Maple Leaf.... 1St One I Feel Ok About Anyhow:) Comments And Suggestion Welcome!

[Cyberthrasher]

That's looking a lot better with less matting.

I was wrong about the petal lifter. I thought I had two, but it turns out it's one with two different sized ends on it.

The one I have is an Osborne similar to this

http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/search/searchresults/8039-05.aspx

[JLSleather]

Usedta call that a 'deerfoot' modeling tool, if that helps.

[Cyberthrasher]

Now it looks like they're all trying to call it an "undercut modeling tool"

[Bob Blea]

Hi Chancey,

I think the second try looks a lot better. And I agree with Northmount that it looks good with the colors you used.

Bob

[chancey77]

Thanks everyone!!! Y'all have really been a huge help! As always and no I am not surprised:) hahahah

Ya I tried to take the advise to layback on the matting and I got an email from the client after showing hi the difference between inverted and more traditional 3d Western leafs and he chose .......insert drum roll......... The inverted one:) cool! He liked the colors a lot as well and after spending about an hour today with the airbrush on some scraps I got the hang of it pretty fast. I am ready to rock out some new stuff and I very excited of the new possibilities!

So thanks!!! A MILLION FOLKS!!

I will post up a picture of it here when the pickguard is all done.

So now that he chose the inverted style should I Matt some more in the edges with the checkered pear shader?

Or just bevel the leaf ends down??? And add the textures with the dyes? Opinions......

[Northmount]

A natural dried leaf surface is fairly smooth between the veins. So my preference is less matting. But, leatherwork is also art, and it is the artist's interpretation that counts.

Toss a coin!

Tom

[Cyberthrasher]

So now that he chose the inverted style should I Matt some more in the edges with the checkered pear shader?

Or just bevel the leaf ends down??? And add the textures with the dyes? Opinions......

Peter Main went into quite a bit of inverted carving in his books and he just beveled it down then mixed colors for textures. I think you'll be able to get it pretty nice with the airbrush.

[chancey77]

Well that is it in all its wanted simplicity... Some textures with dyes and a bit darker then I imagined but hey it is time to move on:)

[Cyberthrasher]

a bit darker then I imagined but hey it is time to move on:)

You'll get use to thinning the dyes to the right consistency for spraying. It came out great though!! Looks just like those leaves I've been staring at in my folder

[Chavez]

Hi Chancey,

I really like the final leaf!

Can't comment on dyeing, but from the carving point of view:

1) You need lifters/undercutters. Barry King makes good undercutters (he makes a lot of great stuff actually, not just undercutters ) but if you don't have a spare $60-$100 in your budget, you can get an osborne petal lifter for as little as $10ish I think if you check with suppliers...

Also, with a bit of elbow grease,

- Google "Petal lifter tool" for an image of one.

- Choose a few old screwdrivers that you don't mind sacrificing.

- Cut the tips of the screwdrivers off at about 45 degrees.

- file the new tip down so it's smooth (check to the photo from step 1).

- using extremely fine sandpaper & jewellers rouge polish your new lifters!

You can either use them as a lifter or as an undercutter (i.e. hold at an angle and tap with a mallet).

They are not going to be as good as pro tools, but that's cheap, reasonably quick to make, can be made to your liking (any angle/size).

For the carving itself, watch out for your swivel cuts. try not to get any of the lines crossing each other. Practice, practice, practice. There are a lot of tight turns in a maple, but they are not as bad as, say, American oak, so maples are not that bad.