First Post, Third Carving

[semloh]

Hi All-

I've been on the site for a few weeks now, just soaking things up. Finally got some leather and a few tools from Barry King about a week and a half ago, have been practising a bit, and I think I've made a little headway since the first couple of timid impressions I made. I am going to post my third attempt at carving something, finished yesterday, and would welcome any comments. I also have a couple of questions:

What to do with the non-beveled side of this style leaf? I just used the thumbprint (a little too roughly, I think) and couldn't decide whether it should also get the leaf liner and veiner.

Mulefeet. They might be a problem for me. After studying lots of pictures, and just can't seem to intuitively tell where they should go. I actually got my mulefeet via UPS from Hidecrafters just yesterday and I used them on this carving straight out of the box. What I learned is that making a straight, even impression isn't as easy as it looks, and I need to stamp deeper.

As an aside, I found the pattern I used for this on LW, and I can't seem to find the post again to thank whoever it was who put it up. But thanks- and my apologies for hacking it slightly to fit my piece of leather.

Finally, don't mind my flower center. I don't have a proper one yet, it's on the way, and had to improvise using a seeder- again not stamping quite deep enough.

Ray

[ClayB]

Hi Ray,

For your third attempt at something like this, you are doing really well. First off, the color is really pretty. It sure sets off the tooling. Your tooling is looking pretty good too. Nothing there that even more practice isn't going to make better. The way you used the thumbprint on the flower petals looks good. It fits the curves on the leaves well, and is nice and deep at the tip, then fades out. On some of the leaves, you can see the impression of the whole tool. You might want to try tilting the tool back a little so the front of the tool impression fades out like it does on the flower petals. The mule foot spacing just takes a lot of practice to get right, and even then it seems like it has a mind of it's own once in a while and your spacing will get off or the impression will tilt off to one side or the other. Your spacing isn't that bad, and it looks like you tried to fade them out as you went. The thing I see is that each impression shows the whole imprint of the tool. With this tool, try tilting the tool back a little as you make each following impression, so that by the time you get to the third or fourth one, you are just using the very tip of the tool. That way your impressions will fade away in size as well as depth. You're off to a great start, I hope we get to see more soon!

[semloh]

Thanks for the constructive criticism, Clay. The color is the result of one application of neatsfoot oil, Bee Natural resist, medium brown antique, and then Bag Kote. It was my first shot using the resist and antiquing, and I'm hoping to do it better next time. As for the tooling, the mulefoot was for sure the hardest to control and leave the impression that I wanted it to leave. Just have to practice. Let me say, to anyone who might be thinking of getting Jeremiah Watt's Carving & Layout DVD- do it! I got it, along with the Likewise/Fay book on Sheridan carving, before I even had tools and leather, and without them I probably wouldn't be doing half as well in three times the time. Truly great, both of them.

Ray

Hi Ray,

For your third attempt at something like this, you are doing really well. First off, the color is really pretty. It sure sets off the tooling. Your tooling is looking pretty good too. Nothing there that even more practice isn't going to make better. The way you used the thumbprint on the flower petals looks good. It fits the curves on the leaves well, and is nice and deep at the tip, then fades out. On some of the leaves, you can see the impression of the whole tool. You might want to try tilting the tool back a little so the front of the tool impression fades out like it does on the flower petals. The mule foot spacing just takes a lot of practice to get right, and even then it seems like it has a mind of it's own once in a while and your spacing will get off or the impression will tilt off to one side or the other. Your spacing isn't that bad, and it looks like you tried to fade them out as you went. The thing I see is that each impression shows the whole imprint of the tool. With this tool, try tilting the tool back a little as you make each following impression, so that by the time you get to the third or fourth one, you are just using the very tip of the tool. That way your impressions will fade away in size as well as depth. You're off to a great start, I hope we get to see more soon!

Edited February 18, 2009 by semloh

[Hilly]

Hi Ray!

I'm not an expert on anything, but my eyes are telling me that you're off to a great start with your Sheridan carving. I agree with everything Clay said, but would like to add that I really like your depth of carving, and you did a great job beveling, but could use a bit of smoothing in places with a modeling tool. I also think you did a fine job on back grounding within the circle.

My take on Sheridan is that it's all about flow, texture, texture, and more texture, and filling up the empty spaces. I would like to see your camo tool impressions a little more on your flower petals, and as for the plain side of the leaf, well, many folks put decorative cuts in there.

As for your seeded flower center, whoever said you have to have a "proper" flower center? I don't mind the seeds a bit! Just be careful that you do not punch through the leather with such small tools.... (Don't ask me how I know that can happen).

Looking forward to seeing your next work.

Hilly