One year of engraving

[SarahLadd]

Hi everybody. It's been a year and some change since I took my beginner's class from Ray Cover. I am still learning about communities and where to go to talk to other engravers. I don't see a place on the forum that is specifically a gallery for people to post projects? If this is the wrong place for me to post this, I'm sorry, let me know where to go and I'll post in the right place.

Thank you for looking. Images are ordered by date so you can watch how my skills grow.

 

[SarahLadd]

More pics.

 

[Leland Davis]

Very nice

 

[monk]

your work is quite amazing to look at. tyvm for sharing this.

 

[tdelewis]

Beautiful! It is obvious that you came into the engraving community with artistic skill that had been developed beforehand. It shows that there is a natural talent as well.

 

[Travis_UT]

Looks great!

 

[SarahLadd]

Thank you all for your kindness.

 

[John B.]

Hello Sarah,
Some very nice engraving ,congratulations.
And a shout out to Ray for the ground work he provided !

 

[Big-Un]

Extremely well done! Ray is great teacher, and it shows you listened to him and applied his expertise correctly. Sometimes we artists are a little "set in our ways" and don't want to listen to our instructors.

 

[sam]

Very nice work! Post away as often as you like. If you're on FB then Engraving Bench is a good group, and also Engraver's Notebook.

 

[JJ Roberts]

Wow keep up the good work. J.J.

 

[Steelnecktie]

More pics.

Awesome, I’ll be seeing Ray very soon myself. Nice to see students succeed.

 

[Sebastian duran]

This really amazing work. if you don’t mind me asking, What graver did you use to do the eagle and snake.

 

[SarahLadd]

This really amazing work. if you don’t mind me asking, What graver did you use to do the eagle and snake.

Square. It was the first project I did after coming back from class. That knife is my husband's every day carry beater knife. He still carries it every day.

 

[SarahLadd]

Awesome, I’ll be seeing Ray very soon myself. Nice to see students succeed.

Good luck! Don't be afraid to take pictures and really detailed notes. My memory is NOT GREAT so I have a digital folder to look into whenever I start scratching my head. I was too afraid of looking like a weirdo taking photos of the blackboard or taking short video clips of a crucial demo at first and day 1 is missing from my folder and it drives me CRAZY. That first day is sharpening your most important graver and that information is stuff you'll keep wanting to look back at time and again. I asked a lot of questions. I hope he doesn't think I was annoying. I sponged it all and did my best to saturate in the experience while I was there. Be sure to ask to draw straws on any practice plates. I got to take home the main project plate that he cut and I treasure it, it's been an invaluable resource to stick under the microscope and dissect or compare to my own marks. My class was his last class at his old place so I don't even know what his new classroom looks like. Have fun!

 

[Steelnecktie]

I’ll be attending Monday at his new location. Been by there and it is very nice. From what little I’ve met Ray he is a super nice guy. I appreciate the info and reply. Good luck with your engraving, looks like you are off to a great start.

 

[Dani Girl]

Your animals are grand SarahLadd. Your scrollwork is good too for how long you've been engraving. I've just started trying to do scrolls and leaves in 3D woodcarving and it breaks the brain trying to decide how it should be even after doing it for ages in 2D engraving. I was wandering whether your tools were super sharp? You're packing a lot of lines in in the shading whereas I use less lines with more variation in line width (mine start thin and get two or three times as thick as yours). You don't have to like that or use it, just thought it might prompt ideas. KEEP IT UP!!! and Have FUN. Did you do the stone setting too? Nice ring. I really loved what you did with the background on the deer. Top work

 

[SarahLadd]

Your animals are grand SarahLadd. Your scrollwork is good too for how long you've been engraving. I've just started trying to do scrolls and leaves in 3D woodcarving and it breaks the brain trying to decide how it should be even after doing it for ages in 2D engraving. I was wandering whether your tools were super sharp? You're packing a lot of lines in in the shading whereas I use less lines with more variation in line width (mine start thin and get two or three times as thick as yours). You don't have to like that or use it, just thought it might prompt ideas. KEEP IT UP!!! and Have FUN. Did you do the stone setting too? Nice ring. I really loved what you did with the background on the deer. Top work

Thank you! I am just taking photos of a new project with the DSLR. Here's some awful cell phone pictures in the mean time.

Yes, I did the stone setting. I made the rings, also. I worked as a goldsmith for 12 years before I began to do any fine art engraving. In those pictures I included a few rings that are french fishtail set. It is a type of setting that can only really be done by hand with a graver, I know very few goldsmiths who practice it, but I find it to be a lovely style of setting. I hope to combine my skills to make wonderful things. What's more, I have an entire set up waiting for me to learn vitreous glass fired enameling, so that I will add yet another layer of interest to my repertoire. I look forward to doing engravings with diamond setting and the brilliant color of glass.

I'll add a few more pictures, a small selection of my goldsmithing work. I am trained in hand fabrication, wax carving, and also CAD modeling. I worked many years as a "full service" jeweler, I was responsible for the consultation, on the spot table drafting, the CAD models or the fabrication/wax carving, the maintenance and operation of the 3d printers, investing and casting the models, cleaning the models, and setting every stone.

Now I scratch on metal.

 

[SarahLadd]

A few more including some examples of my drafting

 

[Dani Girl]

I started with calligraphy and drawing, then leatherwork, then chipcarving in wood, then glass engraving, then metal engraving. I've gotten myself some enamels but as yet have no oven or torch and I am keen to do some clear enamels over engraving and have set myself up with a small torch and silver soldering kit and a heap of stones wanting to try some jewellery making and engraving and make somethings start to finish that I'm really happy with. pm me if you'd like my email to chat. I'm trying to get back to getting on here often.