First Floral Pattern

[azrider]

So after looking at everything else on here, I am embarassed to post these, but I need to practice to get better. I want to do a motorcycle seat with floral and basket weave, so I am making a few check book covers that will let me practice. Here is the first ever flower I have tried to do. I am going to start the mirror image soon, and really need to improve the decorative cuts, pearshading, and useing other tools for texture. Any and all suggestions welcome.

[Bree]

You are off to a good start! The decorative cuts are tricky. In the swivel knife class with Chan Geer in September, we were taught to get the knife in deeply at the start... fully 1/2 way into the leather... then make that nice initial rotation and then sweep back in one motion easing off the pressure as you approach the end of the cut. The effect is to have the line not only make a graceful curve but to narrow and get shallower as you get to the end. When it is done right, the decorative cut does not appear to be a cutline waiting to be beveled.

Also make sure that the knife is well sharpened and stropped. That helps enormously. The knife goes through the leather like a hot knife through butter.

Hope those comments help. I am not an expert carver so I am just repeating what I was taught.

[azrider]

Thank you for the tips.

Is it better to cut from the center out, or from the outside to the center?

I actually cut this with a ceramic blade for my knife. I bought a bunch of tools from someone who was getting out of the hobby and the ceramic blade was in there. It made a huge diffrence, and my steel blades were not dull!

What does the "thumbnail" tool that is mentioned on this site look like? I have a tool that looks like a beveler, but the tip and the surface are rounded like a pearshader.

Edited November 14, 2008 by azrider

[azrider]

Here is the second one. I think I actually like it better with out the backgrounder. I am going to leave one of each, because that should make it easier to figure out which side is the front of the checkbook. One question, any suggestions to make the flower center look better? The seeder I am using (I think that is what it is called) does not look all that good.

This is also the first time I have done a basket weave pattern. I don't like the way the edges came out, and after looking on here, I see a lot of folks use diffrent tools along the edges. What type of tools/ paterns work best?

Going to start with the dye and the finish today. Will post pics of the final piece in the critique section.

[electrathon]

The best advise I got when I was learning how to carve was to do your pattern 4 times. You will be amazed at the amount you will improve each time.

A thumbprint tool is a narrow pear shader. It is used in Sheridan patterns in place of the pear shader. It is not used that much in western floral (what you did).

Move your seeds closer togeather. They should almost be touching. Yours are far to spread out. This is a good thing to practice on scrap.

If your ceramic blade is cutting better than your steel blade then your blade is dull. A steel blade WHEN PROPERLY SHARPENED will cut better than ceramic. A ceramic seldom gets dull though, so it is sometimes considered easier to use than to keep stroping and sharpening a steel blade. All steel blades are not equil either.

Before you start cutting, give the leather a coat of Lexol, it will cut a little easier. Also use Bee Natural Pro Carve instead of water to case.

A few more strikes with the camoflage tool will make a better "sunburst" from the flower center.

Decorative cuts from the outside to the center. Start deep and feather it out to nothing. Most of your regular cuts should be about half the thickness of the leather. Deep with thick leather, shallow with thin leather.

Practice, a lot. Personally, I toss more pieces than I finish. I do not want others to see my mistakes.

Aaron

Edited November 20, 2008 by electrathon

[leatherjunkie]

your flowers look better than my first time doing one.

i was taught that the seeder is to be closer together than what you did.

my teacher instructed me to start in the center against the bottom line of the flower center. then stamp outwards to the outer edge of flower center. teacher said to do it this way so you dont paint yourself into a corner.

your basket weave stamping looks great. to finish off the basket weave use a border tool against your bevelled line on the basket weave size. this will finish off your baskettweave.

hope this helps you out.

[Mike Craw]

Hey azrider!

This photo was posted under a different section a while ago for a discussion about tool suppliers. The third tool from the left is a thumbprint. If you have one or more, they may be smooth, lined horizontally, or lined vertically. Unlike the standard pear shader, they are generally rocked up on one tip before you strike it.

Hope this helps.

Mike

[azrider]

Thanks everyone for your tips and suggestions. I am starting another project today while the finish on this one dries so I can keep practicing. Didn't get a thumbprint tool, but did get a smaller pear shader so that should help. Going to keep making practice pieces until I like the results. (and I already screwed up the dye on this one.)

[Bree]

Thank you for the tips.

Is it better to cut from the center out, or from the outside to the center?

I actually cut this with a ceramic blade for my knife. I bought a bunch of tools from someone who was getting out of the hobby and the ceramic blade was in there. It made a huge diffrence, and my steel blades were not dull!

What does the "thumbnail" tool that is mentioned on this site look like? I have a tool that looks like a beveler, but the tip and the surface are rounded like a pearshader.

I was taught to do decorative cuts from the outside towards the center. You get a deep impression on the outside which then tapers away as it gets closer to the center.

I don't think that ceramic vs steel is an issue. The trick is to learn how to control the knife regardless of the type of blade. And the key to that is practice and I think good coaching from someone who knows what they are doing. That helps you correct mistakes before they develop into bad habits.

For example, I was in class enjoying the free flowing nature of deco cuts and started to pull and lift at the end in a kind of joyous quick sweeping motion. Chan Geer warned me against this and kind of plunked my butt back on ground as I was taking off into the stratosphere. The object is total control of the blade all the time. I was doing something that in essence caused me to lose some control.

It pays to get good advice from pros.