Well here it is haha. After a long time of wanting to do sheridan work i finally got the guts to jump in.This is my first try at sheridan carving and also the first checkbook cover i've made. Their are alot of learning mistakes and probly things that im doing wrong or the hard way just because im kinda self teaching myself here.. but I geuss thats part of learning lol.
Drawing the patern was the hardest for me. It was a real strugle for me to achieve the flow i wanted (or that seemed right) and the right proportion of everything, or at least to my slowy developing eyes haha.. I picked up The Sheridan Style Carving book by Bill Gardner and Clinton Fay and basically followed Bills directions in drawing out a patern. But even with his help from the directions it still took 4 nights to draw. Even though i know i'll continue to get better with practice and studying others work, i think drawing my patterns may always be my weeker point. I still want to be as good as i can be though, so i'll keep try'n.
I decided to just bite the bullet when I started this and got the minimal basic set of tools from Barry King. The only thing i didn't use Barrys tools on was the background. Only because the bargrounder he sent is so small i cant even see it to run it well but also because it seems to small propotion wise to everything else.. idk mabe i'm wrong . I hate the look of the cheep mat backgrounders though, think i'll be ordering another larger bargrounder soon.
The Sheridan book was exremely helpful for me. I would recomend any one else starting out in sheridan carving like myself to get it. Its pretty much the only thing i've had to teach my self this stuff, it and the incredible group of leather workers on here that post thier advice and their inspireing work. Thanks so much to the people that make this place what it is and to everybody that helps kids like me out that are just starting. I really appreciate it.
Now that i've rambled on and on lol.. Please look this stuff over and let me know what you think! I am REALLY gratefull for any critics that any one has. please hold nothing back, if you see something say it
Thanks again to every body on her that i've gained help from,
Jed
Here's pics of the pattern i drew, the checkbook cover stamped and the checkbook cover finished. Sorry for the poor quality pics