Critique Request Thankful for any help I can get

[tortlieb@verizon.net]

I haven't added any shading. I am trying to get better. thankful for any help you can give. thank you in advance.

 

[John B.]

I don't want to sound negative.
But what are we looking at, please?
Is this a design for a knife blade or is it a sheath for a knife?
If it is either the pheasant is upside down.

 

[tortlieb@verizon.net]

I'm sorry john it's a practice plate for the receiver of a Glenfield model 60. roughly shaped and drawn. if it's time to burn it and start over I have a lighter also lol. any suggestions would help.

 

[Dave London]

First remove the barrel and magazine tube, I will now yield to the artists here. Good Luck

 

[tortlieb@verizon.net]

First remove the barrel and magazine tube, I will now yield to the artists here. Good Luck

thank you, kind sir, will do!!

 

[monk]

your scroll spine needs work. the flowers at either end are unequal in size. the flower on the upper left has way too much background that is barren. you will do yerself a favor by getting a book on basic drawing and designing. as an engraver, job one is almost always trying to fill a crazy looking shape with a meaningful, flowing design. it aint always easy, but practice with the pencil bringeth reward. best of luck to you.

 

[John B.]

Thank you, now I see what you are engraving.
And you are correct, the pheasant IS NOT upside down.
But as Monk says, the scrollwork need some serious revision.
Lets see another and better drawing please.
Looks like you have some pretty nice metal work on that receiver.
And it deserves a nice design and engraving.

 

[tortlieb@verizon.net]

your scroll spine needs work. the flowers at either end are unequal in size. the flower on the upper left has way too much background that is barren. you will do yerself a favor by getting a book on basic drawing and designing. as an engraver, job one is almost always trying to fill a crazy looking shape with a meaningful, flowing design. it aint always easy, but practice with the pencil bringeth reward. best of luck to you.

monk, thank you so much for the reply and in recognizing that I am not in any way, shape or form whatsoever mocking this absolutely amazing art. I have never dra??? erased this much in my entire life. everything I have ever erased always disgusts me and this is no different. after I posted this ???? erasing. I almost regreted it immediately but it came to me. I have to start somewhere. if you think that is bad, lol omg you should have seen me in November. lol now that is embarrassing lol. I have to laugh at myself. I was hoping to laugh with someone else. I darkened in the dead space, and it spoke to me. it was just black and not only is everything you said wrong. the leaves are inseeweensy little undeveloped buds on a stem. lol, yes inseeweensy is a word here in the burgh as you probably know. it means so small you can barely see it. if anyone ask if I am sorry, I posted this sc???? erasing. I needed to see it from the point of view of what others were seeing and it has helped m me. now what other mistakes will I make. besides putting a pencil in my hands in the first place. lol, I have only just begun. please everyone laugh with me or laugh at me your choice. I wont judge you either way. I just have to try to get better. I love this art to much to stop now. again thank you for the reply and the forethought that I was not mocking anyone but me. ordered today as a matter of forgetfulness??? Ron Smiths new book, Lee Grifith's design book and modern engraving. thanks again for seeing I wasn't being a jerk

 

[tortlieb@verizon.net]

Thank you, now I see what you are engraving.
And you are correct, the pheasant IS NOT upside down.
But as Monk says, the scrollwork need some serious revision.
Lets see another and better drawing please.
Looks like you have some pretty nice metal work on that receiver.
And it deserves a nice design and engraving.

john the same as I wrote to monk applies to you as well for not thinking I was insulting anyone but me. I have to start somewhere. if anyone is up for a good giggle I will post my first sc???? erasing. it is scarry as all get out. you are absolutely correct, it is a nice canvas. if I just ruin it, that's ok. its one of the cheapest 22,s ever produced. if I have said it before, I hope you don't mind me saying it again. your a good man sir. thank you for your help and encouragement!!! lol off to the firepit. all joking aside thank you

 

[oniemarc]

There is no shame in showing where you are at and asking for advice. It is the only way to move forward. There will always be someone that knows a bit more. As soon as you aknowledge that, you start learning, so it's great to see someone taking that step.

I can't really advice on the drawing all that much, since I am simply a beginner also. There is one thing that really stands out to me though, apart from what has already been said. I have never seen branches(spines) growing from within a flower before. I am no botanist though, so I might be completely wrong, but to me that looks off. I would "bend" the flowers of to the side and keep the spine flowing from the origin of the flower, instead of through the flower. It would also help with that empty space spoken about, since it would automatically fill itself by doing so.

Marc

 

[allan621]

This may be a small piece of advice but its pretty hard to draw a flower and scroll, then to draw the reverse and make them look identical is pretty hard to do. I would first break down the left side of the sketch into different elements. Just draw the flower and make it look more like a flower so the left and right side are symmetrical. Then the scroll that is behind the flower is crammed in the space because it tries to fill too much space. Shorter, rounder with leaves coming off it to fill the space. Then the scrolls coming from the flower should be coming from the flower as a continuation of the scrolls behind the flower not looking like its laid on top. And consider just one main scroll and the second scroll on the right coming from the main scroll.

