Another compact G43

[CaptQuirk]

Here is another holster, same pattern, with a bit of flair. Have at it folks

 

[rickybobby]

Very unique piece. (I mean that in a good way ;-))

Its to bad that the head will not show when the pistol is holstered but that is part of what makes it unique. People will be pleasantly surprised when seen with the gun drawn.

As far as critique on the work...

• I would try having a boarder between the stitch and the work. So the tooling does not butt up against the stitches. It will help "frame" your work whether it be traditional tooling or pictorial.
• It looks like you may be tooling while the leather is a little to wet. There is a great thread here I think by Bob Park about best practices on casing leather. It is a science on its own and can take years to get right if left to your own to try and get right. Most of us (myself included) tend to tool while the leather is to damp. 
• Also, after doing all of your tooling (like on the eagle) re-bevel the outside of the work (helps separate the work from the background). After re-beveling, re-background. I think you will get your piece to stand out much more with more defined lines.
• Lastly, The colors are very strong. If thats what you are looking for then its great. Another "look" is to mute the colors down allowing the audience to fill in the color in their minds. I know that sounds ridiculous but hints or lighter shades and shading is a tool artists have used for centuries. See some of Al Stohlmans books on Coloring Leather. There are a lot of tips and tricks on color in them.

Keep up the good work!

Rick

[CaptQuirk]

Thanks for the comments Ricky (Shake n' Bake!).

I'm not sure why, but it was intentional running the eagle against the thread.

And the leather wasn't really too damp, but it also wasn't cased as suggested. Rather I was sponging it , waiting, then tooling. This was before I had read the prescribed method of wetting, then storing it in a plastic bag for a day. I don't sponge then tool anymore. The piece was also not the best leather, so it was perfect for experimenting.

As for the colors, I was originally going for a very washed or faded look,, and wanted to try an antique over that. I thinned them, but the leather color was bleeding through too much. In the end, I just said screw it, and painted away. As for Stohman's book on coloring, I haven't found that one yet, but will keep my eyes open. I have two of his books so far, that just ain't one of them

This was just trying something new... actually, lots of new somethings. It didn't come out like I hoped, but not complete rubbish. Just a bit rubbishy? I am doing another one, different style. We'll see how that one works out.