Modelling tools

[Pip]

Hi folks 

I have posted a bit in the critique section so please excuse the cross over.  I am looking for pointers and/or tutorials in effectively using modelling tools.  Especially in creating realistic cylinders, on knotwork (to make it look like beading or piping) or pillars, snakes, poles etc in pictorial carving.

Do I double bevel the thing first? (a recent thought I have not yet tried). it seems like it should be such a simple thing but its doing my head in!! and I can't get it right!!

I want to make this knotwork look like rounded braid next time (or maybe the time after that, or the time after that :)), and the pillars in the dragon pic look rounder.

Please help

thanks

Pip

[buzzardbait]

Look into Back Bevelers. I made my own to do exactly what you are wanting to do. I know Barry King sells them.

 

[Pip]

Back bevellers not heard of them, thanks!

[Gabriel Rasa]

What jumped out at me is that the beveler you're using for your interior curves is too long (you can see where it's cutting lines into the knotwork in loops 4 & 5), you need to drop down a size for those.

I haven't tried going for the "cylinder" effect you're talking about, but my instinct says you'd want (1) deeper cutlines, to make your stamping more 3D (if you're having trouble cutting deep enough, make sure you're casing your leather properly), (2) if you're going to double-bevel (not a technique I favor), use a textured beveler on one side and a smooth beveler on the other, to preserve the foreground/background distinction, and (3) if the leather's thin enough or the raised area is big enough, use a rounded tool to push your cylinders/dragons upward from the underside of the leather. I've attached a picture of one of my earliest attempts at rounding upward; this is more effective if the leather is spongy/pliable than if it's very dense.

Honestly though, there's a limit to how much lift you can put in fine tooling, and the bas-relief effect you want just may not be possible. I do a lot of costume replica work that uses tooled & painted leather to imitate metal, and even though I frequently use technique #3 for adding more 3-dimensionality to my work, I'm never going to have as much Z-axis flexibility as someone doing the same project out of clay.

But all nit-picking aside, that is a very cool project -- and I am delighted to see someone else honing the craft of non-cowboy tooling. XD

[DJole]

3 hours ago, Gabriel Rasa said:

What jumped out at me is that the beveler you're using for your interior curves is too long (you can see where it's cutting lines into the knotwork in loops 4 & 5), you need to drop down a size for those.

I haven't tried going for the "cylinder" effect you're talking about, but my instinct says you'd want (1) deeper cutlines, to make your stamping more 3D (if you're having trouble cutting deep enough, make sure you're casing your leather properly), (2) if you're going to double-bevel (not a technique I favor), use a textured beveler on one side and a smooth beveler on the other, to preserve the foreground/background distinction, and (3) if the leather's thin enough or the raised area is big enough, use a rounded tool to push your cylinders/dragons upward from the underside of the leather. I've attached a picture of one of my earliest attempts at rounding upward; this is more effective if the leather is spongy/pliable than if it's very dense.

Honestly though, there's a limit to how much lift you can put in fine tooling, and the bas-relief effect you want just may not be possible. I do a lot of costume replica work that uses tooled & painted leather to imitate metal, and even though I frequently use technique #3 for adding more 3-dimensionality to my work, I'm never going to have as much Z-axis flexibility as someone doing the same project out of clay.

But all nit-picking aside, that is a very cool project -- and I am delighted to see someone else honing the craft of non-cowboy tooling. XD

Yes, deeper cut lines will add dimension -- but you have to plan the leather thickness accordingly. 
I've found that a modeling spoon can help round things out, if the leather is properly cased. Take a look at what this fellow is doing with his modeling tools, with a sort of repousse:
http://blog.leathercraftlibrary.com/?s=Modeler

I've only done a bit of that kind of thing myself, so I'm not much of an expert on that. 

Also, Gabriel-- I'm a non-Western tooler myself. I'd love to see the kinds of things you're doing, since we might have similar interests.

[Gabriel Rasa]

4 hours ago, DJole said:

Yes, deeper cut lines will add dimension -- but you have to plan the leather thickness accordingly. 
I've found that a modeling spoon can help round things out, if the leather is properly cased. Take a look at what this fellow is doing with his modeling tools, with a sort of repousse:
http://blog.leathercraftlibrary.com/?s=Modeler

I've only done a bit of that kind of thing myself, so I'm not much of an expert on that. 

Also, Gabriel-- I'm a non-Western tooler myself. I'd love to see the kinds of things you're doing, since we might have similar interests.

Oh wow, that leather repousse technique is REALLY cool. It makes me want to go out and get one of those little ball-headed modelers right now... even though the leather that I mostly use (and the belt leather that the OP was tooling in) is a bit thick for it, and probably isn't going to be as responsive to that technique. =/ Definitely bookmarking that though, for the next time I'm doing something in < 6 oz.

And I do mostly costume replicas -- lately Wonder Woman and Aquaman, with a lot of MCU Loki and Lord of the Rings in the past. When left to my own devices though, my favorite thing is designing and tooling viking zoomorphs. :D

[DJole]

You'd probably like my wallet, Gabriel--
Here's the pix: <http://djole.altervista.org/djole/Publications/Leather/Wallet/wallet.htm>
My other leather stuff is at the link next to my name down at the bottom of this posting.

[Pip]

On 14/04/2018 at 1:38 AM, DJole said:

Yes, deeper cut lines will add dimension -- but you have to plan the leather thickness accordingly. 
I've found that a modeling spoon can help round things out, if the leather is properly cased. Take a look at what this fellow is doing with his modeling tools, with a sort of repousse:
http://blog.leathercraftlibrary.com/?s=Modeler

I've only done a bit of that kind of thing myself, so I'm not much of an expert on that. 

Also, Gabriel-- I'm a non-Western tooler myself. I'd love to see the kinds of things you're doing, since we might have similar interests.

 

On 14/04/2018 at 6:44 AM, Gabriel Rasa said:

Oh wow, that leather repousse technique is REALLY cool. It makes me want to go out and get one of those little ball-headed modelers right now... even though the leather that I mostly use (and the belt leather that the OP was tooling in) is a bit thick for it, and probably isn't going to be as responsive to that technique. =/ Definitely bookmarking that though, for the next time I'm doing something in < 6 oz.

And I do mostly costume replicas -- lately Wonder Woman and Aquaman, with a lot of MCU Loki and Lord of the Rings in the past. When left to my own devices though, my favorite thing is designing and tooling viking zoomorphs. :D

Thanks guys, that's all really useful.  I will post if I have any success.