Critique Request And here's a knife i did for a customer...

[jasincarlin112]

Here's a cheap knife that a customer wanted hand engraved. Not exactly my forte, but i think it came out pretty cool...your thoughts are welcomed and apprieciated. Thanks.

 

[Peter E]

Here's a cheap knife that a customer wanted hand engraved. Not exactly my forte, but i think it came out pretty cool...

I think it looks pretty COOL too!:big grin:

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

To be honest if I may, the knife still looks cheap.
The worst error you made in my opinion is the design

arnaud

 

[settingsunhobbyengraver]

Less is More

design improvement is a on-going process. I like 30% to 50% coverage best. Flat steel balancing out the engraved surfaces

 

[jasincarlin112]

Thanks everyone for your comments, and helpful advice. Its much apprieciated

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Your customer should be pretty happy with that. I can see what you have tried to acheive and there are some things on it that are not too bad.

You have nice even scroll backbones with no visible dogs legs or humps. The cuts seem nice, smooth and even.

One thing that I would suggest for something like this in the future is a border around the edge of the knife. It will help frame your work better and give it a defined edge.

Just keep at ...........Rome wasn't built in a day

Cheers
Andrew

 

[ARM]

This knife has finished off quite pretty...... better than mine, which I will post soon !!!
Your design which forms the Border is nice.
Although Arnaud does not like it, he does not say exactly what's wrong with it and what should have been done to rectify it. Now that to me is totally wrong here.
The only loose end we see is the beginning of Your main centre scroll at the right bottom where U have no Border. This area seems incongruously vacant.
Otherwise, like Prince Andrew THE Kiwi says, keep at it and we will improve, if not improvise !!!
All the best
aRM

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

About the design, a starting scroll is not necessary but you could have used one, you have a leaf border expect there where the first scroll comes in. In my opinion you could have solved that a better way.
The main design has some flow and that is OK, but the space between the leaf border and the main design is not equal wide, some parts are touching the leaf border, other parts don't.
The 3 end scrolls on the left have more leaf mass that the leaves on the right where the scrolls starts, so in my opinion that is a focus point (out of balance)
Some border lines would have made the overall design and shape more clear and stronger.

This is what I think is wrong with the design.

So if you had draw the design on paper first, then made the background black, then draw some shading, you would have noticed that the leaf and background are not really balanced.

It is already said several times, cutting a bad design really good still makes the engraving look bad, cutting bad on a good design will make the engraving look better.

arnaud

 

[monk]

something i like is a bit of the background showing.

 

[jasincarlin112]

I apprieiciate all the comments. I knew this knife wasn't 100%, maybe not even 50%.. =)it was just thrown at me, and i couldn't say no. I've been a wedding band engraver for 15 years and thought that this would be the place to receive comments, (positive and negative) from experts in the industry on other types of my work. So, thanks again i understand all of the feedback and will work on it.

 

[tengraver]

The biggest mistake you can make on here is to have your engraving not look like everybody elses. I think your work is unique and beautiful and it's obvious the amount of effort and passion you put into it. Keep up the good work, and don't forget that art is defined by being unique and different from the crowd, just ask Picasso.

 

[leroytwohawks]

Jasin, I think you have the right attitude about the Critique you received on here, after all you did ask for it. Some on here might get offended by what they see as negative comments but that is the only way any of us new engravers will learn is for someone like Arnaud and others to point it out. I am glad Arnaud explained what he saw that could be improved on as it helps you as it does me to learn! And I give it to you for stepping out of your comfort zone from the wedding bands to try something different, it shows you want to expand your learning. And if where not trying to expand then we become stagnant.

Kevin

 

[KSnyder]

looks to me like the scroll is flowing backwards. For me, the design is too busy. the cutting looks pretty good though. Imho cutting a cheap knife even if it comes out 100% , you still got a cheap knife.

 

[Marcus Hunt]

Tim, what is important to understand is that all hand engraving is unique. No two engravers cut exactly the same way. The thing I try to instill in all students of engraving is that you have to 'learn the rules' first. When one understands how things develop the rules can be bent (or in some cases broken) with aesthetically pleasing results. To approach scrollwork from another direction is like trying to reinvent the wheel.

What people tend to forget is that the great artists in history like Picasso and Salvador Dali were incredible artists in their own right before they went off on their own somewhat bizarre path. They had served their apprenticeship and were highly skilled. Picasso didn't just jump straight in to cubism without a firm foundation first.

When you understand how things work with scrollwork you are in a much better position
to deviate from the 'norm' and have things look amazing. I met Malcolm Appleby (who is a fantastic engraver and silversmith over here) a couple of months ago. He was telling me how he got to a stage where he was trying to break the rules continuously (but bear in mind he knew them first) and was trying to come up with an "anti-scroll". He went on to tell me that when creating this style/pattern he suddenly found that he began to find a pattern forming when he was striving to do the opposite. Just goes to show how the human psyche works behind the scenes.

I don't think there is one engraver here who would not give credit where credit is due Tim, and the last thing any engraver wants is a clone of his/her self turning out identical stuff. The 'different' is always encouraged but it does have to follow the laws of aesthetics or all you end up with is a mess; you can call it art but it'll still be a mess.

Jasin, it's not a bad attempt in itself and no doubt the owner of the knife will be over the moon with it. But if you can get the fundamentals of scrollwork under your belt first, you will be in a much better position to 'do your own thing' in the future. You'll be stronger in your style and could make it work much better. I'd hate to think you'd think that this is a poor effort after reading the critiques. As I see it I agree firmly with Andrew. No, it's not perfect design wise but you have good cutting skills and graver control. You could do very well if you grasp those basics. Well done.