immiketoo

You have done a fine job! I would push the corners of the eyes in a little deeper.

Not at all! I was just thinking of a different kind of cougar

Not at all the cougar I was expecting...

Here is the link to the free trial: https://creative.adobe.com/products/download/illustrator?store_code=gr&promoid=Y69SGWKS&mv=other&origref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.adobe.com%2Fgr_en%2Fproducts%2Fillustrator.html

For pink, dilute Fiebing's oxblood dye at least 50% with denatured alcohol or isopropyl alcohol. The shade of pink you get depends on the ratio it is reduced with the alcohol. Additionally to get the most even coloring, spraying with an airbrush or dip dyeing will give the best results. Light grey can only be achieved by diluting black dye as described above, and as thin as it is at that point, the color of the leather will show through giving your grey a taupe color. Natural veg tan is already beige so if you're looking for old lady undergarment beige, you might be better off looking for chrome tan leather. You picked some difficult colors and all of them will darken with time on veg tan leather, especially with how thin the dyes will be.

Having just been shown myself, this is invaluable for leatherworkers in my opinion. Perfect, repeatable patterns, every time.

Typically, you just observe the classes and watch the recording at your leisure. Thats up to you, but I would choose coffee every time! Dave is a tru professional. He breaks down the process so its easy and repeatable. I struggle too with this application, and after a few minutes I was able to finish my pattern successfully an d even modify it later. I highly recommend this one.

Someone here in this site once said to me, "A perfect pattern equals a perfect product." What if you could create a perfect pattern every time you needed one? Resize an existing pattern with ease? On July 11, 2018 at 8PM Eastern time, join Dave Skinner for his ground breaking class on how to use Adobe Illustrator to create perfect patterns quickly and easily. Just one look at the beautiful advertisements he created for this class shows the level of skill Dave brings to the table at Learnleather! Click the link below to register for class. https://attendee.gototraining.com/r/1501577032464758018

I only mean that your work is driven by the materials you have or can get. So part of the look you have developed is limited availability. You have made a nice, identifiable style using what you have. Thats all.

Super sheen, resolene, and RTC are all acrylic finishes themselves and all are compatible with acrylic paint. I prefer RTC. It just works and looks better than the rest. Sometimes, I will put a second finish over RTC if I want a particular look, but I always use it to seal and protect.

Yes you can. They don't hold up as well as the dedicated edge products though. I like your stuff the way it is. It cool that your pieces are influenced but the items you have on hand (I guess they all are). Becoming an edge snob is a lonely road that takes a considerable amount of time and joy out of leatherwork. I am an edge snob.

Yes, girls are allowed! Some of the best in the world are of the female persuasion! I understand the pricing thing. I live on an island, and EVERYTHING is more expensive here, especially shipping! Welcome, and nice work! Love the dog pose. Fabulous!

Convex, so gaining I'd guess! LOL! A concave hammer wouldn't be very good, now that I think about it.

Get a good cobblers hammer then put a mirror finish on it. You will be pleased with the results of your firmly glued edges. Its also handy for wet molding pouches and sheathes etc.

Yep, some parts of the hide are looser than others and this happens. Not much can be done about it. You'll learn to recognize it in the future. It's usually softer than the rest of the hide, and when you edge it, all kinds of odd things happen.

There ya go changing the rules mid stream. At this point at a game of semantics. Of course its more difficult on all natural edges, but I know a guy who can do it. As soon as I find a pic, I'll post it. He's about as good as they come. But the OP's post showed black leather so why handicap yourself by limiting the use of materials to conceal it? If the eye can't see it, who cares if its actually there?

Nige, I'm not at all comfortable with my name being bandied about with the likes of those you have listed. In fact, I am decidedly UN-comfortable. However, I am comfortable with the application of the word art being applied to a functional item regarding the imagery I put on things. Calling a piece of work art is ultimately up to the viewer, but I stand on my statement that I am not the artist. I apply other people's art to leather in a skilled way. BIG difference. And your work is at such a high level that it could also be considered art. Making plain things is much more difficult than making them fancy. Nowhere to hide, as it were

You can get them on eBay for 12 bucks.

One thing about this. Using your contact cement properly is crucial. Thin glue is better than thick gobs of it, and its imperative that you hammer all your edges with a cobblers hammer. This compresses the fibers and helps make the composite as close to one piece of leather. The hammering step changed my world when it came to eliminating the line, but to see it now you'd need a good magnifying glass and very bright light at precisely the right angle, and even then, most people miss it.

One of the single biggest assets to my career as a leather worker was going to Sheridan within the first 6 months of starting. I learned more and saw more than you can ever pick up online, and it set the path for my skills for the future. If you have the opportunity, the show is this week and I highly recommend that you go there just to see what its all about. It will raise your awareness and your appreciation for what can actually be done with leather as an art medium. You'll meet some amazing people, spend more than you wanted an most importantly have memories that will last a lifetime. If not this year, then next. Its epic. The King's museum and Stohlman exhibit are worth the trip alone, and you can't beat a night at the Mint bar for telling tales and a Moscow Mule. Take a ride by if you can. You wont regret it.

I HATE the line. I have spent a lot of time learning to eliminate the line. With enough sanding, slicking and wax you CAN eliminate the line. Most people won't take the time to do the work required to eliminate it, but I refuse to let them live in my work.

And by applicator, he means the tool, not the person applying it

You need that applicator as it has grooves cut in it. You can lay down a perfectly straight line with it easily. A pencil will just smear it around.

Are you using the applicator tool that looks like a cone? I bevel and slick my edges before applying edge coat, but I sand them lightly after slicking to give the edge paint a place to stick. Its easy to get a clean edge using the applicator.

This. And its easy. Just trace the knife blade with a pencil and use that to create a welt. The rest is decoration.