Once you have the drawing looking like you'd like then scan them in a computer and reverse the image. I do that a lot with flowers and coat of arm rings and anything that needs it.

One of the things I was taught was to focus on individual elements and make them look well defined before combining them together into a uniform work. The more you draw, as Monk says and rightly so, the better your engraving will be.

Allan

 

[John B.]

You are doing fine and have wonderful detirmination to improve.
Just keep studying good scroll designs and drawing for your project.
It takes a lot of courage to do this and to ask for critique.
I admire your efforts and know you will succeed.

 

[tortlieb@verizon.net]

There is no shame in showing where you are at and asking for advice. It is the only way to move forward. There will always be someone that knows a bit more. As soon as you aknowledge that, you start learning, so it's great to see someone taking that step.

I can't really advice on the drawing all that much, since I am simply a beginner also. There is one thing that really stands out to me though, apart from what has already been said. I have never seen branches(spines) growing from within a flower before. I am no botanist though, so I might be completely wrong, but to me that looks off. I would "bend" the flowers of to the side and keep the spine flowing from the origin of the flower, instead of through the flower. It would also help with that empty space spoken about, since it would automatically fill itself by doing so.

Marc

this and soooo m u c h more is exactly what I need [I hope] to pound this into my head. I don't know what it is that isn't sinking in. I ordered a few practice plates also. maybe it will sink in if I can feel it, touch it, study it intently dra???? erase it and start over lol, maybe and just maybe it will sink in then. who knows maybe I will have to give them away just to help others.. who knows what the future holds for any of us. lol I only have up to go from here. I cant thank you enough for reaching out to help. I don't know why I am so surprised at the help in here. I mean its the internet??? lol its a lot easier to find mean people in here. aaaa not here aaa. I hope you know what I am trying to say. hay if your not doing anything tonight I know where you can roast some marshmallows lol. burn it, burn it, burn it. come on all together burn it, lol. humbly again thank you

 

[tortlieb@verizon.net]

This may be a small piece of advice but its pretty hard to draw a flower and scroll, then to draw the reverse and make them look identical is pretty hard to do. I would first break down the left side of the sketch into different elements. Just draw the flower and make it look more like a flower so the left and right side are symmetrical. Then the scroll that is behind the flower is crammed in the space because it tries to fill too much space. Shorter, rounder with leaves coming off it to fill the space. Then the scrolls coming from the flower should be coming from the flower as a continuation of the scrolls behind the flower not looking like its laid on top. And consider just one main scroll and the second scroll on the right coming from the main scroll.

Once you have the drawing looking like you'd like then scan them in a computer and reverse the image. I do that a lot with flowers and coat of arm rings and anything that needs it.

One of the things I was taught was to focus on individual elements and make them look well defined before combining them together into a uniform work. The more you draw, as Monk says and rightly so, the better your engraving will be.

Allan

Allen this should be a bible verse for beginners like me. thank you sooo very much for replying!!! your explanation,,,, to me,,, it is priceless. I know who I am talking to in here when I talk. the people in here are not to be confused with may be. you are the best metal painters that have ever walked the face of the earth. taking the time to try and I mean try to teach someone like me??? humbly I thank you for taking the time to teach!! since I am dra???? erasing on tracing paper, if I get one side right {that's a big if} could I just fold the paper and trace other side? I understand I would then have to re-erase it to the other side but it would be a copy of the other side. I hope that question makes sense. it took this dra???? erasing to teach me a few things. 1.] keep erasing lol 2.] don't live in fear of criticism 3.] if you are looking at it as criticism you have already failed. if your not doing anything later tonight I know where you can roast some marshmallows lol. seriously thank you so much to taking the time to teach an old, fool like me. if nothing else I learned how to dra??? erase a pheasant and a duck. lol the duck was another failure at the pheasant but surprisingly it looked like a duck. ok back to the erasing board thank you Allen.

 

[tortlieb@verizon.net]

You are doing fine and have wonderful detirmination to improve.
Just keep studying good scroll designs and drawing for your project.
It takes a lot of courage to do this and to ask for critique.
I admire your efforts and know you will succeed.

hi john, if you could please sell me a bottle that confidence you have in me please. my debt card numbers are 4633 1000 7489 yikes lol. omg sorry got carried away there for a second. its good people like you and soooo many others in here that give old fools like me the hope that someday we might be able to give something nice to our children. lol weather they like it or not is another conversation altogether. I am sure skill level will have a lot to do with that conversation. like said to Allen: if you are looking at any of this as criticism you have already failed. thank you for taking the time, sir! ok back to the erasing board lol. I got marshmallows lol

 

[John B.]

Enjoy the marshmallows all the way along the satisfying learning trail.
They help to smooth out the bumps in the road.