slide
- Thread starter papart1
- Start date
What is it you're looking for ?
a better closeup would be more reveaaling
If you're wanting critique of the work you'll need to ask specifically, otherwise it just looks like you're getting picked on.
Also, many are away at FEGA this weekend so the board will be a bit slow.
Also, many are away at FEGA this weekend so the board will be a bit slow.
This is what sticks out to me,
Your transition from one scroll to the next is abrupt, the explanation that I like treats that area like a freeway off ramp/on ramp, you want a smooth transition.
Out near the muzzle you reversed the direction of the backbone resulting in a reversal of the overall flow of the design.
Lots of doglegs liberally scattered throughout the backbone.
The backbone looks as though it goes from thick to thin, not sure if the graver is diving or tilting.
Looks as though you rounded some of the edges of that slide during the finishing process.
There is more but I lack the experience to articulate coherently.
Your transition from one scroll to the next is abrupt, the explanation that I like treats that area like a freeway off ramp/on ramp, you want a smooth transition.
Out near the muzzle you reversed the direction of the backbone resulting in a reversal of the overall flow of the design.
Lots of doglegs liberally scattered throughout the backbone.
The backbone looks as though it goes from thick to thin, not sure if the graver is diving or tilting.
Looks as though you rounded some of the edges of that slide during the finishing process.
There is more but I lack the experience to articulate coherently.
Well, you asked: The lettering is very, and I mean VERY, amateurous, nowhere near what it should be. Also, the overall design lacks continuity and flats, elbows and just about every other scroll mistake is represented. There is graver diving and "porpoising" in all aspects of the cutting along with odd "sticking out" of tendrils when smooth flowing scrolls is the norm. The poor use and placement of "filler" or added elements are out of balance and placed at random with no clue as to their purpose and are crude, at best. I could go on with the critique but feel it would be useless to do so. My recommendation is to study scrollwork from any of the excellent books available and draw until several notebooks are filled before ever touching a graver again. I'm not trying to humiliate you but point out obvious errors that need work. Heck, I started the same place you are right now and filled many notebooks with drawings and cut many practice plates with nothing but straight lines for years before it started coming together. All of us have been where you are now and it takes "WORK" to improve to the point of even considering cutting on a firearm.
dcurrie911
Elite Cafe Member
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2012
- Messages
- 265
I’m curious, did you draw on the slide or transfer a design? If transferred could you post a picture of the original design?
dcurrie911
Elite Cafe Member
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2012
- Messages
- 265
I don’t understand . You tried to draw it but could not see the lines?
Choosing to scribe directly onto the slide is a very difficult approach. Basically it is a one shot deal since you have already prepped and polished the slide. If you cut on the scribe lines then you have one shot to draw/scribe it well. Do you feel you are ready for that?
Choosing to scribe directly onto the slide is a very difficult approach. Basically it is a one shot deal since you have already prepped and polished the slide. If you cut on the scribe lines then you have one shot to draw/scribe it well. Do you feel you are ready for that?
Southern Custom
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Big Un offers good advice. You are trying to jump right in and engrave a gun before you understand the basic fundamentals of what makes good scrollwork. If you don't already have a copy of Lee Griffiths book Design Fundamentals for Artists and Engravers, I highly recommend it. Without a mentor close by, or a well written book to guide you, you'll be going blind. Like trying to build a house when all you know is what you've seen in a photo of one. You miss the important stuff like foundation, studs, wiring and plumbing. Scroll work is no different. It's hard to look at a successful scroll design and understand whats going on without some kind of guidance.
Drawing pencil on metal is a little tough because the pencil lead slides across the metal. The scriber with the hardened tip grips the metal better. But scribing also takes practice. Everything takes practice.
Don't get discouraged. Don't ever get discouraged. But take the advice offered here. Take a step back. Get a roadmap on drawing scrolls by using one of the guides available. Practice drawing the scrolls from the guides. The simpler the better. This will train your brain to work with your eyes to see mistakes at the drawing stage to correct them before they reach the engraving stage.
And find someone here who actually does firearm engraving to send your sketches to if possible. Sometimes you need the extra eye to see what you can't.
What I do is take a photo of my sketches. For some reason looking at them through a photo reveals things to me that I don't see from sketches on metal. It could work for you.
Allan
Don't get discouraged. Don't ever get discouraged. But take the advice offered here. Take a step back. Get a roadmap on drawing scrolls by using one of the guides available. Practice drawing the scrolls from the guides. The simpler the better. This will train your brain to work with your eyes to see mistakes at the drawing stage to correct them before they reach the engraving stage.
And find someone here who actually does firearm engraving to send your sketches to if possible. Sometimes you need the extra eye to see what you can't.
What I do is take a photo of my sketches. For some reason looking at them through a photo reveals things to me that I don't see from sketches on metal. It could work for you.
Allan
When drawing on metal with a scribe keep this in mind. The metal needs to be polished to a well worn 600 grit w/d to remove any scratches/tool marks. If you do not polish this high you will have to scribe deeper and harder to be able to see it and correcting or removing will be difficult.
Draw very lightly and with good light you should be able to see the lines well and you can burnish out easily anything that needs changing.
Here is an example of drawing with scribe on well polished metal.
Draw very lightly and with good light you should be able to see the lines well and you can burnish out easily anything that needs changing.
Here is an example of drawing with scribe on well polished metal.
Last edited:
Leland Davis
Elite Cafe Member
Paps, in another thread you said you bought the prismacolor grey cover your metal with it and it will hold a pencil line very well. Years ago on this site someone said to use a dried up fine point ball point pen instead of a scribe I've used one every since for me it's easier to control and is more of a burnished line than a scratch, easier to remove when you jack it up. That's important for me.
Good luck,Leland
Good luck,Leland
Leland, thanks for the response on this addicts journey. I received my priz'z 2 days ago and they work well, I noticed for tranfers, the ink should be fresh........say up to 8 hours. I did not know about the ball point, A big point of past hedance. I probly have 4-6 hours into prepping a carbibe scribe ( Chris De ) to use. Constantly testing the point, it erases with 5 to 7 strokes of 600 grit.
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