Critique Request Cutlery Handled Bowie

[Roger Keagle]

This effort is from a few weeks ago...blade was some cast steel re-cycled from a brush hook from England most likely turn of the Century...hard as ! H&C work, and a jillion times sharpening of the graver !

Hope this is large enough for ya. This is how we grow, so give it your best shot folks, I'm ready !

R

 

[Ron Smith]

Hi Roger,

That looks really good. The only critisisms I have is the anemic stem on the second scroll. Keep your stem thicknesses consistant. The other is the leaf structure that appears to be hanging down and outside the boundary of the rest of the design. See what I mean? It is better to keep everything within an even boundary until you get to know how and where to break that rule and not break the rythum and flow.

One other thing. Since the design is sort of tapering off and it is in the center of the space, it might have looked a little better if you tapered the begining of the scroll going back toward the hilt to match the one going forward. The anemic stem appears to be an after thought, and the leaf leading into the spiral does not touch the spiral like the other leaves, leaving what I call a focal point because of the larger background space in this area. Since you are not going to background it, I presume, it is not too obvious, but it is breaking the rythum of the scroll just a bit.

It looks good as it is however, these are just little balance things, nit picky to say the least.

Ron S

 

[Roger Keagle]

Thanks Ron...

Yep...you are spot on with everything, and how good it is to have a second opinion, especialy from someone like you...admire your work big time, I am working on your transitional style...have a huge way to go yet...hard with H&C, but think I can get it !

 

[Sam]

Good advice from Ron.

I would add that the shaded elements have too much contrast between the shaded and unshaded portions. If you'll make those shade lines longer and really concentrate on starting them micro-thin, you'll get a smooth transition from white to grey to black. You're very close, Roger, and a little tweaking of your shading will work wonders. Nice job, mate.

 

[Ron Smith]

Roger,

The problem with the H&C in the flared cut sculpting style, is the progression marks of the hammer, and the mass of the bevels. I do it with a H&C too, but get better results with a power tool due to the smoothness of the cuts. This can be helped with a heavier hammer for wider bevels, faster strokes for a smoother cut, and an acid treatment to kill the shine which brings up the dimension and obscures the progression marks. How about letting us see what you have done?

Now looking at your knife engraving up closer, it appears that you are using dots or stippling for shading. That is okay and useful for some situations. Dots are very vulnerable however, whereas the line shading is durable and the intensity of the shading is increased with lines, and you probably already know this. I can see where this would be a problem on steel that it so hard you spend all of your time sharpening, so in this case you have to get it done about any way you can, and in that regard it is a nice job.

Rock on buddy!!

Ron S

 

[John B.]

Roger, you have some heavyweights helping you and I agree with their advise.
You are well on your way here and have some good stuff going for you. BUT!
A couple of other things that might help, if you don't mind.
The scroll that goes back towards the hilt originates in the wrong place.
It should have flowed from the bottom of the center bud of the large scroll.
And the stem is thin and weak where it starts.
Plant stems are either even or thicker at the bottom.
The other thing and Ron and Sam touched on it.
Keep your negative space within the scrolls in more even size progression.
Best to you from and OLD H&C guy ( who also has all the power equipment)

 

[Roger Keagle]

Wow, some real power here guys, and a million thanks, all taken in, digested and will try again...not having power is a real handicap I can see...but what Ron has told me I take heart and will rock on !!! (trying to work out John's advise as to where the "backward" scroll should start, seems it would want to flow in the other direction ?)

My original teacher told me to draw about half the time I engrave, good advice I would think, and for my next project I will do just that and get advise on that first...

Question, looking at power equiptment is VERY confusing and expensive for a bloke that still has his dunny out in the back yard and heats with wood...not an excuse as I do make the odd buck doing this...

looking at the Lindsey line because it seems simpler in that it needs only a control and compressor (Which I have two, one from the last century, or perhaps the one before...smile) The Artisan model is almost in budget...almost !

Help...?

 

[Sam]

Now there's a hot topic for discussion! Both systems work. Both systems produce world class engraving in the hands of a capable artist, and both systems have their trade-offs. Lindsay's handpieces are springless self-oscillating and don't require a box, and when you depress the foot pedal (or Palm unit) both the strokes per minute and power increase. GRS systems have a rotary valve in the box which sends air pulses to the handpiece (which has a return spring for its piston), and when you depress the foot pedal (or Airtact) the strokes per minute remain constant and power increases.

Try them both and get the one that suits you best.

 

[Roger Keagle]

Sam, I am thinking of a trip to Yankee Land later this year, and will spend some time in NY city...guess I will have to take your advise and do just that...hope there are both to be found there, I would think the "Big Apple" will provide for me in that.

 

[Sam]

Roger: You'll be pleasantly surprised to find that the majority of places in NY have indoor dunnies! :big grin:

 

[Roger Keagle]

Hey, way cool, and centeral heat I would guess....

 

[John B.]

Scroll at hilt.

Hi Roger,

Here is a quick drawing of one way to originate this scroll.
Best,

 

[Roger Keagle]

Hey, thanks John !

Yep, that maks a lot more sense...never too old to learn !