Critique Request scroll work attempt sketch

[kpattie]

Hi All,

Hope everyone is well! I attempted a second sketch at scroll work this time trying to simplify things and trying to be as symmetrical as possible.

Could I kindly please ask for feedback on the attached image, your thoughts and opinions on where I could improve.

Thank you in advance for the feedback! =)

 

[John B.]

Lots of nice elements.
But unfortunately many of them are growing in the contra direction to nature.

 

[kpattie]

Lots of nice elements.
But unfortunately many of them are growing in the contra direction to nature.

I see it now each arrow, got caught up in the symmetry too much, will definitely keep that at top of the list for the next one

 

[dcurrie911]

I think it is a very interesting and nice design. John is correct, it does not adhere to typical or traditional scroll designs or design rules. But it is very imaginative, very well laid out and consistent from top to bottom and side to side.

you picked an amazingly difficult geometric shape to place a scroll design within. You broke all the ‘rules’, but we’re pretty successful In filling a space. Next time I suggest that you start with a more typical outline to fill. I attached an outline of a pocket knife and floor plate For you to use. Start with a design that nicely fills the entire space (keeping in mind the rules). Then add borders like an oval in the middle (red lines) which could be initials or an animal and design around them. Then you can add border features like the red lines in the floor plate. Maybe the diagonal borders are representative of a family crest or just simply a design feature. Now you have three spaces to fill. Or maybe you choose to only fill two with scrolls.
Dan

 

[kpattie]

I think it is a very interesting and nice design. John is correct, it does not adhere to typical or traditional scroll designs or design rules. But it is very imaginative, very well laid out and consistent from top to bottom and side to side.

you picked an amazingly difficult geometric shape to place a scroll design within. You broke all the ‘rules’, but we’re pretty successful In filling a space. Next time I suggest that you start with a more typical outline to fill. I attached an outline of a pocket knife and floor plate For you to use. Start with a design that nicely fills the entire space (keeping in mind the rules). Then add borders like an oval in the middle (red lines) which could be initials or an animal and design around them. Then you can add border features like the red lines in the floor plate. Maybe the diagonal borders are representative of a family crest or just simply a design feature. Now you have three spaces to fill. Or maybe you choose to only fill two with scrolls.
Dan

Hi Dan,

Thank you for your compliments! Appreciate the direction provided makes for a much better exercise. I will try this next, the segments will allow for more versatility - about time I get the rules framed and hung on a wall

 

[John B.]

Hi Kpattie, just a thought........
Think you will find that if you fill the center circle with two opposing (and maybe linked scrolls)
that you can fill that same difficult and interesting design space without breaking a lot of nature's growth rules.
Worth a Q&D tracing paper overlay, maybe ??

 

[kpattie]

Hi Kpattie, just a thought........
Think you will find that if you fill the center circle with two opposing (and maybe linked scrolls)
that you can fill that same difficult and interesting design space without breaking a lot of nature's growth rules.
Worth a Q&D tracing paper overlay, maybe ??

Hi John, that is a great idea I will draw up a quick sketch to trial it, one question in terms of rules broken - specifically in the centre circle - did I break the rules as leafs are lopping back on each other or would you be able to point out any specifics if it isn't too much trouble or extensive?

PS: please feel free to call me Kishan, realised I haven't used my actual name yet =)

 

[John B.]

Hi Kishan,

Hi John, that is a great idea I will draw up a quick sketch to trial it, one question in terms of rules broken - specifically in the centre circle - did I break the rules as leafs are lopping back on each other or would you be able to point out any specifics if it isn't too much trouble or extensive?
PS: please feel free to call me Kishan, realised I haven't used my actual name yet =)

Hi Kishan. Talking the center scroll.
Lower left scroll has a leaf growing off the stem in the reverse direction.
Right hand center scroll where it meets the side scroll has a Leaf growing both ways.
Your drawing skill is very good but just do a Q&D overlay to try out these ideas
Also at the intersection of the inner circle stem and the outer elements you have leaves growing from the same origin in reverse of each other.
Hope this is some help.

