Carving graphics on leather

[etchgirl]

I NEED HELP!  I'm making a bookcover for my husband's co-worker with a graphic on the front and I believe I'm doing this all wrong. 

 

Here's the graphic:

I'm trying to carve this into leather but I believe I carved too much because it's not coming out like this. 

[Beret]

Picture of the carving?

[TacticallySharp]

You need to cut a few till you get what you like on scrap letter, then cuarve your final piece.

[etchgirl]

It looks horrible. And amateurish. I messed up on the openings on the"e" and the "f" and the upper curve of the "C". And I won't start on the chef's hat. 

Edited May 23, 2017 by etchgirl

[fredk]

Count that as your practice piece. Outline your errors in pen or pencil with a ring around them. Study them; see what you think you did wrong and how you can do it better.

Slowly, ever so slowly is the way to do the delicate carving/cutting. For thin-ish delicate cuts I actually prefer using a Swann Morton scalpel with a fine blade for cutting

Photocopy the design, make it a bit stretched length-wise, might make doing the letters easier.

[DJole]

For the inside of the chef's hat, rather than merely cut it away, use a matte backgrounding tool. 
Typical backgrounding tool:: 

Creates this effect:

[cjartist]

I would suggest you get some training.  You can find it pretty easily either on this forum or even Youtube.

It looks like you may be treating the leather as you would carve wood?  Looks like you are carving it dry and just cut that logo out.  Start by learning how to properly case your leather.  Then practice making curves and circles with your swivel knife.

[Bodean]

Hard to tell by the pic, did you cut it out of a piece of leather and have it laying on top of another?

[Colt W Knight]

 

I would do it like this.

1. Print out your design on computer paper.

2. Case the leather

3. Lay the paper on the leather, trace the edges.

4. Use a swivel knife to cut the trace marks (half teh depth of the leather)

5.  Use a beveler to bevel the edges.

6. Apply a sealer.

7. Apply an antique

8. Apply sealer

9. Paint design with a contrasting color.

[etchgirl]

How to case leather??