Review of the new bulino DVD by Chris DeCamillis

[Sam]

BASIC TECHNIQUE FOR BULINO ENGRAVING by Chris DeCamillis

Last night I had the pleasure of previewing the new Basic Technique
For Bulino Engraving DVD by Chris DeCamillis, and I have to say that
I've never seen the process explained in such an easy
to understand way. The video begins with an introduction followed by
five chapters on sharpening, graver geometry, basic cutting, form &
feather effects, and cutting fur, eyes, & noses. Chris' emphasis is
line engraving bulino (as opposed to all-dots) which renders very
strong, contrasty images, and focuses on the the critical parts you
need to create beautifully engraved bulino animal portraits.

Chris begins with an explanation of graver geometry which could
forever change the way scenes and portraits are engraved in steel.
Feeling there might be something better than the normal 80° workhorse
graver that many bulino engravers use, Chris' experimentation with
different geometries shows how a few degrees of change can turn a grey
line into a rich, black line. He shows an example of this by cutting
patches of lines starting with an 80° tool and finishing with a 110°
tool. You have to see it to believe it, but as the graver becomes a few
degrees wider the patches of lines get darker and blacker, allowing
the engraver greater control over shading and contrast than ever before
(see YouTube link below for a video clip).
His graver material of choice is the new C-Max carbide from GRS which
is incredibly strong and especially suited for this type of engraving.

Chris shows clear, detailed close-up video of preparing and sharpening
gravers with a new technique of diamond paste polishing on a cast iron
lap (that I am anxious to try). He emphasizes the importance of a high
graver polish in order to achieve lines that trap the light normally
scattered from non-polished cuts. His new geometry and highly polished
graver makes his bulino work even more dramatic, with beautiful
transitions from light to deep black.

In the Form & Feather Effects section of the video Chris begins with
explanations of various techniques for engraving bird feathers in a
lifelike way. While you might think outlining a feather and then
filling it in is the logical process, he shows ways to create feather
shapes without outlines that are amazingly realistic. From the soft
underbelly to primary and secondary wing feathers, he shows you
exactly what you need to know to engrave birds with a high degree of
realism, including the dark striped feather markings of some species.

I was especially surprised to see how Chris does contour shading, and
would have bet (and lost) that he cuts a lot of curved lines. Not
so. He shows how cutting deep, straight lines at the edges and
gradually working your way across the shape in rows of cuts, varying
the depth, angle, and spacing, to create a beautiful transition of
black to grey to white...and all with straight lines. The end result
is deceptive, and at first glance appears to be curved lines that
follow the contour, but it's all done with straight cuts that create
layers of beautiful shading and texture.

Chris also explains and demonstrates how deepening and darkening
certain areas actually lowers the surface of the metal creating what
he calls micro-sculpting, giving the finished image 3-dimensional form.

After the lesson on birds, Chris moves on to furry animals and
demonstrates ways to engrave lifelike short and long fur. He explains
that the lines you cut are not the fur, but the negative space around
the fur. This is important to know since it's the unengraved (or very
lightly engraved) metal that becomes fur. Combining lines and short
cuts and dots, a realistic randomness of hair and textures grows
before your eyes.

Realistic eyes and noses are what separate mediocre work from
great work, and Chris captures the sparkle in the eye and shiny black
nose with photo realism. His micro-sculpting approach models and
shapes these elements to perfection as he explains the process along
the way.

For fleshy areas Chris uses lighter cuts and dots for a soft, smooth
effect. He demonstrates by engraving a layer of light dots that are
followed by more layers of dots and cuts to create contour, shade, and
depth.

Chris DeCamillis is a master of the art and being able to watch
through his microscope as he explains and demonstrates the processes
of bulino is an enlightening experience. His many trips to Italy to
study with some of the world's best engravers and his constant
pursuit of improved methods has made it easier for
all of us to elevate our work to a much higher level. Chris says more
videos on advanced bulino technique are forthcoming, so now is a good
time to get this one and hone your skills and be ready for what
follows.

If you're beginner, a working professional, or a collector who wants
to see how these miniature masterpieces of the bulino art unfold, this
video is an absolute must for your library. You can order from GRS.

