Critique Request Please be gentle. First request

[Sgwiley]

Hi. Appreciate comments . I'm a bit scared so please be gentle

 

[mdengraver]

Looks like your doing some interesting practice here. Need to lean your graver more frequently to vary your line width. This will give your work more dimension, character, and will make it more visual pleasing and lively, less flat. Aspects of your design show some promise. Others on the cafe can give you more specific advice. Also try to introduce some textures, patterns, and thick and thin lines which
will enrich your work and add expression.

 

[Sgwiley]

Thanks so much. Your advice helps! I will continue to work.....

 

[Sgwiley]

Not many comments. Must be bad. Well, I'll keep working. ...

Hope everyone had fun in vegas!

 

[mdengraver]

People will respond be patient. Most importantly, keep practicing. You may need advice on proper tool sharpening and others can help you with that if you have questions.

 

[wowilson]

Sgwiley, It is a little bit difficult to critique because 1. it is presented on its side 2. there isn't much contrast to the piece, which makes hard to discern exactly what it is. I see that it is a deer portrait done with scrollwork and leaves, and such. I think that its an interesting idea and the cutting doesn't look bad to me. The design doesn't quite work for me. I think you should either develop your scrolls to make more of the interior, or abandon that idea and go another way. Interesting idea though. Does that make sense?

 

[Sgwiley]

Thanks mdengraver. I like you.

 

[mdengraver]

You may want to draw something or transfer some thing you like on the plate. There's an old expression in engraving "If can't draw them, you can't cut them."

 

[Sgwiley]

Well that is what I did. Must be a lack of talent on my part. I try....

 

[wowilson]

This is something that I slapped together to illustrate what I meant. any space that the scroll doesn't reach could be filled with leaves. I don't know what you'd do about the antlers, maybe treat them as a separate element and have them more natural.

 

[Sgwiley]

Omg. That is so much better than what I did. Well, I've only been at it for 3 months. I have a long way to go...

Thank you for your help!!

 

[Sgwiley]

Thanks. You are cool.

 

[wowilson]

My layout is just a "for instance" but I hope it helps you some. If your layout is tight enough and adheres closely to your outline you could drop the out line all together.

 

[Sgwiley]

Love it. Gotta go to bed now. I have als. Good night.

 

[Sgwiley]

I hoped fora bigger response but I thank you. Feeling ill....need to go to bed.

 

[Sgwiley]

Not nuch of a response. Hmmm.

 

[Sam]

I would suggest learning basic scroll design as opposed to trying to fill the shape of a deer. Once you learn the basics you can branch out and try different things. Right now is not a good time though.

 

[Sgwiley]

Thanks Sam. I will work on the scrolls. It is fun. Happy to be trying.

 

[Sgwiley]

Sam,

What did you mean by "right now is not a good time". I'm confused by that.

 

[Boomhower]

I like your idea it gave me a few ideas thank you
I am just learning myself
I have been drawing night and day like you said it is fun
I had some complex ideas and the best advice I got was to learn scroll's and the way they form before jumping into complex designs like the old saying you got to craw before you can walk
One idea I had for your design was to do the deer in bulino then do scroll's around it like a frame then a border around it