Please critique my scroll design.

[Big-Un]

You're welcome. Keep up the good work, you're improving at every attempt and that is what its all about anyway. I'm impressed with your progress and questions.

Bill

 

[metairieclark]

it is the overall appearance that matters more than a flaw here or there, but i thought that you should eliminate the problem part of your scroll. then fill the space with a leaf that originates from the other scroll and curves up and to the right. space the other leaves around the upper right of your design and change the angles a little to make it flow together. maybe add a few tiny leaves curling off around the edges to fill the negative space here and there if it bothers you.
but i think it is pretty cool, would like to see it after it is cut in metal.

 

[Thierry Duguet]

Flawed/imperfect is a good thing !
Check out Bohlin's buckles. The cuts are very crude BUT ! these crude cut buckles bring $30,000-$40,000 !
I have a friend who produces buckles along the same style. His cuts again are very crude, but again he gets on some work $50,000 and $60,000 .
Folks with money don't want something that looks like it came from a machine.

As I have said in the past , I incorporate file/hammer marks in various places on my spurs to give them that handmade/used look.

There is even a culture in the Far East? who produce beautiful works of art and then go back and intentionally put flaws into the work.
Their rationale is that nothing man creates is 100% perfect.

The engraver with the flawed work that you reference is one that I highly respect due to his truly hand made work.
IT HAS CHARACTER !

I did read your posting several time and I was going to ignore it but! $30.000 or $40.000, that seem pretty good. If I engrave a Boss and sell it for $80.000 it is even better, isn't it? No not really a used Boss should bring $60.000 to $80.000 which mean that my work is worth noting. If I engrave a solid gold buckles, add some diamonds, cast the thing, set the stones, etc and engrave that thing (looking at it it could not possibly take more than 4 hours). Where can you see that they get $50.000 for their work, they get $50.000 for the buckles. To get back to my Boss example, I would sell an engraved Boss, the Shotgun has an inherent value as do the gold, diamonds, etc use in the fabrication of the buckle and as anyone know it is much easier to make money on material than on workmanship.

 

[Sgwiley]

Hi,

Have you ever considered engraving something other than scrolls? Be creative and try something else. You may find it inspiring. Engrave an eye, and grasshopper, a bee, a bird, an airplane...find something fun.

I dare you. ☺

 

[Riflesmith]

Sgwiley! Do you mean engrave something like this

 

[Riflesmith]

Or how about this?

 

[Riflesmith]

Or maybe this?

 

[Riflesmith]

Or how about something like this? I have a few hundred more, I just don't post them! But it doesn't matter, the lines you cut or the dots you make Have a basis in design and graver control which comes with practice.....lots of practice!

 

[Riflesmith]

So, Sgwiley, just what is it you would dare me, or any other engraver on here, do?

 

[Big-Un]

Hey Richard, don't stoke "her royal highness' " ego.....maybe she'll go away like she promised!

Bill

 

[Riflesmith]

Thanks Bill, arrogance and rudeness just strokes me the wrong way! We could be so lucky!

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Hi Richard

I Have to say that your cutting is better than your drawing which is the way it should be

You've done a very nice job of the shading and I like the vikings head.

From what I can see you are on the right path. Could the design be better?..........Yes, of course it can. But Rome wasn't built in a day

None of this is easy and it's all trial and error. Just keep at it and keep refining what you are doing.

One thing I would suggest is to draw within a shape because that will focus your attention much better and bring a bit if discipline to your drawing skills.

The critical thing is to learn from your mistakes and correct them on your next project.........that is how we learn. That, and careful observation will take you a long way.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[Riflesmith]

Thank you Andrew!

 

[Indy Joneds]

Really like your engravings Riflesmith , you should post more

 

[Riflesmith]

Thank you Indy! I'll think about posting more, one never knows!

 

[lisandros]

hello, with your help could see and check what you say about the grabaor teacher and weaknesses . I think that in art only accuracy is not enough , greetings Lisandro

 

[Otto Carter]

Make things smaller as the design grows away from the start. Just like how a tree grows.

 

[Riflesmith]

Thanks Otto and lisandros!

 

[Otto Carter]

Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. And to do that you need proper instruction. And why do you need instruction? Because you don't know what you don't know.

 

[snake1408]

I like it, well done.