Watch a short clip on YouTube

~Sam Alfano

 

[vilts]

That looks like something for me and definitely better organized and quality than his FEGA bulino video.

Any ideas when this will be available? Probably GRS will sell it?

 

[Kevin P.]

Thanks for the review Sam.
Sounds like a great way to preview the technique before taking a class.
You've convinced me. That is your review convinced me.
Kevin P.

 

[Tim Herman]

Sam,

That was amazing! Everyone was going narrower with each new bulino graver and to see the darkness of that 110 just amazed me. When he talks about different geometries does he show how to sharpen them and why the make a darker or lighter line? I have badly wanted to learn the bulino line technique but his FEGA dvd didnt help much at all.

Say for a 90 degree graver, can you explain and show a couple of different grinds and explain what each type geometry does to a line cut and show a close up of the 2 geometries. I've gotten my dot technique down pretty good after color engraving so many years and I ues lines sometimes but not often. This dvd sounds fabulous, thanks for explaining so much in detail about whats on it. After the FEGA dud lesson it would take a real good explanation for me to buy another.

I would love to see using just one angle of graver, say a 90, and have rows of cuts with all the known geometries and any new ones Chris has come up with.

On another subject Sam, I have been giving a lot of thought on doing a nice book on my complete color engraving technique. Nobody has still come up with anything close even though Creative Art tried some kind of cold enamel painting work on one of MY knives lol. I am getting worse physically rapidly and would really
hat to see this beautiful technique leave the world along with me. I know you are lots for familiar with getting something like this done and maybe GRS would be interested in publishing and distributing. I will do a complete color engraving with many good close up photos and explain everything along the way to completing a very cool color engraving. I will not hold back any secrets and show all the little tricks for masking very small areas to rub the color only in that tiny area, how to pop out crisp bright highlights and everything in between. If you would be interested in talking with me more about it and if GRS would be interested please call me. I really dont want the engraving world to loose this really cool and realistic technique. Thank you Sam and I hope you call me.

 

[CJ Allan]

Great review........

Great Tease..
So where do we get it.....??

Thanks....

 

[Sam]

Tim: I'm out of the country and will call you when I get back to the states.

CJ: GRS will be selling the video.

Gotta run / ~Sam

 

[CJ Allan]

Thanks Sam.......
Have a good trip...

.

 

[Mike Cirelli]

Mine is on it's way.

I watched the youtube. Correct me if I'm wrong. My experiance with a 110 an 120 is that it is a darker looking line but much more of a shallow cut than a 90 or less. A wider cut seems to have much more of a limited sweet spot when viewing. It seems a narrower graver will give a deeper cut with more metal removal, also wouldn't the deeper cuts give a little better or more of a sweet spot when viewing.

Every since Sam turned me onto the 120 I very rarely reach for anything else for lettering or daily work. The 120 really gives more life to lettering and fine line scroll than a 90 that's for sure. I have only experiment with bulino so far. It's a very time consuming process but hope to do more with it in the future. I'm sure Chris's DVD will put a fire under my ass.

 

[Christian DeCamillis]

Wow. Sam, when you said you would like to see the video and would do a review, I never expected this much; thank you. You really covered all the aspects of what the video shows.

Tim, what I show on the video is how to make what I call the workhorse for bulino engraving, the eighty degree geometry. It is the same point I learned in Italy. There is also an insert in the video packaging with written and drawn instructions. When you choose to sharpen a wider geometry the only thing you change is the included angle for the bottom. This bulino point has been shown many times on the forum. I do, however, demo sharpening on the video.

Mike, my intention on showing and now using thes wider geometries was not to change anyone's mind on what is right or wrong as far as which geometry to use. The techniques in the video are the same no matter what geomitry one chooses. Since using Cmax though I discovered that these wider geometries have many advantages. It's all shown and explained on the video. The one important thing to remember is that the tool must be super sharp and super polished. There can be no rounding of the point at all. This graver material will allow for this. I have been testing it for some time and it's incredible! I have made 70 degree gravers with a 40 degree face and it holds up like nothing I've ever used. The polish is one key though. The other thing that I have found in using it is it takes about half the pressure to make cuts because it is so sharp. I now use it for everything including stone setting. All of the engravings I have posted here in the last few months were all done with it and the wider geometries.

