Just some thoughts.....

[Kevin P.]

Marcus the term 'guru' applies to spiritual life.

I wish I had phrased this differently. I know you know what a guru is.
I don't mean to diminish the quality of many of the pieces of advice given out on this forum. I've learned a great deal. And I know everyone (or almost) intend to be helpful.
Kevin P.

 

[Marcus Hunt]

Thanks for all your replies guys. This thread is not meant to be a negative one or to stop/make anyone feel they can't or shouldn't post pictures of their work. Far from it, but it is meant to be a reality check. As has been pointed out by several of the more experienced engravers, we don't have all the answers and often have differing ones.

Far from being a discouragement to novice engravers, I think the vast majority want to see everybody do well. I've always thought that the more decent engraving the public sees the greater the demand for it will be. That's why the experienced engravers give so much of their time to encouraging the less experienced ones. However, there are times when tough words have to be said and if the thought of a constructive criticism that might not be what you want to hear frightens you then just continue to show your work to family and friends who will slap you on the back and tell you how great you are. But if you are or hope to be a real world engraver you have to learn to take criticism even if it cuts you to the quick. It's the only way you'll progress.

Chris, I know you think that it's all "smoke and mirrors" and that you never needed a class beyond your basic one. That's great and you are a fine example of someone who got it first time and has the wherewithal to take the time to observe and experiment. However, not everyone has this capability and some folks react much better to being shown how to do something. It can also be a huge timesaver in the long run as you don't end up trying to reinvent the wheel.

One of the biggest mistakes novices make in my opinion is trying to find their own unique style too early on. The basics go out the window and they think they have to be totally individual. Experience shows that this uniqueness happens naturally with regards to hand engraving and shouldn't be something to strive for to early on in one's engraving career.

Repetition of cuts is vital. When I was an apprentice I probably spent the first week just learning to make a teardrop cut and release the bur. In actual fact it was probably more than a week but it was a long time ago. Boring? You bet! Useful? Oh yes! So yes, engraving is easy once you have all the basics under your belt and have done so many cuts you don't have to think about what you're doing. You think about what you want to create and the graver just does it, but this only happens through repetition, repetition, repetition.

Like I said before, none of us knows it all and the joy of engraving is there is always something new to learn.