Tool List for Beginners (new thread)

[mdengraver]

Dover design books are a must in anyones collection for inspiration and excellent examples of prints from engravings. The drawings that show you what you can do is just as important as acquiring tools. These books give you an idea what your trying to achieve. Sam might provide a link in his tool list to the engravers café recommended book list which is broad and varied.

 

[Red Green]

I believe many new engravers would benefit from a link to the FEGA they have much to offer to all engravers.

Bob

 

[Christian DeCamillis]

I think beginners would get a lot from a visit here http://www.engraversstudio.com/

The interactive video blogs , the video section and the documents section have a lot of info for the basics . It's absolutely free.

Chris

 

[tundratrekers@mtaonline.n]

Good Look Chris!
michael

 

[mdengraver]

This café is one of the best and most comprehensive schools for all types of hand engraving, and sources of inspiration for the art. Thanks to Sam and all those who participant in this cafe, everyone has benefited. A person has an opportunity here to discover a world view of art, hand engraving, and the like, that is hard to find anywhere else. If all could be organized in a book the cost would be prohibitive, but much of the research and study on the subject of hand engraving will have us ultimately revisiting this site over and over again. The best part of it all is that it is all readily at our fingertips, if we're willing to make the effort and be open to learn and discover new ways/approaches to doing things. As a primary tool for any hand engravers tool box this site provides essential guidance. On the subject of hand-engraving, it is right here and now at The Engravers Café that you will find "The Ultimate Hand Engraving Guide to the Perplexed". You'll find that people will share their hard-earned knowledge and experience generously here, and help you to address any questions or concerns you may have on the subject. The questions and answers that are furnished at the Engravers Café address issues and concerns that all hand engravers have faced at one time or another. The new ideas and tutorials presented here provide us some of the best explanations and examples we can find anywhere. We are all unlocking the mysteries of the art together. We are all teachers. We all learn from each other. The questions and answers here are lessons for everyone.

 

[sam]

Very nicely stated. Thank you!

 

[mdengraver]

Another tool for one's toolbox would be a passion and commitment to work hard and learn as much as you can about hand engraving. Famous genius quotes:

Albert Einstein:

“Genius is 1% talent and 99% percent hard work...”

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”


Thomas Edison is credited as saying:

"Genius-is-one-percent-inspiration-ninety-nine-percent-perspiration".

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/...iration-ninety-nine-percent-perspiration.html

 

[mdengraver]

One other thing I'd like to add. All beginners need to learn as soon as possible how to use a jewelers saw and how to inlay. The inlay work will give you the possibility of taking your engravers to a new level as you cutting and drawing skills advance. One old engraver I knew named John Sumner, now long gone, used to say "If you can draw them, you can't cut them."

 

[silverchip]

One essential tool I have in my tool box would be a fly rod. Engraving is an art that requires a huge commitment and therefore the risk of burn out can be high in the beginning. A distraction that requires outdoor movement and activity or exercise is essential to maintain balance in the universe between yer ears. A happy engraver is a productive one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get out there and see the world of natural art for inspiration!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Deb Williams]

Sam: I suggest you add a warning for those people with no creative ability to choose another hobby. I have wasted many thousands of dollars on training and tools and have finally concluded I do not have a molecule of creative ability. As much encouragement as you guys offer, sometimes a person just has to accept the truth.

Deb Williams

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Hi Deb

Yes, you are correct. Either you have aptitude/talent or you don't. I have had students pass through my sign shop over the years and some couldn't draw a straight line with a ruler. Their talents lay elsewhere.

There is the two sides to engraving. The technical side which is the actual cutting etc and then there is the design work. They are both closely connected and you can't really separate them.

It's also one of those deals where you don't know till you try.

Having said that............there is also a process to learning. In other words, learning how to learn. Many is the time that I've seen newbies trying to start with the most difficult thing and work backwards. Often with the excuse they are trying to find their own style without knowing anything about what style is. Especially good style. Translated that means trying to run before they can walk.

Another thing that trips newbies up is that they want to try everything and switch from cutting to bulino to sculpting to whatever. They never really develop the basic understanding of what they are doing and this has the effect of dissipating their energy and they never really master anything.

You obviously have the desire and that is a strong motivation otherwise you wouldn't have spent the money. It is that desire to become good at something that often carries the day.

I have some questions for you and you don't have to publicly answer them but be honest with yourself.

1. How often do you practice drawing and cutting. How many hours a day/week.???

2. Do you have any decent resource books?? Not "how to" books........but books that inspire like British Gun Engraving by Douglas Tate. These books have been vetted by an editor and all the engraving in it is good engraving. You can't go far wrong by studying these fine gun engravings. By study I mean study, not just look at the pictures.

3. Were all the classes necessary or were you looking for the magic fix???. I'm not trying to be rude about it or insulting. More information is often not needed and will often have the reverse effect. We can only absorb so much information and reading the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica in one session isn't going to make you a more knowledgeable person. You will simply have a fried brain. And so it is with engraving. Learn one thing, put it into practice and when you are ready for the next bit of information you will absorb it a lot easier.

If you are prepared to give up then by all means do so. But always remember that it is always darkest just before dawn. Perhaps what you need to do is clear the decks and go back to a couple of simple basics. Have a bit of success with that and then build on that success. It really is a series of building blocks.

