Drawing Sheridan Pattern- First Attempt

[Karmindixie]

Hi all, been lurking on the forum for some time dreaming of learning to carve leather and finally joined. Bought a basic tool set and am just waiting on some leather to start tooling! While I am waiting I decided to start drawing some Sheridan stuff, I absolutely love it and it is a large part of the reason I want to start tooling leather, so I really want to learn the mechanics of it. This is my very first attempt at it, I know it's pretty rough but I'm fairly happy with how it turned out. I can pick out a few things I'm not totally happy with but I would love some input from some more experienced eyes! Thanks

Edited February 8, 2014 by Karmindixie

[WyomingSlick]

Hi all, been lurking on the forum for some time dreaming of learning to carve leather and finally joined. Bought a basic tool set and am just waiting on some leather to start tooling! While I am waiting I decided to start drawing some Sheridan stuff, I absolutely love it and it is a large part of the reason I want to start tooling leather, so I really want to learn the mechanics of it. This is my very first attempt at it, I know it's pretty rough but I'm fairly happy with how it turned out. I can pick out a few things I'm not totally happy with but I would love some input from some more experienced eyes! Thanks

Well, that is nice. But if you have a pic that you want to post for us to look at it...we have a problem. It is a multiple step process to post a picture and it is a good idea to preview your post before final posting. If you don't see the pic in the preview, then we won't see it in your uploaded post.

[Karmindixie]

Sorry, it didn't attatch when I posted it, it's up now but it uploaded sideways for some reason and I'm not sure how to fix it..

[Karmindixie]

My apologies for the double post, it let me edit my first post last night but I can no longer find the edit option.. Not too good at this forum thing. Here is another pattern I drew this morning, similar to my first with some improvments. Any input would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

[Bob Blea]

Hello Karmindixie and welcome to the forum!

I think I can provide a couple of pointers here. The thing that jumps out most to me is how you have draw the vinework. You've got the idea of the circular flow that is typical in Sheridan style but there is a problem with the flow. Of the three flowers within the circles, the top one is drawn as the starting point for the vines, with the flow going all around it. No problem with that, however, where the vine branches off under the leaf to the left of it, the implication is that all those vines come from something under that leaf, but they don't appear anywhere on the right side of the leaf. They are just left hanging out in space, and it breaks up the flow. Also, following the vine around to the lower flower it seems to meet the vine around the flower above, but in the opposite direction, again breaking up the flow. It would be better if you had some separation between the two vines so your eye had something to follow.

Also, try to keep your vine work a uniform thickness. You have some places where the vines are very thick and some where they are very thin. Another tip is to draw the lines where the leaves or stems meet the vine longer. One of the tricks that really makes floral designs flow is to make all the lines in the vines long and flowing, and cut and bevel them so they fade out.

Hope this makes sense,

Bob

[Tim Schroeder]

Hi Karmindixie,

This is a great place to learn. I used Sheridan Style Carving from Tandy to try to learn how to draw and carve Sheridan style. Here is a couple of pictures of my last couple of drawings and a couple of pictures of what my work looked like before and after I found Leatherworker.net. I looked at Hidepounder's work on this forum for hours for inspiration. The tooled pic is what the one pattern looks like after tooling. There are plenty of articles on every aspect of making anything out of leather. Hidepounders Casing and Edge Finishing are a couple of good ones for really good looking finished pieces.

Tools make a big difference in the way the tooling looks too. I have 40 Barry King stamping tools and the really make a difference.

Good Luck Tim

[Karmindixie]

Thank you both for your replies and advice. Bob, what you are saying definitely makes sense, and I will try to apply it in my next drawing. I have included a picture on this post of my latest drawing, which I did before reading your comment. I think the flow is better in this one, although I can see where you are right that it would look better if the vines were more uniform. Thank you for taking the time to explain to me.

Tim, I will have a look at hidepounders work, thank you for posting pictures of your work, it is lovely. I definitely have a long way to go before I am near as skilled as anyone on this forum. I hope I can gain as much from leatherworker.net as you have, I have been doing a lot of reading on the site already and am finding it very informative. I only have a basic Tandy tool set right now as I don't want to invest too much money into tools until I am sure I am going to continue with leather working, but I do eventually plan to upgrade to better tools.

Thanks again!

[Bob Blea]

I like you new design much better. Your vines look a lot more uniform and it does help. The only place where it looks like the flow might be a problem is the leaf above the middle flower. It's pointing in the opposite direction of the flow of the vine beneath it. You could just turn that flower around and have it cover the cross over from one flower to another, which is a pretty common practice in some Sheridan designs. However, you could also leave it that way too. I think that is more a matter of personal preference, but more knowledgeable designers might disagree.

One thing I will recommend is to reduce the amount of background you have in your drawing. Once a design in on leather the background will stand out more. You actually doing yourself a favor by shading in the background in your drawing becasue it gives you a good idea what the background will actually look like, but when you go to carve this you will find that the process of beveling actually causes your flowers and vines to shrink a little bit. It makes the final vines a little thinner than what you actually draw. Drawing those vines thicker will help counter this. You can also make the flowers a bit bigger to fill the background space.

Bob

[Karmindixie]

Thank you for your feedback Bob, it is greatly appreciated!

[oltoot]

Too much background. Variety of ways to fill it. take the areas where you have one stem poking out into the background and by dividing the available base area into points of departure add that many, perhaps on each side of the existing or totaly replacing it.

