Critique Request practice plates

[Bilf]

Here's a couple practice plates for saddle horn caps. Any advice is dang sure welcome. Thanks Bilf.

 

[eastslope]

Your off to a good start, that is for sure. You could use a smaller graver for your backbone wriggle. Taper your liners into the leaf when shading. Your starting out with all the lines on your liner in there, and it would look better if you taper into it a bit. Start out with it tipped so only one line is showing then rock the tool over as you go down the leaf until all your lines are in. You could use some more practice on your bright cuts. Do a practice plate with nothing but bright cuts both left and right, and when you finally think you might be getting the hang of it, do another few practice plates with the same thing. I use flat gravers with a 20 degree heel. Diane Scalese has a great dvd on western bright cut you can purchase through FEGA. Greg Pauline (Cowboy Silversmith is his handle I think) posted a tutorial on bright cutting not too long ago. I bet you can find it if you do a search. I am still pretty green at all of this but I hope it helps. Seth

 

[Haraga.com]

Buhl, Idaho. That is Rob Juker country. I think you have progressed quite well in such a short time. Try to get some random scrolls going on. Keep cutting. I am surprised that eastslope is home. I stopped by his shop a week ago and nobody there.:}

 

[DARNEW]

Looks like you might be trying to push your graver and liner to much. Try turning your work into your tool instead of pushing your tool into your work. By turning your work into the tool you have more leverage and much mor control so you get a smother cut. But thats not to say that you dont have presure on your tool weather you are using a air tool or by hand, you should keep presure on the tool, but the ball should be doing the work. Also you might try using a V graver and put a heel on it so as so to create a square edge and then walk it to create a smaller spine. Practice makes perfect.

 

[monk]

the one with the ruby sort of reminds me of "stary night". i'm speaking in not real specific terms here. i really do like the "direction" you are traveling. i just think you need a bit more practice to refine your skills. i think you are headed for a very good destination.