bulino
- Thread starter papart1
- Start date
FANCYGUN
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
At the risk of being offensive but still constructive. You are bouncing around all over the place in your attempt and enthusiasm to learn to engrave. At this rate you with luck will become a jack of all trades but and master of none. Slow down and concentrate on one thing at a time such as learning how to control your graver and making smooth cuts. Also finding out what graver and or geometry is best for you. This takes time doing the same thing over and over again There is no shortcut
Now if I didn't piss you off, get to work and cut cut cut and cut some more
Now if I didn't piss you off, get to work and cut cut cut and cut some more
fancy gun had the courage to say it. i did not. sadly, he is right.
Have to agree with FancyGun. You clearly have the desire to engrave well, that much is evident. And that's good. Real good. But its like wanting to play piano but not investing time to learn the scales.
There is a shortcut. And that's setting aside an hour or two a day and practicing your cuts. Row after row of nothing but straight cuts, all the same length . Getting the feel, the real feel of your gravers. Really understanding how they cut. Mastering the depth of the cuts. Then move onto cutting circles. Slowly cutting circles, under a microscope if you have one. Make your eyes able to focus not on the outcome, but the graver on the line, keep the graver on the line. If your using one of the power assisted tools, let it do the work. Don't rush it.
After a short while of practice you should really be able to focus on the cut. The cut well made is the basis of doing better work.
That's your shortcut. Practice. Otherwise you will get dizzy going around in circles.
Keep going.
Allan
There is a shortcut. And that's setting aside an hour or two a day and practicing your cuts. Row after row of nothing but straight cuts, all the same length . Getting the feel, the real feel of your gravers. Really understanding how they cut. Mastering the depth of the cuts. Then move onto cutting circles. Slowly cutting circles, under a microscope if you have one. Make your eyes able to focus not on the outcome, but the graver on the line, keep the graver on the line. If your using one of the power assisted tools, let it do the work. Don't rush it.
After a short while of practice you should really be able to focus on the cut. The cut well made is the basis of doing better work.
That's your shortcut. Practice. Otherwise you will get dizzy going around in circles.
Keep going.
Allan
i'm gonna chime in here. while everyone has good opinions, only you will know what is best for you. one of the best ways that i have stumbled upon to learn something(anything) is to pick a specific goal. usually a finished product of some kind. that might entail many aspects of a discipline. like what you are trying to do here by jumping around from one thing to another. it's not a bad approach in my book. draw one picture that encompasses all these aspects you are trying to master. do a good drawing, don't cut corners. draw it more than once. then cut it. you should be the best judge of your own progress. keep working that one picture to it's end. then, judge yourself. take some pics and put it on here if you think that helps. but go the full mile. then do it again. and again.
there is no substitute for practice. none.
there is no substitute for practice. none.
The term "best for you/me" is influenced by many factors. The effort I'm putting into this path in my life is the effort I put into learning all of my cert-ed trades/disciplines. The absorbtion of what is being conveyed by the people who know what the hell they are doing on this forum is what I have to absorb. Now at 69 the absorption rate is hampered by many things, most notable DLB. BUT with tailchasing set aside (as much as possible) which I have done my whole life, I feel I am getting it.............ah kinda, so the way people post things about what I'm doing is GREAT, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. Reminds me of my master's in training before I became a master. There is NOBODY harder on me than myself. Folks I'm gonna get this , you watch. paps
jerrywh
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Fancygun is right on. This isn't something you learn overnight.
Way to go Paps!
My first year and a half at engraving was spent drawing & practicing on steel plates then it was gun parts I could find at gun shows to engrave and don't give up. J.J.
Alison Harman
Member
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2020
- Messages
- 17
I am extremely new to engraving. With over 40 years of sign design, hand lettering, gold leaf, pictorial renderings I was pretty certain this engraving thing would be a quick learn. Stupid arrogant me!
I practice for several hours every single day, without exception. Endless cuts upon cuts. Anything not nailed down gets cut. If it is metal and the wife wont miss it.... I start cutting. When I'm not engraving, I'm studying the works of others. As a result of this approach I am seeing improvement. This art takes time devoted to the bench, as well as away from the bench, to realize any improvement. I make mistakes every day. Gobs of them. Fortunately the kind encouragement and selfless direction of those graver gods willing to share their critical reviews are there to help me along.
A single piece of beautiful work always follows large numbers of really ugly attempts. I dont call them failures as long as I learn something from them.
Thank you guys for sharing your knowledge.
I practice for several hours every single day, without exception. Endless cuts upon cuts. Anything not nailed down gets cut. If it is metal and the wife wont miss it.... I start cutting. When I'm not engraving, I'm studying the works of others. As a result of this approach I am seeing improvement. This art takes time devoted to the bench, as well as away from the bench, to realize any improvement. I make mistakes every day. Gobs of them. Fortunately the kind encouragement and selfless direction of those graver gods willing to share their critical reviews are there to help me along.
A single piece of beautiful work always follows large numbers of really ugly attempts. I dont call them failures as long as I learn something from them.
Thank you guys for sharing your knowledge.
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