My table at Reno

[unclejim1955]

Thanks for the calming words. Maybe it would help if I take cookies or something.

 

[Lee]

I give those that mistreat me buttermilk. Those I like get skim or one percent and honored guests are allowed to spike it with ovaltine or nestles.

 

[Lee]

Al, I think the gun you referred to is what the Italians call "liberty" style. The only two things I have done in that style is the gun pictured and the Hornblower. I have some photos that would help explain the design process I used but I can't find them. I will do my best to explain my thought process with words. I approached it like I do most ornamental designs. Think of it as layers. When you look at a design and are trying to pick it apart, peel off the layers one at a time. Do the same thing when building a design. With the "liberty" style, draw in first the large scrolls. Look at how they fill the space and give movement to the design. Second, take the medium size scrolls and begin to fill in the areas. Consider things such as overlaps to create some additional interest. The last thing is to place the smaller scrolls and leaves. These are the details and come last. Everything is based on a sound foundation which is the large scrolls that give the basic flow and structure to the whole design. I looked at quite a few examples of "liberty" scroll before I started and many did not have the sound foundation. They were more like "silly string in a can" that the kids use to decorate things we adults wish they had not. Too often we get excited about the details (leaves and smaller elements) and focus on them before the basic structure is in place.

 

[Titian]

Fantastic and very nice
Very best regard

 

[KCSteve]

Al, I think the gun you referred to is what the Italians call "liberty" style. The only two things I have done in that style is the gun pictured and the Hornblower. I have some photos that would help explain the design process I used but I can't find them. I will do my best to explain my thought process with words. I approached it like I do most ornamental designs. Think of it as layers. When you look at a design and are trying to pick it apart, peel off the layers one at a time. Do the same thing when building a design. With the "liberty" style, draw in first the large scrolls. Look at how they fill the space and give movement to the design. Second, take the medium size scrolls and begin to fill in the areas. Consider things such as overlaps to create some additional interest. The last thing is to place the smaller scrolls and leaves. These are the details and come last. Everything is based on a sound foundation which is the large scrolls that give the basic flow and structure to the whole design. I looked at quite a few examples of "liberty" scroll before I started and many did not have the sound foundation. They were more like "silly string in a can" that the kids use to decorate things we adults wish they had not. Too often we get excited about the details (leaves and smaller elements) and focus on them before the basic structure is in place.

So, would it be a good approach to sketch your main scrolls, and then (probably using a light box/table), sketch each additional layer on a new sheet? I'm thinking you'd use fairly thin paper and at some point transfer onto transparencies so you could see the whole design with all its overlaps and intertwining and yet still be able to isolate to just the layer(s) you need to study. Then once you have all of the layers you can decide the way the overlaps run and do a final tracing of the complete design.

 

[Lee]

Steve, I have used a similar technique in some of my classes with an overhead projector and i think it helps many.

 

[Titian]

Beautiful! Beautiful! and Beautiful!

 

[BES]

Bravo, Lee!
Mauser is cool!
And such Work - a Work of Art!