The Doctor

Well, I haven't finished the edge yet, but other than that, it's finished! I'll post a photo first, then ramble a bit about how I did the finish, in case anyone wants to know... I started with a fine rapidograph pen with black ink to delineate some of the outline, which helped separate foreground/background. Next, I painted in the background with Fiebing's Ox Blood stain. After that, I used Tandy's Midnight Black between the design and background to help the design stand out a little more. I used the same black for the dark places in the eyes and inside the jawline on the right side. Then I started the color with Tandy's Hi-Liter Saddle Tan with a #0 Windsor & Newton brush on each little scale of the dragon, including the belly scales. Then I went in with a bit of their Briar Brown color to darken up the nooks and crannies. Pretty much the same process and colors with the skull, also - just used a bigger brush. The mouth and tongue are a combination of All-in-One Primrose Red, and Cova Colors Cherry and White. No particular technique, just picking up paint back and forth until it worked out not so bad. The eye is All-in-One Cactus Green, Cova Colors Kelly Green and Yellow. The teeth were all Cova White with Turquoise. The skull teeth, also. But I had to go back in and mute it with some more white before it looked halfway decent. I love the look of the Ox Blood stain on the background. I saw it used on a YouTube video, and really dug it. I used a very uneven backgrounder tool to get the weird texture, because I was hoping for that sort of mottled look. Thanks for all the help and advice, everyone - I'm very happy with the way it turned out. Wish I should show it off in person - photos don't do it justice.

TwinOaks, I owe you a debt of gratitude for opening this tiny box I've been thinking inside. Besides the ideas you mentioned, there are suppliers like Stewart-MacDonald, who supply beautiful alcohol-based wood stains and pigments for luthiers (guitar and fretted instrument makers.) Luthiery and woodworking in general are also hobbies of mine, so there's a whole world of finishing possibilities from those arenas as well, I suppose. I once used some of my black tattoo ink (mixed with water to make a "wash") for a finish on some curly maple I used to make handle scales for a knife. Come to think of it, a black ink wash may be just the thing for certain highlighting I have in mind with this project. And who knows what I may come up with by using the colored tattoo pigments on leather. Someday, that is; I'm not going to try it just yet, lol. Thanks again to all of you.

Thanks, Scott, that planner looks great! It reminds me very much of a "tobacco sunburst" finish on a guitar. The method you describe is very similar to how that finish is applied, also. I did get a couple of highlighter dyes, along with a bottle of Fiebing's Ox Blood dye I'm planning to use on the background. I've done a bit of experimenting and I think I'm ready to tackle it tomorrow. Thank you all for your kind words and encouragement! -James

Thank you very much, KateC. Praise like that is always as welcome as criticism. -James

Thanks, Ken, I've looked at those George Hurst videos online, and I think you're right. The only reason I even have the All-in-One is because they gave me a cheap kit thaqt had a small bottle in it last time I went in the store. Since I'll most likely use it in the future, I think I'll pick up a bottle and experiment with some scrap. Thanks again. -James

Thanks, Chris. I'm really new at this stuff, but I got into the tattoo biz around 26 years ago, so I'm pretty sure anything I do will look like some whacky tattoo. Some of the technique translates pretty well to leather, but plenty of it doesn't, either. Thanks for the encouragement.

If it helps, here's a pic of the patch with the background and stitching holes done. I guess I'm finished with the tooling...

Hello, everyone. This is a photo of my fifth or sixth leather project, and I'm not quite sure how to proceed with finishing it. It's about 22 inches, top to bottom, and will be a patch for a black leather motorcycle riding vest. I know the design is pretty far off-centered, but I don't really care about that. My problem is this: I think I did way too much detail in the tooling. One way to make things stand out is with a bit of color contrast by dyeing it, but I don't want it to have a lot of bright color in it. I'm really not used to leather stains and dyes, and all I have access to at this time is whatever Tandy sells. Is there an antiquing finish that would bring out the detail? I have some of Tandy's All-in-One finish...any input on how that would look? I know, I know...practice on some scrap, right? lol. Anyway, here's what it looks like. Any suggestions are very welcome. Oh, yeah - I'm going to use the same background tool from the edge of the design out to the border that I used between the dragon's jawline and neck. Hopefully I can finish that today.

Thank you very much

I wish I had a pic of it, but I didn't think to take one. The fact is, I found this forum while doing a google search for the stitch. Next time I go to the leather shop, I'll check through the books there.

I can't imagine a higher compliment for a beginner, and I thank you very much!

Thanks, Twin Oaks, I'll just bring my own donuts And thanks also, King's X (great band, btw.) I think I may be pressing in too hard with the swivel knife, and probably not casing quite right just yet, as well. I'm a bit of a knife collector and wonder whether those high-falutin' expensive swivel knives make a lot of difference. Painting is difficult for me also, as I'm used to drawing with colored pencils, as well as tattooing. I'm trying to develop a better touch with the brush, but I tend to get in a rush and go outside the boundaries. I think I found the book you mentioned, which I can get for $10 as a member. I'll pick one up next time I head out there. Thanks again to both of you.

I just saw a lacing stitch and was told it's called a "cross stitch," and I'd like to learn how to do it. It was done on two overlapped pieces of leather with two rows of holes, side-by-side on both pieces of leather, with the holes aligned along the edge of the pieces. Does anyone know of a description of this kind of lacing? Thank you.

Hello everyone. Yep, that's right - you-ve got another newbie on your hands! I bought a small Tandy kit recently and have a mere few hundred questions, but those can wait I've made a measly three pieces so far; the coaster and wallet in the kit, and one of their iPhone kits. I'll try to post pics of them. Currently, I'm working on a patch for my riding vest, which is a fairly ambitious project for a newcomer, I guess. Anyway, the first pic is my first attempt, and so on... A guy in a bar bought this iPhone case from me a few days ago, right there on the spot. I'm going to tackle a case for it without a kit. Well, that's it so far. I have an order for another wallet, but it'll be basically the same as the one pictured here. The same guy who bought the iPhone case loves mine. I'll post pics of the patch when it's done, if anyone would like to see it. Any comments/criticism are welcome. I want to improve as much as I can. Thank you!