First Background....please leave tips...

[DG Leather]

Hey all this is my third attempt at a carving...I will say the actual carving is not the best I have done so far....however it is the background I am more concerned about. I am looking for tips to improve my back grounding.....or any other tips you think may be useful....Other than "practice practice practice" lol (i know i need alot)

http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu195/D...ft/DSC01902.jpg

http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu195/D...ft/DSC01900.jpg

Thank you

Daniel

[ClayB]

Hi Daniel,

That's a lot of background!!! It's going to be kind of tough to get it real smooth. You can just keep going over it with your background tool trying to use even pressure with your mallet. Each pass over the background should make it a little smoother. I think there is a point to where the leather wont compress anymore and at that point you backgrounding gets pretty smooth. But on something this big, it's going to take you forever. If it was me doing this, I'd consider doing background around the letters and the figures, going out to a certain distance, then switching over to a matting tool. Matting tools are a little larger and cover more area quicker. With most of them, you are making a random pattern and it doesn't need to be nearly as smooth backgrounding to look nice. There are several different patterns to choose from. For really large areas, you can make your own matting tools out of something like a wooden dowel. Take a file and make some random grooves in the wood, and it will work like a large matting tool. These are really quick to make, and if you dont like the pattern, just cut it a little shorter and try again until you get something you like.

Here's a picture of an oak leaf where I used a pebble background tool close to the leaf, then switched to a matting tool.

Hope this gives you a couple ideas to try.

[DG Leather]

ya i thought it was too much background!!! lol

But hey go big or go home right? hahaha

I will consider building a matting tool.....

I probably wont get this pices much more flattened with that background tool...I tried different surfaces ...I used plastic cutting board on my work bench....I put 3/4 steel under cutting board ad tried wood under it as well....I also tried packing tape and cardboard but think I had the wrong idea cuz that was ridiculous!! lol

I also taped the leather to my cutting board and at least that held it still long enough.....

I did get to see how 1 tiny winy tool can do a whole big area fairly easily if you hammer like a rapid jackhammer and move tool around real fast...lol

How about coloring background?

I got water base eco flo stains and dies.... that may fix the texture somewhat?

Edited March 28, 2009 by ganonymous

[DG Leather]

ny helpers on this one?

Remember guys I am brand new...pretty please....you do not even need to be nice just honest in ways I can improve...i know tehre is far distance to go.

ya i thought it was too much background!!! lol

But hey go big or go home right? hahaha

I will consider building a matting tool.....

I probably wont get this pices much more flattened with that background tool...I tried different surfaces ...I used plastic cutting board on my work bench....I put 3/4 steel under cutting board ad tried wood under it as well....I also tried packing tape and cardboard but think I had the wrong idea cuz that was ridiculous!! lol

I also taped the leather to my cutting board and at least that held it still long enough.....

I did get to see how 1 tiny winy tool can do a whole big area fairly easily if you hammer like a rapid jackhammer and move tool around real fast...lol

How about coloring background?

I got water base eco flo stains and dies.... that may fix the texture somewhat?

[rustyriggin]

For what it's worth, if it was me I would make your archer and letters as large as proportion would allow, and reduce the amount of background.

[HarryB]

Ditto on the other comments. The secret to a smooth background is use the largest tool in the smallest space. And make your designs to have a minimum of background.

[DG Leather]

I just finished coloring it today....so i will post those probably tonight too...my first time using colors really.....anyways your comments do help alot because these are things I never throught about I thought more background i use the more 3d i will get from it over all...boy was I wrong....quite the opposite hahahaha

[SethJ]

Arrrgh,.....I hate backgrounding,.....mine always looks bumpy and crappy. Everyone elses seems to lay nice and even. I think the tool is a big part of it.

-oh,...and I agree with the other posster,,.....the guy could have been bigger,...but I salute you for attempting that much background...lol