Critique Request Vector shading practice

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Well OK, here comes the hard part to explain my intention. I have been studying shading the whole afternoon. If I would have shaded this using a pencil, it would have taken only 30 minutes.
Shading with vectors is a sort of High End pencil in my opinion. But there is no shading brush in Illustrator. So this is the closest I can get.
The tone of the shading depends on the magnification you look at it, and the resolution of your screen.
So this is not an attempt to tone shading but directions of the shading cuts
At 400% it should look at the best, at least on my screen.

I used tapered lines for the shading, but they don’t look that much like cutted shading lines.
My intention here is to show the direction of the shading lines, respecting the shape of what I shaded.
Perhaps those of you who are new to engraving, will understand better the point I try to make. It is about tapering, direction and high lights.
I also have the vector design for download in pdf format, you can open that using Adobe Acrobat reader and show or hide the different layers. You might as well open the file using Illustrator.
Those of you who are used to manipulate vectors, and see some problem areas or could do better, make some changes in another colour and show me.
And if you want to use my vector design for cutting a bracelet, sent me 10 dollar using Pay Pal via my website.

So my request is, If I would cut the right amount and size of shading lines starting and in the direction like you see them on the vector, would there be errors on the shading?

PDF document download.

click here for full screen view

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

I have formulated my request a bit better I hope.

arnaud

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

No comments? so it must be good enough to cut

arnaud

 

[Sam]

I would say it's perfect. In fact I think maybe you're joking asking for critique. Really, it's excellent and perfect for engraving. I know I could not do better.

 

[mitch]

Arnaud-

i didn't comment because i'm virtually computer-illiterate, but from a strictly engraving standpoint it looks great.

 

[g.rohrbaugh]

Arnaud, if that was mine I would have started engraving that piece as soon as ink dried! I would like to see it after you engrave it. Your drawings are excellent. Thanks for showing and giving all of us ideas. Hope someday I can come up with things like that. But it all takes time and practice.
Gary

 

[g.rohrbaugh]

Arnaud, Also if i can ask what program are you using to do your Vector drawings?
Gary

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Sam, no I wasn’t joking. The right comments make me progress and took me already there where I am yet on my learning curve.
And as I see lots of things that I can improve on this design, I have a drive to try better.
As perfect sure it exist, but not reachable, because if possible, it would be the last creation for the artist.
We all, when we start a new piece, we try to do it better than the one before. And we all can learn from each other whether student or teacher.
So this was just a honest request for comments.


Christopher, LOL!


Mitch, the medium one uses doesn’t matter in my opinion. Sure it would be harder to draw this using “Chinese Black Ink” and a pen, but with some imagination, this drawing at the right magnification depending on the resolution of your screen, could look like a pen and ink one or a print from a copper hand engraved plate.


arnaud