Help, please: Single scroll

[Borzzza]

I'm a newbie, just couple of months practicing after a GRS class in April. I'm not really good in drawing, today I've been trying to get a "perfect" scroll to be used in further design, out of a dozen backbones I got couple of good ones.... I got them together on a tracing paper, would appreciate any critique/advise.

Thanks!
Nata

 

[monk]

i think i see a very minor flat spot. once engraved, it will not show. an excellent start. good drawing is the foundation of all you will do, and can't be emphasized too much. good luck to you.

 

[Borzzza]

i think i see a very minor flat spot. once engraved, it will not show. an excellent start. good drawing is the foundation of all you will do, and can't be emphasized too much. good luck to you.

Thank you! All those amasing works people share here inspire me to try my best.

 

[SamW]

The first and fourth ones look rather nice. Number 2 the center is a bit off to the left and number 3 a bit down. The last one has a bit of a hump at the top. Keep going, you are doing fine.

 

[dcurrie911]

I agree with Sam. #1 and #4 are best. #1 is either slightly humped at 12:00 or slightly flat between 1:00 and 2:00. #4 is really good and the only thing I can see is that the line is slightly thicker at the 12:00 position but I am stretching to find something wrong with it. Over all very good start.

 

[Borzzza]

Thanks a lot for your help! Will post further progress later.

 

[tdelewis]

Very good for early attempts. I feel that engraving is much like handwriting. Everyone will develop their own style. It must be neat clean and have good form though. Many people's handwriting today is not neat and have good form. Look as many different examples of engraving as you can and draw, draw, and draw some more.

 

[Borzzza]

I copied scroll #4 several times to figure out how to put leaves, no succsess at all...the size of the scroll is 1,5 sm and I guess it's too small for me make nice drawing, so I decided to try in large.

On the video tutorials it all looks so easy and natural, but when it comes to drawing I'm using eraser a lot for each little leaf))))))) my respect once again to all professional engravers!

 

[SamW]

That is called the learning curve...the more you draw it the easier it will become. That being said, you are doing a lot better than I did on my early attempts some 50 years ago.

 

[Borzzza]

That is called the learning curve...the more you draw it the easier it will become. That being said, you are doing a lot better than I did on my early attempts some 50 years ago.

Thanks to you and everybody on this forum learning curve is waaay shorter nowadays))

 

[Doc Mark]

"I'm using eraser a lot for each little leaf" One of your most important tools, particularly while learning the basics. You're starting well, keep up the drawing practice but don't be afraid to start cutting some of these scrolls on metal.

 

[Master Engraver]

You seem to be up for a good start!
Keep the scrolls and leaves simple at the beginning. It helps you to observe balance, flow, structure and negative space. Pick a few good examples of your favourite scroll. Print it. And then trace it over and over again. And then try to replicate it from your head.

Keep going! I’ll bet you are gonna get far.

 

[Borzzza]

"I'm using eraser a lot for each little leaf" One of your most important tools, particularly while learning the basics. You're starting well, keep up the drawing practice but don't be afraid to start cutting some of these scrolls on metal.

I will post my practice plate with this scroll design cut when it's ready! Though I know my graver control is not good enough yet I love engraving, enjoy the process so much)

 

[Borzzza]

You seem to be up for a good start!
Keep the scrolls and leaves simple at the beginning. It helps you to observe balance, flow, structure and negative space. Pick a few good examples of your favourite scroll. Print it. And then trace it over and over again. And then try to replicate it from your head.

Keep going! I’ll bet you are gonna get far.

Thanks for advise!
It is indeed quite difficult to keep scrolls and leaves simple, especially after looking at amasing stuff people are posting here....)))))

 

[FANCYGUN]

As I have always told my students...details are the last thing you do. If it doesnt look good big, it will not look good small. If it does not look good simple then it will not look good with detail