Is this an exercise in futility?

[Andrew Biggs]

Hi Cody

Stop doing work for other people until you have the confidence and skills to approach it without stressing yourself out!!!!

What you have done is given yourself work. Not pleasure. You've lept in the deep end of the pool without taking swimming lessons first.

Paid work/projects for "friends" comes with time and experience and you will know when the proper time comes. Right now you are doing yourself a very big disservice. That is eveident by your postings on this thread. Right now you should be concentrating on basics and practice and having fun doing it.

I've been approached by all sorts of well meaning people to practice on their things. I gently tell them "NO"!!!!!! and stick to it.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[Jim-Iowa]

Hi Cody

Stop doing work for other people until you have the confidence and skills to approach it without stressing yourself out!!!!

What you have done is given yourself work. Not pleasure. You've lept in the deep end of the pool without taking swimming lessons first.

Paid work/projects for "friends" comes with time and experience and you will know when the proper time comes. Right now you are doing yourself a very big disservice. That is eveident by your postings on this thread. Right now you should be concentrating on basics and practice and having fun doing it.

I've been approached by all sorts of well meaning people to practice on their things. I gently tell them "NO"!!!!!! and stick to it.

Cheers
Andrew

Right On Andrew!! I used to enjoy gardening and lawn care(still do) so many years ago I started a lawncare business.
In April May and June I enjoyed it. But by July and August when It was 100 degrees in the shade it was hard work and I only did it because I was committed. I did it for a few years and finally quit.
Since that time I refuse to even consider letting my hobbies become work. If it's stressful or drudgery I refuse to do it. Lifes to short to let what your doing shorten your life.

 

[Cody]

Andrew and Jim, you are absolutly right. That is one reason (among others) why I have steadfastly refused to build a gun for anyone. I just have had a bigger problem saying NO when asked to engrave. I think it's because there are MANY gunbuilders but few ML gun engravers to choose from and I don't want to leave anyone with nowhere to turn. Everyone has made very good points and have been quite helpful. I've taken some steps to help resolve my issues. Hopefully they will help.

BTW, Rex, I think I will keep my engraving to myself and do not see myself making a career out of it. Great question and something that certainly needed to be considered.

Roycroftron, the last art class i took WAS in junior high. FWIW, I was talking to my art teacher many years later and she informed me that "you do not have any artistic ability". I don't recall what kind of marks I got but I think it's safe to say that they likely weren't good

 

[Sandy]

Cody,
As I have said in the past I am not an artist. I have attended two GRS Classes last year, Beginning with Rick Eaton and Intermediate with Sam. With each class I have taken a little chip out of my non artist status. It is important to learn and grow and we do this the easiest and fastest with good instruction. I am partial to GRS (they are 68 miles away) but it does not matter where the instruction comes from but it is very important to have a guiding hand. Andrew is correct when he says "Why add stress". Don't Give up the ship and by all means take a class or two. You will be surpised at what it will do for You.

Have a great day.
Sandy

 

[Billzach]

Most of you know me as a coin carver, i,ve been carving coins about 11 years, i,m not sure how many designs or different subjects i,ve carved during that time, but it,s in the hundreds..But i can,t draw subjects or designs with a pencil on paper and when i say can,t i mean "can,t"..When i try to draw a subject on paper or coin to get a ideal what i hope my carving to look like, it looks like something a 1 year old would draw..But put a hand push graver in my hand or my gravermax with a monarch handpiece and hang a photo of a design or subject on the wall in from of me and i can most of the time carve it onto a coin.. But 75% of the time the subject or design is in my head, so as i carve i think of the subject i,m thinking of and carve it on the coin..So for the beginners who can,t draw, try what i do... " The old ky hillbilly coin carver"

 

[monk]

cody:i don't think you're wrapped up in failure. you're simply frustrated !you've set a very high goal. a very difficult goal to acheive. you simply must wait, practice, and time will allow you to catch up to the goals you have set for yourself. when possible-- if possible- engrave those parts before they are marrird to the gun. much , much easier ! you must remember, doing this kind of work, at any level, is not easy. if it was easy, all your neighbors and relatives would be knockin at your door to show you how to do it !

 

[RoycroftRon]

I whole-heartily believe that drawing can be learned - "natural talent" is really just the ability to notice details and apply tricks that are learned to reproduce those details. Once you know what to look for, and have assembled a few tricks (techniques) good drawing or design will follow.

Of course this takes more time for some - the "gifted artist" just makes the connection a little earlier on or with less effort. Most likely because they really enjoy the observation and the drawing.

Its all in the details.

 

[coinguy]

Cody, I am another one that can't draw a straight line. I am just getting started, having taken a GRS beginning class with Scott Pilkington in October. I just doodled a bit in my younger years and I have never taken an art class, ANY art class but I am spending my time looking at others engraved work and studying how it is layed out. I've got a few engraved guns in my collection and have others in my gun shop from time to time and I get out the loupe and look them over to see how they are put together. I save pictures I find on the net as well, not to 'copy' but rather to have as a reference on how others have layed out a pattern or design on an item. I also just bought (it arrived last week) the Ron Smith study kit which I hope will both give me practice on using the tools and practical 'on metal' work on patterns and scrolls that hopefully wil help me to be able to lay my own out.
Even before I have done any work other than practice plates cutting straight lines and scrolls, I've already got my first 'paid' job lined up. My gunsmith has taken in a group of guns that were poorly stored and are rusted up. They were owned by a local casino owner, now passed, who has some national name recognition and the group includes an engraved 1911. After he polishes out the pits and restores the metal, I will recut the original engraving into it. I know, recutting someone else's work doesn't qualify as creating my own artwork but it will give me further practice working on a professionally done item.
I have many pictures taken of some of the guns I have personally handled including one of the two guns done for John Wayne for his last movie 'The Shootist.' What a thrill that was to handle that gun! You could just feel the spirit of The Duke and it sent shivers into others I let handle it as well. A Remington factory engraved 10-D shotgun is in the inventory right now as well, and it will be studied and photgraphed before selling it.
I have also put a number of books into my library on hobo nickels, love tokens and similar. Just last week, I bought a 'potty dollar' to add to my collection and I hope to do a few of those using the countefeit seated liberty dollars that are flooding the country from China. I love looking at the coins posted on this group, both for the work and for letting me look at designs that should help me create my own.
While I can't draw yet, I can transfer designs onto metal and cut the designs. I already, as early into my engraving as I am, can see that I can do as others have posted - draw better with a handpiece than with a pencil. And my trusty Mac computers should do me well when I start working on laying out my own work.
But one thing I had not thought of was to take an art class at the community college. I think that is the plan - thanx to those that gave that suggestion!

Glen Parshall, Las Vegas

 

[John B.]

Glen P, you might think about deepening some areas on those rusted guns BEFORE the pits and rust are removed.
This way, the engraving will be easier to touch up after, hopefully, hand block sanding is used in the restoration.
Some of the detail can easily be lost in the refurbishing.
If you don't want to do it this way I would advise making ink pulls and taking good photos.
Not always an easy job, especially as a first.
Just an aside as I see you are from Vegas.
I got the job from a friend of finishing three of his guns that Vegas engraver Joe Condon was about half way
finished with at the time of his passing.
Also not an easy job to follow anothers engravers exact style. Easier to start with a blank canvas.
Just a thought, best of luck with them and your engraving career.
John B.