Shaded flower exercise

[sam]

Here's a demo practice plate I did for the class I'm teaching this week.
Details: 120? graver, Airtact, black Sharpie.

Cheers / ~Sam

 

[jmcutting]

Sam,

Beautiful work... with the Sharpie, do you just color the entire flower and then wipe off the smooth areas? Sorry if this has been explained before...

-justin

 

[monk]

ok, for those of us who happen to be cerebrally compromised, oh wait- i'm the only one on the forum that's compromised- tip to tip- how big is this sam ? i want to do this. thanks

 

[maryw]

BEAUTIFUL, SAM!! I would love to practice this on something. Sooo much I want to do.
Thanks for sharing.
Mary W

 

[Rick Eaton]

Sam,
Real nice shading thanks for sharing.

I've had problems using a 120 because I can't see the tip as well, which you must to be able to shade this fine. What is your face and heel angles if you don't mind me asking.
Thanks
Rick

 

[smays]

looking at the size of GRAIN on the plate....and taking in consideration of the engraver.... it's probably about 1/8" in DIAMETER!

 

[Michael Orticelli]

i am envious, the line quality is so nice, and the symmetry of everything just shows the complete control of a master engraver. I will work on this one for a while. Thanks!

 

[Mike Cirelli]

That looks great. Sam did you cut caffeine out of your diet. Your shade lines are soooooo disciplined. Its fun to look at your doodles but it's really a treat to look at your work when your really serious.

 

[sam]

Thanks guys and ladies. I believe the design is about 1" across, give or take.
I normally use black paint, but for classes I use a Sharpie to darken engraving quickly.
The graver is a common 120 with 45deg face and 15deg heel. You're right that you can't see the tip as well. I taper mine down quite a bit and that helps, but unlike a pointy square graver, the 120 is a very broad V point. / ~Sam

 

[Barry Lee Hands]

Good stuff.
I once asked Vassar Clemens how he got his singular sound, and he told me " I take every note seriously".
It is easy to see you have a very clear grasp of your technique and what to do with it. I can tell you take each cut seriously.

 

[Marian Sawby]

Sam, It glows. You're the best. Marian

 

[ddushane]

Awesome flower Sam, Thanks for sharing. Dwayne

 

[Don Cowles]

Sam, I was chatting with Ron Skagg's wife this evening here at the Chicago Custom Knife show, and she tells me that Ron cuts his shading lines from the root of the leaf/petal out toward the outer edge, thinning the line by rocking back on the graver as he nears the edge. Is this the way you do it? I think I have been doing things backward (no wonder they don't look too hot!). I have been starting with a thin line near the edge of the leaf, and lifting the graver handle as I approach the base of the figure.

 

[sam]

Don: I find that interesting and surprising. I always shade - and teach my students to shade - by cutting thin to thick. There are rare times when I'm forced to cut the opposite way, but I follow a think-to-thick rule. Ron Skaggs is a heck of an engraver whose work I admire. Can you find out for sure if that's the case with his shading? Also, please invite Ron to the Cafe if you haven't already done so. He'd be a great addition to the group! / ~Sam

 

[vanknife]

Sam Thanks for posting such Exquisite samples of your work, for a biginner it is worth more than You would ever imagine.

"VAN"

 

[Rick Eaton]

Sam,
I tried the 120 with the lower heel and that helped alot better thanks for sharing, I'm going to try it on my next engraving, this should work real good with the arabesque style leaves.
Thanks
Rick

 

[Don Cowles]

Sam, I talked with Ron at some length (his show table is right behind mine), and he said yup, that is the way he does it, but not at a hard and fast rule. I did suggest that he join us here.

 

[Abigail]

That's pretty, honey.
love,
wife

 

[vilts]

Now this is a great opportunity to have free lesson, why should I pass it? Here's my try to shade the beautiful flower Sam made. The shape is bit off due to my drawing, not engraving.

I must say that this was really useful shading exercise, thank you Sam for that

But as you can see I still struggle to create those middle grays, its all too black-and-white. I think it's coming, but slowly.

 

[Andy]

That's a great job Vilts!!. Your shading looks fantastic!