Fire at will !

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I’m really working hard on my own scrollwork, and yours is nicer than mine. But it’s always easier to critique and see mistakes in orher people’s work than your own. So take it for what it’s worth which is what you paid me-

First off I really like the whole layout, the scrolls are smooth, and the leaf shapes are pleasing.

If I am going to ‘fire at will’ and point out the only thing I find incongruous it’s the rhythm of the internal leaves. The first scroll on the left has a busier area near the origin, while the others have very regulated repeats of the two lobe leaf, almost with a rhythm like english small scroll. Then the heads are sometimes detailed like a pointy acanthus with thumbs and sometimes curled over. They both look good to me but I don’t see a rhythm in which are which- like is it a modular style with more simplified repeat vocabulary, or is it a more flowing style with a lot of natural leaf variations?

Again- I am a beginner engraver and scroll artist/understander! So I’m just trying to participate in a discussion and say what I see. If you engraved that and gave it to me I would be stoked! Too many times online people either just like something or say ‘take a class’ or ‘buy a book’ instead of giving an opinion.

Kevin Cunningham
 

ghpayton

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Thank you Kevin. My understanding of scroll design is very limited. I had in mind to try to make it look like immature to a more mature leaf as it grew and to try and make things a little more interesting , but with subtlety. Do not know if that is proper .
 
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monk

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i don't really dislike your design-- but i think it would be improved a bit by making the scrolls somewhat smaller in size. for me it is a bit "crammed". jmho
 

ByrnBucks

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Evening ghpayton,
Recently I ran into an issue with a design that was discovered way too late to save the project. I only mention this because a few of your outer leaves seem reminiscent, first and second scroll leaf just before the split. Give shading them a go and maybe just the whole design, might find some trouble spots.
Taken with a grain of salt from a beginner. Hope you have a wonderful day. BB
 

ghpayton

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Thank You ! “ The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing .” Shading is not a strong suit of mine either. Oh , and yes , I am going ahead with the project design. Sometime in the future , maybe I will stumble across the piece and hopefully will have improved. Thanks again !
 

Goldjockey

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Attempt # 2 drawing scroll for a cuff. View attachment 50671
Really lovely. Well done! Central element diamond with G needs to connect to outer borders for visual anchoring and continuity. Border around G needs to be equal in width, or ever so slightly wider than outer border. Looks like you have the space to accomplish this without impinging on the scrollwork. Scroll elements need to kiss the edges of the central element in the same manner as outer borders.
 

monk

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w
Thank You ! “ The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing .” Shading is not a strong suit of mine either. Oh , and yes , I am going ahead with the project design. Sometime in the future , maybe I will stumble across the piece and hopefully will have improved. Thanks again !
when you do pracrtice drawings. or actual practice plates, date and save them.you will soon see a timeline of your progress. visualizing your own progress makes for feel good.
 

ghpayton

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Really lovely. Well done! Central element diamond with G needs to connect to outer borders for visual anchoring and continuity. Border around G needs to be equal in width, or ever so slightly wider than outer border. Looks like you have the space to accomplish this without impinging on the scrollwork. Scroll elements need to kiss the edges of the central element in the same manner as outer borders.
I will be doing relief and adding a border. The “ Diamond G “ is a brand. Thank you for your input.
 

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