Basic Drawing And Layout- Please Help!

[pete]

I KNOW that this subject has been addressed many times before, but would one of you "artists" please explain how you go about layout?

Say that you are doing a belt. There's a real beauty that I believe our "Oakdale, Ca" connection did. Do you lay out the flower positions evenly spaced, then connect them with the basic flow, then fine tune with the specific vines, stickers, etc? And if so- do you work from the "front" flower and connect it to the one before or start at the buckle and "grow' the stems toward the tip?

I ask because I get really stuck. I draw the flower then get so intense that 2 hours later I have drawn 3" of dense jungle and haven't even gotten half way to the next flower!

I got Pete Gorell's book and really liked it. Made sense. Only thing is, you have to be able to draw to use it! I can get the circles and the flow line...and then I sit there. I have studied and have the flower and belt books by Chan Geer and have made almost all of his belts. They turned out great- just like his pictures.( I would hope so, I've been doing this for many years!)

But when it comes to tooling my own designs they really stink. Too busy, to many holes to fill, and when I do they look as though I stuck in leaves, branches, and vines just to fill the gaps!

Any help would be appreciated. Matter of fact, I wrote something similar to this a year or so ago and David Ganadek said that he would post a 4-5 frame tutorial on the simple evolution of a pattern.

Would one of you please consider it now for, I'm sure, 100's of us out here who can tool it but can't create it?

thanks so much.

respectfully,

pete adams(pete)

[King's X]

Damn Pete, sorry to hear this. I own just about every book there is to learn how to draw my own designs. One of the books beside the Sheridan book that I bought came from Leather Wranglers by Billy Wootres. it does breakdown how to make your designs and even gives you a lesson on how to draw completely. Even if you cannot draw. I have concluded (so far & for now) exactly what JWatt said to do when designing. I made a library of flowers, leaves and yes even stickers in almost every shape and size that I would need. I drew them on quilting (semi clear) template material. I know that this is rather unorthodox for some, but for me it has been working. Now, when I get a project, I place circles and go step by step. I did take some advice from Bob Parks and that was to shade in the background to determine the balance of coverage and background.

Just some things to think about. I hope it helps.

[pete]

thanks so much for the information- I will look for the Wootres book and hope that some others chime in too.

I may post a belt design that I just finished and wait for the "spit to hit the spam" when folk critique it honestly!

pete

[pete]

Ok. Here are some of my lame drawings. I just got off of the phone with Paul Zelasack from Leatherwranglers. He spent a lot of time telling me about Billy Wootres and his style. I bought the pdf Doodles #2 and it should help some. He went on and on about Bruce Johnson and how he admired his style and tremendous growth in design and I agree. So Bruce, if you read this, I could really use your help.

Tell me where I am going wrong- please feel free to copy and mark up where I am lacking- I really need feedback from EVERYONE so critique on!!!

thanks to all on this great forum.

petehttp://leatherworker.net/forum/uploads/monthly_05_2010/post-520-127274288402_thumb.jpghttp://leatherworker.net/forum/uploads/monthly_05_2010/post-520-127274294009_thumb.jpghttp://leatherworker.net/forum/uploads/monthly_05_2010/post-520-127274296831_thumb.jpghttp://leatherworker.net/forum/uploads/monthly_05_2010/post-520-127274300302_thumb.jpg

Ok. Here are some of my lame drawings. I just got off of the phone with Paul Zelasack from Leatherwranglers. He spent a lot of time telling me about Billy Wootres and his style. I bought the pdf Doodles #2 and it should help some. He went on and on about Bruce Johnson and how he admired his style and tremendous growth in design and I agree. So Bruce, if you read this, I could really use your help.

Tell me where I am going wrong- please feel free to copy and mark up where I am lacking- I really need feedback from EVERYONE so critique on!!!

thanks to all on this great forum.

petehttp://leatherworker.net/forum/uploads/monthly_05_2010/post-520-127274288402_thumb.jpghttp://leatherworker.net/forum/uploads/monthly_05_2010/post-520-127274294009_thumb.jpghttp://leatherworker.net/forum/uploads/monthly_05_2010/post-520-127274296831_thumb.jpghttp://leatherworker.net/forum/uploads/monthly_05_2010/post-520-127274300302_thumb.jpg

[JLSleather]

Ok. Here are some of my lame drawings.

I personally didn't find these as "lame" as you said. Pictures are quite large, so it took me a minute

I often wonder if people realize just how many "patterns" they have. Below is an example of what I'm talking about. I rarely draw "from scratch". Exceptions have included a 12" x 18" framed picture of a steamboat on the river from a photo of the one that lady was married on, a Santa Fe locomotive engine coming out of the mountains entering a town with a sign saying "Olen" (his Dad, who retired 35 years with Santa Fe, was named Olen), and a picture of that lady's Afghan dog (which was by far the hardest, scrawny dog with long hair- that couldn't look like A dog, had to look like THAT dog). Burglary a couple years ago got those photos (I still wonder what good they were to anyone but me). Anyway, here's a couple small photos to make the point ... all from one "craftaid" in the interest of speed.

One with a deer, dyed with Fiebing's "dark brown" (hence the slightly reddish tint),

one with an eagle, dyed in "chocolate" brown,

one with Zachary's initial done with a mix of the dark brown and chocolate.

[pete]

thanks for your reply! I don't use craftaids per se but I wee where you are going with it. Nice changes that you made!!!

I really need someone to respond to the immediate meed of starting and "connecting". I started a 1 1/2" belt last night and drew the tip flower and stem and the stared at it till I went to bed..

pete