I started engraving six months ago after many years of interest in the art.
However, before putting a graver to metal, I spend at least a year drawing scrolls, and reading anything I could find on the internet.
For others just beginning this journey, I’d like to share some of the bits of information that I have learned. These gleanings are probably second nature to the seasoned veteran engravers, but elusive to those just starting out.
First and foremost, equipment really matters. I began with a DIY pneumatic handpiece (that I am still using) and an optivisor, and my engraving was absolutely horrible.
When I added a ball vise, the quality of my engraving took a giant leap forward. That isn’t to say that the vise suddenly turned me into a “real engraver”. I just allowed me to start engraving smooth flowing lines.
The next giant leap came when I added a microscope. With the added magnification, my shading suddenly became throughly visible while being cut, and the improvement was dramatic. Younger eyes may get by without a microscope, but I couldn’t.
Along the journey, I also figured out that a sharp graver and a delicate touch were essential.
Even a slightly dull graver will jump out of the cut, and skid along the metal with horrible affect. Once I learned to recognize when a graver was getting dull, errors diminished.
As to a light touch, it seems that trying to muscle the graver always results in substandard cuts. I had to learn that the hand should only guide a pneumatic engraver, and not push it more than is necessary to keep it in the cut.
While I spent a lot of time leaning to draw scrolls, it became evident that my initial designs were lacking. Simply stated, if a design isn’t conducive to shading it will never work. Every element of a drawing has to be conducive to shading, and if it is even a little lacking there is no way to make it look good.
I have a few more revelations to share, but since this post is getting rather long, I stop here with the hope of critique from the experts.
However, before putting a graver to metal, I spend at least a year drawing scrolls, and reading anything I could find on the internet.
For others just beginning this journey, I’d like to share some of the bits of information that I have learned. These gleanings are probably second nature to the seasoned veteran engravers, but elusive to those just starting out.
First and foremost, equipment really matters. I began with a DIY pneumatic handpiece (that I am still using) and an optivisor, and my engraving was absolutely horrible.
When I added a ball vise, the quality of my engraving took a giant leap forward. That isn’t to say that the vise suddenly turned me into a “real engraver”. I just allowed me to start engraving smooth flowing lines.
The next giant leap came when I added a microscope. With the added magnification, my shading suddenly became throughly visible while being cut, and the improvement was dramatic. Younger eyes may get by without a microscope, but I couldn’t.
Along the journey, I also figured out that a sharp graver and a delicate touch were essential.
Even a slightly dull graver will jump out of the cut, and skid along the metal with horrible affect. Once I learned to recognize when a graver was getting dull, errors diminished.
As to a light touch, it seems that trying to muscle the graver always results in substandard cuts. I had to learn that the hand should only guide a pneumatic engraver, and not push it more than is necessary to keep it in the cut.
While I spent a lot of time leaning to draw scrolls, it became evident that my initial designs were lacking. Simply stated, if a design isn’t conducive to shading it will never work. Every element of a drawing has to be conducive to shading, and if it is even a little lacking there is no way to make it look good.
I have a few more revelations to share, but since this post is getting rather long, I stop here with the hope of critique from the experts.
