerson's book on Scrimshaw. It's not modern colored, pointalistic style scrimshaw but his technique is still one of the best for pure black and white. Just get out there and have fun. Scrimshaw is probably one of the least expensive ways to get started in the "engraving" family. And, it can be some of the most elegant art imaginable. Just look at the work Katherine Plummer and Sandra Brady are doing! After a while, you just may find that you have a talent for drawing that has been untapped for years.
KatherinePlumer
Elite Cafe Member
Hi Souper. I have good news and bad news. The good news is you can easily (and cheaply) get your hands on all sorts of materials that will work just fine for scrimshaw without having to use ivory. You can get Corian tiles from home improvement stores. I REALLY like working on Corian, it scrims beautifully. Companies that sell knife-making supplies will have "paper micarta" available, that's often used as a substitute for ivory, it's okay. I know that faux ivory pistol grips are readily available, and it scrims well. You could probably get faux ivory in other forms as well, but I haven't really looked into that. Lots of people work on bone (bleached cow bone, pet supply store?) or antler, though both those surfaces have to be sealed.
The bad news... drawing is SO important to scrimshaw.
It IS drawing, you just happen to be drawing with engraved marks. All the good technique in the world cannot cover a poor foundation. If you're just planning to do this as a hobby you'll be fine using stock images and working in kind of an "old fashioned" style. But that won't fly if you ever wanted to take it to a professional level.
Oh and you don't need any fancy tools either, don't let anyone convince you otherwise. I have (and use) fancy tools, but the two that get the most use are a sewing needle (held in a pin vise), and an x-acto blade.
Anyway, I hope that doesn't come off totally discouraging. By all means give it a whirl, and enjoy it!
-Katherine
The bad news... drawing is SO important to scrimshaw.
It IS drawing, you just happen to be drawing with engraved marks. All the good technique in the world cannot cover a poor foundation. If you're just planning to do this as a hobby you'll be fine using stock images and working in kind of an "old fashioned" style. But that won't fly if you ever wanted to take it to a professional level.Oh and you don't need any fancy tools either, don't let anyone convince you otherwise. I have (and use) fancy tools, but the two that get the most use are a sewing needle (held in a pin vise), and an x-acto blade.
Anyway, I hope that doesn't come off totally discouraging. By all means give it a whirl, and enjoy it!
-Katherine
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