My point of view and where I'm coming from...

[jfava]

Many of my fellow engravers think that I was born with a graver in my hand or something... or had some natural ability to just pick up a graver and go...

This is ridiculous, NOT true, and I'll be happy to embarrass myself if it helps a few beginners find their way... so let me illustrate my point.

First off: My first experience using a graver was for stone setting in my apprenticeship that started when I was 15. I had no idea what hand engraving was.

When I was 18 I met a hand engraver for the first time in San Francisco when I was there for a stone setting course.

My first impression... I was blown away and had him engrave my ring. On my ring he engraved scrolls. I had no idea what a scroll was... but I thought it was the coolest thing I ever saw.

I went home and practiced using my stone setting onglette , and flat.
After ONE WHOLE YEAR of obsessive practicing, self taught without any knowledge of what a heel even was... the end of that first year, this is what I came up with:

I enrolled in my first hand push ornamental jewelry engraving class... I was the worst by far in the class... (PIC below)

but... I absolutely loved it... so much so that I practiced the same cuts over and over, every day, every week on top of my full time job. One whole year of this practice got me to this point... all hand cut(PIC below)

I had no idea what a gravermax or airgraver was or any idea of the gun world... There were no forums at this time!!!!!

While I was at my first class. I purchase the Meek's book and Ron Smith's first scroll book... and proceeded to read and copy EVERY illustration in the books to scale.... BY HAND

LOL... Notice the gold plated ducks....

The two Photo's above show my very first relief work... done entirely with a push graver...(hundreds of hours)

Then I discovered GRS classes, and the MSN forum(first forum)... and signed up for two beginner classes with Scott Pilkington, and Mike Dubber.

This is what I did in the first basic classes EVER holding a pneumatic hand piece... after 2 years of hand push practice.

I didn't have a pneumatic hand piece of my own yet, but acquired one shortly after this experience.

I left these classes and NEEDED to cut metal more then anything else in the world... I practiced non stop... every day and signed up for a class with Sam 6 months later...(PICS Below)

I cannot find the other plates from Sam's class, but they included a Bulino fish, Gold overlay, and inlay.

I went home a practiced non stop. Six months later I designed and started this:

Soon after, I met Christian D. and took his Bulino class.... went home and worked my fingers to the bone once again.

Later, I moved to Michigan to work with Chris full time. I was 22yrs old.

Shortly after moving to Michigan I went to Italy, and Reno for the first time with the plate above half finished where I received advice from Ron Smith, Sam Welch, and others.

After my first 5 weeks in Michigan I completed my first full project gun engraving. (Designed by Chris of course) Cut by me

Point is... I started at the same place everyone starts at... in the mud. I would NOT be where I am at without EDUCATION, and determination to cross the finish line... even if it wasn't a very pretty finish.

My teachers gave me the information and tools to succeed... I cut every line one at a time! My hands and blood made it happen. No one can discount that.

I paid my dues... in blood and by the gallon. If you want it bad enough... you WILL do it no matter what path you take.

A basic class at the least could change years into months.... easily

 

[jfava]

P.S. It took me 2 whole years to get to the Meek plates with little instruction and a push graver...

It took me a little over 1 year to get from the Meek plates to the shotgun with good instruction and equipment....

See the difference???

Point made... I hope it helps someone out there...

 

[Peter E]

This is GREAT Jason.

Thanks for taking the time to post it.

 

[gtsport]

Man, I spent 18 years in Michigan and I never got anywhere near that!

Joe Paonessa

 

[Haraga.com]

Wow. Thanks for showing us your progression.

 

[Cloudy]

Fantastic! How neat you kept all your plates!!!!

 

[mtgraver]

Jason,
It's nice to see the progression forward, I also feel the milestones in my career. They are some of the revelations after many years of banging my head against the wall. I know it's beyond time to get some formal guidance while I still can. Thanks for sharing the journey. I have similar practice plates but unfortunately I felt I needed to engrave everything so there are a few really ugly knives out there but the worst one will stay with me for a good reminder. I suppose that was the catalyst to continue to persevere.
I think you have so graciously illustrated that there is hope when diligence takes the reins of knowledge.
Got any time? lol
Mark

 

[Doc Mark]

Jason,
This post should be placed in a special spot on the Forum and ALL Beginners should be asked to read it 10 times before moving on!!!!

Absolutely inspiring!

Mark

 

[leroytwohawks]

Thank you Jason, that does make me feel like I'm not just cutting in the dark, and there is hope for anyone, maybe even me!!!

Kevin

 

[Sam]

Excellent and inspiring thread, Jason :thumbs up:

 

[Christopher Malouf]

Many of my fellow engravers think that I was born with a graver in my hand or something... or had some natural ability to just pick up a graver and go...

Well Duuuuude!!! I have it from the highest authority that you sold your soul to the devil!!! :big grin::big grin::big grin::big grin:


Seriously .... there are very few people with the same thirst who can drink from your glass Jason. You have it in you to make history. There are two types of people ... those who succeed (or die trying) and those who believe they are entitled to the secret of the Grail.....

