Critique for a beginner?

[Kim L.]

On another thread that I couldn't find someone suggested after looking at the first photo that I should try and not cut so deep. The second photo is my attempt at not cutting as deep and getting more delicate lines. Thanks for all your great info. You guys are amazing!

 

[Eric Olson]

I would recommend you start out with some basic engraving practice - Straight lines, concentric circles, graduated shade lines - the type of boring practice that most beginners want to bypass. Also keep drawing and don't engrave a design until you have refined it at least twice. You can touch up a pencil sketch, not an engraving. Engraving will not make a poor design look any better - in fact it will magnify all the little inconsistencies and errors.

 

[Matthew Evans]

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[mdengraver]

Yes, I would suggest some stipple, or something in the background areas, and more designing and shading. There is a lot of unused empty space.

 

[John B.]

Hello Kim,
Thank you for sharing your early work.
A good try and a big help to other beginning engravers.
Two things I will point out on your second photo.
The center of the scroll is just one backbone line.
Easy fix...... cut the inside line of the backbone.
The other one is not an easy fix.
Where your backbone originates from the border it has no thickness.
Think of it like the stem of a flower.... slight thicker at the bottom with the leaves and branches growing out of it. Hope this is some help.

 

[TDPurcell]

As someone who is also just starting out, I find this posts and the feedback very useful.

 

[monk]

the griffiths book is an exxecellent place to start. also, practice drawing a spiral as perfectly as you can make one. no sence wasting good practice time on a lumpy scroll. most are judged by their perfection with the scroll and how to adapt it to really crazy shapes. the advice on doing line practice is worthwhile. all hand engraving, afterall, is just basic line segments thrown together to create the design needed.