Critique Request Winchester 9422 scroll pattern

[Mike Frakes]

This is a design for a Winchester 9422 I just finished drawing on my computer using CorelDraw. Please look it over and let me know what needs changing. I have the rifle stripped down preped and ready to cut and I would like some opinions on the scroll design before I start cutting. The reason there are no shadding lines is that I don't normally draw the shading lines, I just cut them without drawing them.

Thanks,

Mike Frakes

 

[6gun]

Mike, the tiny scroll in the bottom middle looks cramped into place when compared to the larger main scrolls on each end. My two cents worth.........
George

 

[Tim Wells]

It's just a personal preference thing but I like to see patterns that are broken up more into smaller scrolls and a variety of leaf shapes rather than just a few big ones trying to "fill" in a space; especially on these Winchesters with all that room to do what you want.

 

[Mike Frakes]

Thanks 6Gun, I see what you mean and I'll replace that scroll with something else.

Mike

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Hi Mike

There's a lot of nice ideas you have happening there and I like your rosette.

Overall I think that perhaps the pattern is a bit big and needs to be broken down a bit into smaller elements (as per Tim Wells)...........But in saying that, what you have done already can be improved upon with some adjustments. Big or small, certain pinciples remain the same.

There are a few things you may want to think about with your current design. ........are you going to relieve the background and texture????


If you are, then you will find that the design becomes a bit wishy washy ........If you blacken in the background you will see what I'm getting at.

Your leaves are really a bit on the large side. They should all be of a similar proportion. If you reduce them in size and ad more of them it will give you a far more pleasing result.

Your point of origin for the large right hand scroll. You may want to think about what I have drawn. It cures a couple of problems with all those messy leaves...and it helps fill the gap between the screw and the head of the scroll.

You may also want to think about the scroll backbone where it cuts the leaves off..........this has a nasty habit of separating the leaves from the scroll backbone and they can look like two separate things. Try and let your shading do this with a bit more subtlety..............you can get away with it on smaller scroll work, but with big scroll work like you have drawn everything will be over amplified.

Another thing you may want to look at is leaf direction...........if you are going to do the "curve back" thing, then really do it and curve it. If you do it sort of half way.........then it looks more like a mistake than an actual design element. Kind of like all in or all out....sitting on the fence is neither in or out........ Or another way of putting that is .......be bold!!!

I've drawn a rough as guts sketch to show you the concepts that I'm talking about. The lime green is the "curve back" concept if you wish to still go ahead with that idea.

I'll also ad the usual disclaimer...............these are just my ideas and way of thinking. I'll also be interested to hear what others have to say as everyone brings something to the table.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[badsbsnf81]

For me, the "rope (for lack of a better word)" border distracts from the scroll work. I prefer either a wide solid line or two or maybe three lines of increasing thickness from out to in.

Tim and Albert's comments make good sense to me.

Look forward to pictures of the completed work.

 

[fegarex]

Hi Mike,
I don't have a lot of time right now to do explaining but perhaps a photo will help.
Here is a Marlin I did a few years back that was based on a factory pattern. I adapted some shading changes to it buy overall the pattern is very similar to the one you are doing.
Perhaps this might help...
Rex

 

[John B.]

Hi Mike,
You got a very crisp design using CorelDraw, congratulations on that from a computer dummy.
I agree with Andrew's point of the origin of your scroll as it leaves your nice screw head design.
One area that needs some rethinking is the mass (thickness) of the main scroll stems in contrast to the very skinny smaller scroll stems.
As Andrew said, black in the background and see what you think.
Once the design is backgrounded and especially if relieved the small scrolls will look spindely.
Just my thinking for your consideration. Thanks for posting.
Best.

 

[Mike Frakes]

Thanks for all great feedback, and I'll redo my drawing incorporating as many of the ideas as I can, and then repost the drawing. I really appreciate you all taking your time to help me out.

Mike

 

[Big-Un]

Like Rex, I'll post a picture of a Winchester high-wall I did. Hope it helps.

Bill

 

[Ron Smith]

Mike,

One of the things I see is the variation in continuity. I always reccommend keeping leaf mass consistant no matter how big or how small the spirals, and there are some spaces you can put a leaf, consistant with the others, where you have a spiral which doesn't fit the design. Leaf structure can vary, but when you get great differences in leaf mass you break the continuity of the design. It is not about right or wrong, it is about cause and effect, and tried and ture principals.

Continuity creates a balanced design with nothing more important than anything else. Your drawing is segmented because of the small spirals in a random order, placed by necessity rather than knowing what to do with the space. You are doing great, but these are finer points for better results.

You have gotten some other really good advice, and I just wanted to add these comments that might make a difference in your understanding.

Rock on buddy!

Ron S