Embossed eagles head

[karl]

Hello fellows and gals, Happy 4th! Here are some pictures of an eagle head I am doing and still have a couple of little things left to do and then paint it. Karl

[leatheroo]

wow, this looks great, cant wait to see it finished.

[ClayB]

Karl,

I think this is my favorite of the pieces you have done so far. The eagle looks really cool, and a perfect time to be working on it too.

[karl]

Clay, I have a frame I got with a clock kit several years ago and it fits the leather perfect.

I just hope I can do it justice with the acrylic and make it look decent. After this I am kind of

undecided as to tackle the deer the pheasant or the fish. I don't have a DVD on the fish but I have the article in Leather Crafters and Saddlers Journal, but first things first, I gotta finish this and then scratch my head for a while.

Any tips?

Karl

Edited July 5, 2008 by karl

[TomSwede]

Gonna make sure I see this one finished Karl. I can see why you're allready happy with it.

Keep it up and happy 4:th to you.

Tom

[karl]

Thanks Tom, I hope it turns out as good as the other embossed pieces I've seen done. My albatross is the painting and blending of the colors, and to top it off, I'm my own worse critic. But so far,,, so good!

Karl

[ClayB]

Hi Karl,

I have done the deer a couple times and the pheasant once. Both are fun projects. I think the deer is a lot easier to color than the pheasant though, but if you have some irridescent powders to put in the paint, the pheasant looks really cool. Biggest thing I have found with the painting is make sure it's watered down pretty thin. You can always add another layer if you want more color. Also, seal the leather before you start painting with the acrylic. Drake's X-1 is what I have been using. I think Tandy's Highlighter is close too, but a little darker. If the leather has been sealed, the paint doesn't soak into the leather, so you can actually take it back off sometimes if you don't like it. I have saved a couple projects that I didn't like that way.

I haven't tried the fish yet, but will get to it someday.

Looking forward to seeing the eagle finished.

[karl]

Clay, you're talking about drakes X-1 and I have a quart of X=1 I got from Tandy and wonder if that's the same thing you're talking about? Since Tandy went to that Echo flo stuf I don't see that X-1 or other familiar named dyes and/or finishes, so you say to put the X=1 or how about supershene on the project first.

I dont know wheather or not you saw my saddle, but wouldn't it be a blast if you could emboss a saddle like the eagle with loose feathers etc.. but unfortunately you couldn't ride the thing for fear of tearing up the ornate detail on the saddle like feathers, raised beaks and horns or tines of antlers,,, or well it's a thought,,, maybe someday when I get rid of my rhuematoid arthritis, LOL.

Karl

[ClayB]

Karl,

Yes, I think what you have is the right stuff. Drakes is a Fiebings product, or was, not sure if they are still making it or not. Super shene would probably do the same thing. The sealer also stiffens the feathers or hair on projects where they are cut loose or lifted and helps them keep thier shape. You have to work small areas at a time to do that, paint on a little sealer then lift and shape the feathers. When they dry, they stay in that position. On flat pictures I have sprayed Krylon matte acrylic sealer on as a sealer before painting and that works too. Then, something I have been experimenting with. Say you paint the feathers on your eagle and are pretty happy with them, spray on a coat of sealer. Then continue painting the background. If you dont like how that turns out, I have had fairly good results removing the paint that was applied after spraying on the sealer, and the paint that was sealed remains as it was. If you are going to try this though, I'd practice it on something and see what kind of results you get before you do it on a big project.

This all works on pictures that just hang on a wall. Not sure how good an idea it would be to use sealer first when coloring something like a billfold that gets lots of use. In a case like that, you might want the paint to actually soak into the leather to make it stick better. These are some things that have been working for me, no promises they will work the same for everyone. Painting can be scary, but when you start to get the results you want, it's really fun.

I did see your saddle. I do think that it would be fun to do some embossing on a saddle. It would end up being a piece of art instead of a using piece, but nothing wrong with that.

Edited July 5, 2008 by ClayB

[Hammerhead]

thats really nice

[secondcrk]

Super Sheen Sucks! one of the worst products i have ever used!

[Studio-N]

1 hour ago, secondcrk said:

Super Sheen Sucks! one of the worst products i have ever used!

DITTO

[NVLeatherWorx]

It isn't any worse than some of those other acrylic based products, just have to know how to use it.  Nice place to let it out though; a thread that has been dead for over 8 years? NICE.

[TinkerTailor]

[NVLeatherWorx]

EVERYONE is entitled to their opinions on products and other things so if you can't handle that fact then you need to find another outlet that allows one-sided views and opinions; becoming a member of Congress would probably be your best bet.