 

[dcurrie911]

Picture is worth 1,000 words. I think John would agree with some of my illustrated points.

first, what you drew is not a scroll, it is leaves working out of a circle. My wife just saw your design and said “pretty”. Which it is ,,, but it is not scrolls.

in the first picture of your design I have used green lines with arrows to illustrate good flow and red lines with arrows to illustrate poor flow. Good scroll design has to flow throughout the entire composition. In your design the red lines are opposing the green ones. And so even though the individual elements are pretty it breaks down in several areas. And it is not scrolls.....

in the last two pictures I illustrated what I think John was suggesting. I hope I didn’t ruin the lesson he was trying to show you but I got the impression you may not have seen what he was suggesting.

1st, I just tweaked your design. You had the basic elements, just not in the right places. notice that the green side and blue side are mirror images so just study one of them. They both start with a focal point which is a “C” scroll. The “X” marks the origin or starting point. The red arrows on the blue design shows the flow. Everything flows outward from that center or focal point. The green side completes the star design.

your exercise is to complete the blue and green design. Make good scrolls out of the ones I have sketched. Draw a border that outlines your star and bring the scrolls to the edges of the border. Fill the scrolls with leaves and then add leaves around the outside os the scrolls to fill the design.

hope this helps.

Dan

 

[kpattie]

Hi Kishan,


Hi Kishan. Talking the center scroll.
Lower left scroll has a leaf growing off the stem in the reverse direction.
Right hand center scroll where it meets the side scroll has a Leaf growing both ways.
Your drawing skill is very good but just do a Q&D overlay to try out these ideas
Also at the intersection of the inner circle stem and the outer elements you have leaves growing from the same origin in reverse of each other.
Hope this is some help.

Hi John,

that clears it up thank you! will attempt it once again

 

[kpattie]

Picture is worth 1,000 words. I think John would agree with some of my illustrated points.

first, what you drew is not a scroll, it is leaves working out of a circle. My wife just saw your design and said “pretty”. Which it is ,,, but it is not scrolls.

in the first picture of your design I have used green lines with arrows to illustrate good flow and red lines with arrows to illustrate poor flow. Good scroll design has to flow throughout the entire composition. In your design the red lines are opposing the green ones. And so even though the individual elements are pretty it breaks down in several areas. And it is not scrolls.....

in the last two pictures I illustrated what I think John was suggesting. I hope I didn’t ruin the lesson he was trying to show you but I got the impression you may not have seen what he was suggesting.

1st, I just tweaked your design. You had the basic elements, just not in the right places. notice that the green side and blue side are mirror images so just study one of them. They both start with a focal point which is a “C” scroll. The “X” marks the origin or starting point. The red arrows on the blue design shows the flow. Everything flows outward from that center or focal point. The green side completes the star design.

your exercise is to complete the blue and green design. Make good scrolls out of the ones I have sketched. Draw a border that outlines your star and bring the scrolls to the edges of the border. Fill the scrolls with leaves and then add leaves around the outside os the scrolls to fill the design.

hope this helps.

Dan

Hi Dan,

This helps a lot!! thank you very much for taking the time to illustrate much appreciated! Will use the template you've created to practice variations.

I will begin working on this definitely goes towards speeding up progress - I was having slight difficulties in picturing this but for the next proper sketch Ill be able to reference to these to ensure I'm adhering to rules

Thank you once again!

Kishan

 

[dcurrie911]

Your welcome. There are several great books on scroll design including Sam’s, Lee Griffiths’ and Ron Smith’s.

 

[kpattie]

Your welcome. There are several great books on scroll design including Sam’s, Lee Griffiths’ and Ron Smith’s.

I have Ron smiths book which was a great help in actually learning the lines required to draw a good leaf/scroll - think I just need to revisit the rules on their