Critique Request Recent “realistic” work

[KeelingCustoms]

This is my latest work on a stainless steel tattoo machine frame.
I’m trying to improve the smoothness of my shading and make it flow more with the dimension rather than just straight crosshatching.
Any advice is welcome!

 

[Dani Girl]

My eye is drawn to and dislikes the 90 degree intersections in the shading or cross-hatching in the eye cavities. I am not instantly coming up with what would be better.

It's great work

 

[FANCYGUN]

Dani. You are looking at these photos in an extreme large state. As such you csn see how the detail is done. I would assume at it’s full small size these all blend together in a very subtle way to create the shading and form. Engraving is meant to be looked with the naked eye. You look at it under magnification to see how it is done. You are not making a photograph.
That being said, I like what I see and it is skillfully done With a delicate touch

 

[KeelingCustoms]

My eye is drawn to and dislikes the 90 degree intersections in the shading or cross-hatching in the eye cavities. I am not instantly coming up with what would be better.

It's great work

Thanks! That is the part I’m struggling with as well.
It’s difficult for me to build up the darker shadows without having multiple intersections.
But the more intersections I do the messier it seems to feel.
However I see the old banknote engravers do it without having the intersections.
I’m thinking to replicate a couple of those style peices in practice plates to see if I can understand the style of shading.

 

[KeelingCustoms]

Dani. You are looking at these photos in an extreme large state. As such you csn see how the detail is done. I would assume at it’s full small size these all blend together in a very subtle way to create the shading and form. Engraving is meant to be looked with the naked eye. You look at it under magnification to see how it is done. You are not making a photograph.
That being said, I like what I see and it is skillfully done With a delicate touch

Yes the entire engraved surface is around 1-2 inches across.
It’s relatively small.
However I am struggling with ways to make the smooth areas more seemless.
I’m planning to replicate some older banknote style engravings in practice to see if I can better understand the way it’s properly done.
Thanks!

 

[teroon]

It took me a long time to see the skull, and something seems wrong when I look at it. Not that it is not correct anatomically more like....proportions and composition thing.

 

[pblack]

Would a techinique like Tri Le's be better for the shading of the skull? It reminds me of bank note style sort of.

Scratchboard Illustration

 

[KeelingCustoms]

It took me a long time to see the skull, and something seems wrong when I look at it. Not that it is not correct anatomically more like....proportions and composition thing.

Maybe thats because it doesn’t have most of the teeth which help to identify it as a skull more easily.

 

[KeelingCustoms]

Would a techinique like Tri Le's be better for the shading of the skull? It reminds me of bank note style sort of.

Scratchboard Illustration

I’m sure it would be!
I just Dont fully understand how to do that yet.
I’m planning to study and replicate some old banknote style engravings to try and understand it and be able to do it in my own style

 

[EngraverHand]

Looks quite amazing to me and a good technique. If something the under jaw is maybe a bit light compared to the rest or the skull.. but I think the composition with the scrollwork looks great!

 

[KeelingCustoms]

T

Looks quite amazing to me and a good technique. If something the under jaw is maybe a bit light compared to the rest or the skull.. but I think the composition with the scrollwork looks great!

Thanks Marius! I used your procreate brush pack to design the scrolls

 

[monk]

the organic theme i see here combined with the scroll-- uh, i see nothing here that needs further attention. very unique and quite nice looking.

 

[Leland Davis]

While I am more of a traditional engraving guy your work is very well done.

 

[MRoyse]

This is my latest work on a stainless steel tattoo machine frame.
I’m trying to improve the smoothness of my shading and make it flow more with the dimension rather than just straight crosshatching.
Any advice is welco

 

[MRoyse]

The flow definitely works instead of static cross hatching, certainly give the art a organic feel and depth.