Help, please: To much to fast?

[Beladran]

Been tired of cutting lines, circles, waves etc etc boring stuff..so I tried to "walk" today

Well I think I stumbled an fell face first !! Sam's videos makes this stuff look like easy mode...

 

[James Roettger]

To me boring stuff has always been anything like practice plates or other exercises . I did all my learning on "live" pieces with an end product always in my sight. This is how I motivated myself to learn. I started with small accent lines and details on my jewelry castings. Over time I graduated to more difficult work as my skills grew. Once in a while I may do a practice pattern before going to a live piece when the stakes are high. I am always amazed when I see these elaborate and often fine practice plates people do. I look at it and figure too bad it's on a plate instead of a moderately priced gun or piece of jewelry where the world will appreciate it. I think what is important to recognize is people need different paths to learn depending on their inclinations. In high school my art teacher always let us do whatever we wanted and everybody in the class did different stuff from each other and all could observe and learn from the variety. My high school teacher then sent my to his college where the teachers then had the same free spirit approach letting competent students do whatever they wished. Later a new faculty came in and rote learning was introduced with rigid, narrow assignments all the way through. I felt glad to have been able to experience the free style (circa 1970's) of education which is actually pretty rare.

 

[Artemiss]

A good friend once told me to 'treat every piece like it's the most important piece of your life'.
This gives you a very good frame of mind to do your best.

Jo

 

[Willem Parel]

I very much like the honesty of your posting, most of us would keep it to themselfes if it go's wrong this way.
I would say, stick to it and it will become better very soon, but I can tell you its hard to get satisfied....

 

[Beathard]

Did you freehand cut this or did you draw or transfer it first? Search the forum for practice designs. There are several that Sam has put up. Try transferring these to practice plates, then try engraving...

 

[monk]

all engravers face this horrible wall- some more, some less. nevertheless, one gets proficient only after practice, usually lots of it. those of us that are self-taught, face a much greater challenge than the newbies. taking classes can eliminate much error & wasted time. newbies also have this forum at their fingertips- 24/7. i'm still trying to break all the bad habits i taught myself several decades ago. old habits don't go away so easiiy.

 

[billrice@charter.net]

Many times my practice plates are the beginning of the design I will be engraving on the customers piece such as a knife or a piece of jewelry. Then after I deliver the project to the customer all finished, I still have the practice plate to show to my prospective customers. Practice is so essential to improving in this art form. I love this art of hand engraving immensely and yet I to get frustrated, when I feel I am not making progress I will talk to someone who comments on my engraving and will say something like " wow from last year to now I have seen great improvement in you engraving " this helps me to look forward to where I will be next year with my engraving skills however I know it only comes with lots of practice.

 

[Beladran]

I penciled it. I feel like I'm getting better but I feel like I'm limited by my tools right now but that's slowly improving. The wife ok'ed me to take one of Sam's 5 day private classes. I hope I have not taught myself any bad habits so far lol I try to excel in anything I do. Heck a couple years ago I couldn't shoot worth a flip but now I have a
Masters card in NRA action pistol, Expert in air pistol, and B class in USPSA. I hope this time next year I can look at these olds posts an laugh!

 

[Beathard]

If you are going to take a week long class from Sam, get ready to have your mind blown. By the end of day one you won't recognize your current work as engraving. By the end of Day 5 you will be walking on water. At least that's the way I was...