Well it could be better but I think I can fix most of it. My youngest daughter had friends over. Five 4-6 year old kids, wooden floors so you can imagine.
Background removal and shading to go.
The best
I was not sure when you started to post earlier and you stood by your guns (knife) and your vision was, is sound nice work.
Skill comes from diligence.
Oh thanks guys! I'll keep posting as I move forward. It does not seems much to it but man this is really a tough design to pull off and make it look somewhat good.
I thought I managed to fill all areas with scrolls but now when I have started to cut the background... there will be a lot of background
I think the "simpler" the design the harder it is. There's no way of hiding blemishes in among multiple details or leaves.
The hardest engraving of all I suspect is a simple double line border. However, for my tastes, the more minimalist designs have a greater elegance that shows off more refined engraving skill ... just my opinion. I think it's worth the effort