Later man ...

Chris

 

[Bunic]

Jason,

Inspiring! Again, it's the Law of the Harvest... you reap what you sow, and water, and weed, and trim, and ...

Your current work (and what you have been doing for some time) is masterful!

Thanks for sharing your journey!

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Jason, thank you for this tread and for showing your learning process.
Probably I can show the same within a year or two, with or without a classroom.

arnaud

 

[Mike Cirelli]

When I started into jewelry bench work there weren't classes like now. The classes offered today are world class with world class professionals instructing them. I took a couple weeks of classes in the basement of a jewelry store. I was taught more bad habits than anything good. Anyway it got me in with a local jewelry chain as a polisher. I was 18 or 19 years old. To make a long story short I'm still at the bench but with my own jewelry store and shop. I been working for myself for about 31 years. When I started, bench jewelers watchmakers and engravers weren't considered artists much, nor was the work they produced. It was considered more of a trade. Being somewhat of an necessity than a luxury. It's nice to see the change and respect earned by these arts. I will live my whole life working in these arts (not watchmaking it would make my hair stand on end) It's nice to see so many stepping into the water. Maybe these arts will be around along time maybe they will never die. One thing nice to think of is most of the work we all do will be around long after we are gone


My point of view and where I'm coming from...

By the way Jason your work is beautiful.

 

[jetta77]

Very cool thread. Those old plates crack me up lol. Every once in a while I'll pull an old copper plate out of my drawer and compare it to what I'm working on now. it's nice to see some improvement, slowly but surely.:beat up:

 

[Daniel Houwer]

Hi Jason,
That is quite a revelation.
I have to say that being contacted with engraving for the first time at your age does have its advantages.
The way to have time and absorb information seems to grow smaller as age grows. Having a job and coming home to cook dinner and talk to my other half and doing late night work seems to take a lot of time away from the ability to study engraving.
Happy to see though, that you had your first years of trials and errors. And as you say, (in other words) if you want to, you can! Hopefully there will be some gun engravers wanted here in Holland. Or knife engravers or anything from cigar cutters to lighters for that account. Lettering is most profitable here as yet, but anything wild like the stuff you put out there is not done here in Holland as for now.
You must have spent a fortune on tutoring. But I am sure you (with your gained skils) will earn it back if they have not already done so.
As for having had the title of Mater engraver from the FEGA in 2004, why did you skip the organization? Is that because of what you would define to be a Master Engraver? Or something else?
There is a big discussion coming on here in the Netherlands about what is to be a Master Goldsmith. Which is good. Cause everyone can call himself a goldsmith without even know how to solder on bit of silver to the other (or gold). Some consider me to be a Master Goldsmith where I do certainly not. There is just too much to learn and too much things to make in too short a time.
I think you can Master a few degrees in your field or even a lot without mastering all.
Hmm, sorry for ranting on.

Thanks you for showing where you came from. It makes me want to do the same thing with James B. Meeks book and Ron Smiths one. Just have to find or make the time.
You are a big inspiration for me and a lot of others I am sure.

Thanks,
Daniel

 

[spank7357]

Jason, What a helpfull chronology you have put together and the pics to go with it. Now when we get right down to it, didn't we all start and progress through much of the same series of issues? Your down-to-earth explanations are a most serious kind of help for the newbie. I found myself saying me too, me too. Keep cuttin and keep chattin so we'll all benefit. Best regards, Dave "Spank" Spanski

 

[per]

What is the material you were practicing on?

 

[jfava]

Thank you everyone for your comments!

I think it is important that struggling engravers see that we were all "there" once and our work didn't always look the way it does now...

Arnaud:
It is obvious that you have a special determination to achieve your goals and have done so in a matter that is comfortable for you. While it is obviously possible to do what you have done... you are one of the few exceptions to the rule. After all there are nearly 4000 some odd members on this forum... and you are one of the only (that I know of anyway) that have been able to decode things merely by looking at and reading.

Dude, I hope you achieve Fracassi status in 6 month! Keep going! If and when you decide to take a course... maybe we can revisit this again and hear your thoughts.

Daniel:
At the time there was no Master Status. It was always called Professional Status and was recently changed.

I lapsed my membership for personal reasons, and when I tried to resume my membership it was past the deadline to keep the title. There isn't a whole lot of flexibility in this policy, and I'm not going to retake the test... so that is that. I wish FEGA the best and will continue down the road I'm on.

All:
Sometimes I think that people, especially young people get deterred from moving forward and proceeding with hand engraving when they see our work... Maybe because they feel they will never achieve the older guys level work... I posted this to show that we ALL worked for what we have done and educational opportunities are present to achieve whatever level you want.Thanks again

Best Regards

 

[bronc]

Great post Jason. Fascinating to see how you progressed. Thanks for sharing with us.

Stewart