Our success at engraving has absolutely nothing to do with how much money we spend, the tools we use or the number of classes we take.................the most expensive part is time. There are no short cuts, just good old fashioned hard work, dedication, attention to detail and endless study. If you can do that, then you will be rewarded a hundred fold for your efforts. This is true of any endeavour we take on in life.


Cheers
Andrew

 

[mdengraver]

Deb, Andrew hit everything right on the mark. I just have a few other things to add. Everyone learns at their own rate. Everyone struggles. Then one day if you hang in there something will start to click inside and then you know you have it. Sought of like throwing horseshoes. You try and try, and then one day your throwing those horseshoes like you always knew how to do it. Making ringers more and more frequently with the horseshoe right around that peg. I know because I had that experience with horseshoes. This is just one example, but I've experienced that with art, as well as writing. It may takes years for you to totally discover the confidence in your own creativity, discover your style, your creative palette. It often develops on a subliminal level. This feeling that you have figured it all out is often fleeting, often deceiving. Your tastes, standards may change as you grow as an artiist. That comfort zone comes and goes as you take on new challenges to reach that next level of creativity. Those insecurities are normal.

Creativity more often than not comes from hard work, requires discipline, concentration, devoted focus, sometimes a selfish single-mindedness. Just like a musician whose determined to learn how to play the Blues. That's where the aptitude comes in. You decide if you have the aptitude. Deb through your mere interest in the art of hand engraving, you have defined yourself as person who has an aptitude for this medium.

You might have to find a teachers or mentor that gets you on that right track, but if your determined enough, motivated enough, it will eventually happen. When you do discover your own inner creativity, it will be a magical moment you will never forget, you will always treasure, like a special gift from god. It will propel you forward. It can become quite addictive. And finally don't be too quick to judge yourself, just enjoy the process of developing your skills. Give yourself as much time as it takes. This isn't a race, but a lifelong journey with no clear beginning, no clear goals to the finish, no end. Enjoy the journey, not your preconceived notion of what that ultimate destination might become. You will start to live for the unexpected miracle of your own creations. Not always knowing where the source of it all comes from, but humbled by the recognition that it exists and it is real.

Like Andrew said there are many building blocks along the way. You can't ski before you learn how to walk, If hand engraving is important to you, you will eventually learn how to do it, through faith, patience and perserverance. You must learn how to believe in yourself, that you truly have something to say and offer. There is an unknown universe in all of us, waiting to be revealed, discovered. Call it your own inner soul, spirit that makes you and everyone of us totally unique. You just got to give it time before you develop you own inner voice, your spark so to speak, what makes you unique, what makes you click. You have to learn the fundamentals first, one step at a time. It won't happen overnight. Most people on this forum, and most artists have had ups and downs, many struggles along the way. And if you continue to challenge yourself to the next level of creativity, you will always struggle. The satisfaction comes from emerging out of that struggle and finding some measure of success. Most artists are never completely comfortable or satisfied with their work. As we strive for improvement, we all should be looking at our current work, observing how much we have fallen short from the mark, without being too overly critical of ourselves, taking ourselves too seriously Remember you're supposed to be enjoying this, art is supposed to be fun, and nourish your soul. You need to know, realize when you've given it your all, knowing when to stop and move on to the next effort. We must pace ourselves. And in so doing that, we must come to know that we will learn from our current level of experiences, so we can continue to witness improvement in our future work.

 

[Red Green]

Funny how so many people think creating art is work, requires talent or can be learned by some process. Art is expression to others in any form, to create art is to communicate. The work, talent, time and all the processes are just used to align the outward results of that expression into the medium you have at hand. It is simple to copy as a child babbles meaningless noise, you have discovered your babble is but noise. To 'create' your expression must take physical form of some kind, this is where the thousands of dollars, time and all the rest come into play.

I do not understand "I do not have a molecule of creative ability" your entire being is creative, you chose to not express what is inside for whatever reason. Open up express it, perhaps you can show this 'lack of creative ability' as the physical thing blocking your path, perhaps there is a way around this unforgiving monster.

Bob

 

[sam]

Deb: Here's a photo of the first knife I engraved 33+ years ago. Proof that I didn't enter this world as an engraver and scroll designer.

I would certainly hate to see you give up. Perhaps seeing my pitiful first engraving attempts will restore hope that you can do it.

~Sam

 

[Deb Williams]

Thank you to all of you for your input. I took my first engraving class in 1994, so this has not been a two-week effort. No matter the effort, I never improve.

Deb Williams

 

[mdengraver]

Sam your early work looks pretty fine to me and demonstrates the potential that you realized more fully further on down the road.

 

[atexascowboy2011]

Hey Deb,
You wouldn't happen to be a member of congress would you?
Jeff

 

[Red Green]

Funny, I was going to ask mdengraver if he was a lobbyist.

Bob

 

[mdengraver]

I'm only a lobbyist for hand engraving, but I haven't received much money from the hand engravers. It's hard to lobby on a shoestring budget.
I mean I can barely scratch-out a living as a hand-engraver. And lobbying for hand-engravers is rather difficult with all the tool wars out there. I can't figure out who I should represent, for what, for whom, or to whom.

 

[Red Green]

It's good to know that engravers are well represented, thanks for seeing to it my taxes on my first million in take home pay was kept low, I was worried.

Bob