The only thing I can tell you about using these wider geometries for bulino is to try them for yourself and then you can decide. I don't teach or believe that there is only one way to do something. What this does do thought, is open up the possibility, to use several geometries in the same piece to give it more and better effects Chris

 

[jlseymour]

Chris maybe you know when the video will be for sale by GRS...
Jerry

 

[Christian DeCamillis]

Jerry, You can order it now.Its on their website Chris

 

[eastslope]

I am signed up for the course this summer. This DVD just makes me look forward to it more, as I hopefully won't have to take as many notes. Seth

 

[mixstuff]

http://www.grstools.com/dvd-bulino.html

Available for pre-order now. Ships May 1st.

 

[silverchip]

Got mine ordered yesterday:banana:arty::big grin:I can't wait to see what else I can learn.

 

[kcrutche]

Chris

I ordered my copy today, and happily found out they are available now.

GRS stated I should have it by Friday.

I have the FEGA version, lots and lots of very good information.

I certainly hope you continue with more video's on advanced bulino technique.

You can put me down for an advanced order now.

I have seen it stated the advanced Engravers Do not put out a DVD Video because it is so easy to copy.

It is also just as easy to embed a serial number (that could be tied to each sale and not be seen by the naked eye) into one or more pictures.

Then if it came up on the Net with proper password you would know exactly who sold or gave away a copy.

Lets hope this does not happen in your case.

Ken

 

[diandwill]

I have looked and it doesn't seem as if the cmax is available yet. I have been reading the reports and am looking forward to trying it out too. Anything that will allow for more engraving and less sharpening with sharper gravers has to be good. When will they be available for us lower rung persons?
I a pre-ordering my DVD too.
Will

 

[Tim Herman]

Chris, I am still confused about all these geometries. Like the Italian 70v is just ground up from the belly to a small v point. How do you grind this new geometry? All this talk about geometry is so confusing. Like what other ways can you grind a 70v point that cuts darker than that grind?

 

[Christian DeCamillis]

Tim, this Graver is ground the same way as you just descibed, from the belly up to a small v, no heel. There is nothing new about it except, that instead of making the bottom geometry 70, you make it 110 or 105 or 100. and make sure its super polished,by that I mean, there should be no little score marks at all only a mirror,face angle as well.
Tim it doesn't matter if you want to make the geometry 103.656 degrees. The thing that is unique is that the wide geometries are giving darker cuts. They cut more smoothly, no tearing action on the edges and of course stronger points. So to grind an 80 ,you would grind 50 degrees each side, for a 100 a 40 per side, for a 105, 37.5 per side,for 110, 35 per side, a 120, 30 per side. Remember its the two angles you grind added together and subtract from 180 = your included angle, or bottom geometry.
The last thing I can tell you is that geometry is geometry. It doesn't matter if you form your tool like the Italians, the standard grind with heel, a parelell heel, the line cut is the same. What these specific grinds like the Italian one do for you is to let you see better where you are cutting, it's that simple. It doesnt matter if your tool measures 1 inch by one inch or 1mm by 1mm. both are capable of cutting the same line no matter how fine, but imagine trying to cut fine shade lines well with a 1 inch by 1inch tip, it would be difficult to see where you are placing the point. Chris

 

[Ray Cover]

Chris,

I have to say thanks for doing this. Believe me I know how much work and hassle it is just to organize and prep for putting together a project like this. Not to mention the actual shooting, editing, etc. I hope this brings you a really good return for your effort.

I will be getting a copy and I would encourage others to get a copy. At $40 every engraver on the planet should have it in their library.

Ray

 

[Kevin P.]

Chris, Wonderful news that your bulino DVD is available. I spent some time with Diane S. last week and she had a wonderful elk done in 'bulino' style. What impressed me is that she did it in one day. She also said "you're the man" when it comes to bulino.
I would love to take your upcoming class; but I don't know that time and commitments allow.
I'm ordering your DVD.
Kevin P.