dyeing leather to get that dark background look

[CEversole]

Just wondering if anyone has any tips on how you get the look found on a lot of saddles ecspecially with floral patterns, where the flowers and designs look a natural color but the matting and background is black or a darker color, along with the some of the deeper tooling marks. any help would be greatly appriciated.

-cord

[Frank]

Just wondering if anyone has any tips on how you get the look found on a lot of saddles ecspecially with floral patterns, where the flowers and designs look a natural color but the matting and background is black or a darker color, along with the some of the deeper tooling marks. any help would be greatly appriciated.

-cord

Cord,

That would be Fiebing's antique paste and a lot of patience. If you search youtube.com for saddle carving or leather carving, there is a short tutorial on it.

Frank

[CEversole]

Cord,

That would be Fiebing's antique paste and a lot of patience. If you search youtube.com for saddle carving or leather carving, there is a short tutorial on it.

Frank

Thanks for the tip, I,ve tried the antique before got kinda what I was wanting but not exactly. Maybe I was doing it wrong I'm gunna go check the viddeos out that should help.

[TimKleffner]

Howdy Cord

After I tool a piece , I dye my back ground with either Fiebings mahogany dark brown or chocolate spirit dye. After that, I lacquer the project, after 8-10 hrs cure time, I antique with med brown or Sheridan brown or mahogany Fiebings antique. work fast, wipe most of it off, then apply Tan Kote. ...

Dying the back ground.. good brushes .. practice practice practice. Really it's not rocket science, but it does take practice to keep from smudging onto a leaf or flower.

Happy tooling

Tim