[hidepounder]

I know better than to broach this subject, but sometimes I just can't bite my tongue any longer! Sheridan style carving isn't identified by drawing in circles. It has to do with the use of certain design elements and specific tools. Patterns have been drawn in circles for a long time and Sheridan style toolers certainly make use of them in their layout, however so did those tooling in the Northwest, Porter and a number of other regional styles. Unfortunately the use of the "Sheridan" style is misused broadly, much the same way that tissue is called Kleenex. What distinguishes "Sheridan" style from others is the use of extra steep bevelers, thumbprints in lieu of pear shaders, the use of flower centers and flower center bevelers, etc. Additionallly, the use of the wild rose was very prominent is "Sheridan" style designs and "Sheridan" style toolers definitely reduced the size of the tooling patterns. In my mind, "Sheridan" style tooling portrays more stemwork than other styles and the petals or "stickers" are usually very elongated and/or sharp as opposed to short, fat and blunt (as was typical in the "Porter" style. I am often described as a "Sheridan" style tooler, and while I can and have done tooling in that style (I really like it!), I don't think I'm a "Sheridan" style tooler at all. Okay, enough spouting off on my part, LOL! Sometimes I just can't keep my big mouth shut! BTW......nice layout and stamp job, Tim!!!!

Edited March 15, 2014 by hidepounder

[Mike 257]

ok I have a question, I could never draw and never had a reason or desire to learn. Now that Im just getting into leather work I decided I wanted to learn tooling. I figured that I would just use patterns but now after only a few weeks Im feeling like Im cheating by tracing someones pattern on my leather and calling it "My Work"

So my question is , can I learn to draw Sheridan style patterns.

[WyomingSlick]

There is a big differance between calling something your work, and claiming "original design". True originality is as rare, perhaps more so, than artistic ability. If you ever looked at many old Doodle Pages, many of them strived to show ways that you could take a design or pattern, and make your own personal statement by varied use of tools, differant techniques, and even reworking of the design to fit other styles such as inverted carving or silhouette work.

There is nothing wrong with tooling a pattern pretty much like the photo-carve shows, but it certainly doesn't hurt to experiment and find your own interpretation.

If you build a table out of wood, is it not your work.......despite the fact that it has a flat top and four legs just like a jillion other tables? The only misrepresentation is if you copy something exactly and represent it as the original by using logos, or other identifying markings.

[WyomingSlick]

ok I have a question, I could never draw and never had a reason or desire to learn. Now that Im just getting into leather work I decided I wanted to learn tooling. I figured that I would just use patterns but now after only a few weeks Im feeling like Im cheating by tracing someones pattern on my leather and calling it "My Work"

So my question is , can I learn to draw Sheridan style patterns.

Sure you can. And the more you do it, the easier it will become.

[hidepounder]

ok I have a question, I could never draw and never had a reason or desire to learn. Now that Im just getting into leather work I decided I wanted to learn tooling. I figured that I would just use patterns but now after only a few weeks Im feeling like Im cheating by tracing someones pattern on my leather and calling it "My Work"

So my question is , can I learn to draw Sheridan style patterns.

Of course you can learn to draw patterns! As a matter of fact, learning to draw a pattern will assist in your tooling because you will gain a better understanding of the basic principals which make up the pattern. That said, I encourage people to continue tooling existing patterns so that they have an example to follow. I would never encourage tooling someone else's patterns on items for sale, however, striving to make your tooling look like the original is the best way I know to learn to master your tools. Once you master your tools, then it's time to start drawing your own patterns. Another way to look at it is, if you can't tool it, how can you expect to know what to draw? That's my take on it anyway!

Hope this helps!

Bobby

[Mike 257]

There is a big differance between calling something your work, and claiming "original design". True originality is as rare, perhaps more so, than artistic ability. If you ever looked at many old Doodle Pages, many of them strived to show ways that you could take a design or pattern, and make your own personal statement by varied use of tools, differant techniques, and even reworking of the design to fit other styles such as inverted carving or silhouette work.

There is nothing wrong with tooling a pattern pretty much like the photo-carve shows, but it certainly doesn't hurt to experiment and find your own interpretation.

If you build a table out of wood, is it not your work.......despite the fact that it has a flat top and four legs just like a jillion other tables? The only misrepresentation is if you copy something exactly and represent it as the original by using logos, or other identifying markings.

Thank you , your insight was very help full . Gave me something to think about ,

[Mike 257]

Of course you can learn to draw patterns! As a matter of fact, learning to draw a pattern will assist in your tooling because you will gain a better understanding of the basic principals which make up the pattern. That said, I encourage people to continue tooling existing patterns so that they have an example to follow. I would never encourage tooling someone else's patterns on items for sale, however, striving to make your tooling look like the original is the best way I know to learn to master your tools. Once you master your tools, then it's time to start drawing your own patterns. Another way to look at it is, if you can't tool it, how can you expect to know what to draw? That's my take on it anyway!

Hope this helps!

Bobby

Thank you Bob, What you said makes a lot of sense to me. So for now I will continue tooling others patterns and learn the tools . Heck I have tools (Some stamps) that I dont even know where there suppose to be used . Also have to learn how to keep tools sharp, Im also working on my hand stitching and I haven't even touched dye yet , So Im a bit relieved that you say its ok to use existing patterns because I already have a lot to learn .