More practice. Belt blank

[Stetson912]

I've been practicing some more. Came across some free Don Gonzales tooling patterns on his site. I like them.

This leather is a lot better than what I had been practicing on. I just didn't want to use it. But hey, gotta do what you gotta do. 

Anyway, I'm noticing improvement. I'm still having trouble identifying background in the scroll work and getting the scrolls to flow right but, all in all it's better. Tell me what you think 

[alpha2]

This is the best video on beveling I've seen. www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oC5VytYiSg

It really opened my eyes on the subject.

Jeff

[terrymac]

Great improvement!!  Small suggestion is to continue veiner work around complete scroll. Do this prior to beveling and then when you bevel the border, most of it disappears, yet appears that these marks were part of the complete scroll.  Keep it up

 

Terry

[JLSleather]

Definitely looking better.  DO fill in the bare spots in teh scrolls -- it's important to the over all look.  Also tool the broad leaf (right side) to give some depth to the leaf, so it looks like a FOLD, not a LINE.

And DO spend the money for good leather.  You can't learn RIGHT using low grade leather.  

Edited April 17, 2018 by JLSleather

[Stetson912]

I was wondering about the scrolls. It didn't really look right to me either. I don't have a photo care pattern so in making it up as I go.

Jls, how do you mean? Do you mean the turn back? I don't really know how to do them.. obviously hahathanks for the suggestions!

[JLSleather]

Yup.  You can use the same shader tool you used on the rest of the leaf ... or for efficiency - turn it SIDEWAYS and walk away from the line, getting lighter as you go away (down).

As for the vein tools, I've always thought less is more -- let the leather show.  So I usually use LESS marks, spaced further apart.  This is a 'each 'is own' deal, though.

Long as I'm doing all that talking, might do the backgrounding on teh blue areas

 

Edited April 17, 2018 by JLSleather

[Stetson912]

Oh ok. So shade under the turn back. Do I shade down towards the stem? Or left to right along the turn back line? B I'm looking for carved examples too. The ones from Don Gonzales just look beveled. I'll be studying this haha.

[Stetson912]

Oops.... Hehe I forgot that part lol

[JLSleather]

Well, that's why I uploaded the pic of the flower on my holster... I don't have the EXACT pattern you used - guess I could go download it but not today or tomorrow.  I'll see can I find another example...

[Stetson912]

No that's ok. I can see from your picture. It didn't load for me earlier so I didn't know you provided an example. I can see from that picture now what I'll have to work on. Thanks!

[JLSleather]

One more 

This will show how much difference you can get using the same design, same basic tools, just by putting the "BOP" in the wrong place.  Somebody sent me this pic of a purse strap (bottom) and wanted another set made.  Note how the tooling was "bopped" DOWN where it should have been UP, and the difference that makes.

At their request, I used the same tools - with the exception of adding the "stop" tool to the ends of the stems.

[kseidel]

You are practicing trying to learn how to carve and stamp the leather, without a good understanding of what you want as a finished look.  I would encourage you to draw or trace the pattern on paper, and then shade in all of the details with your pencil.  Black out the background, shade, draw all of the veins and mule tracks, etc, and draw in the finish cuts.  Be as precise as you can.  Then when you stamp in leather, try to duplicate what you have drawn as precisely as possible.  What you are doing now is very haphazzard and make-it-up as you go, without a specific plan, and that shows in your finished work.

[Stetson912]

@kseidel, that's a good idea. I will have to take a pattern and do that. You are right I don't have a go to plan. I just go for it. And while it's an improvement it's not great either. I will have to come up with a solid plan. 

[Stetson912]

@kseidel, is this what you meant? I think I like this process. At least for now. It helps me visualize the final piece and how to get there. My drawing is horrible but it gets the job done. This is a Don Gonzalez pattern available on his site. But if this is not allowed please remove. 

It is a print out, I just added the shading and textures etc. The bevel shading is pretty light on here but I did add it. Let me know if you see anything that should be changed. Thanks again for the help.

[terrymac]

Barry King sells a packet of belt patterns done by Bill Gardner, one of the godfathers of the Sheridan style carving. Well worth the money. They were are tooled by Clinton Fay, and include a complete list of the Barry King tools used.

Good luck

Terry

[JLSleather]

  

[Stetson912]

Haha thanks Jeff. I had you in mind when I went to creating my plan. Lol 

[kseidel]

On 4/17/2018 at 3:26 PM, Stetson912 said:

@kseidel, is this what you meant? I think I like this process. At least for now. It helps me visualize the final piece and how to get there. My drawing is horrible but it gets the job done. This is a don't Gonzalez pattern available on his site. But if this is not allowed please remove. 

It is a print out, I just added the shading and texcures ect. The bevel shading is pretty light on here but I did add it. Let me know if you see anything that should be changed. Thanks again for the help.

Good job!  Now you are closer to having a plan and purpose for the look you are trying to make with the tools you are using.  Draw in your finish cuts before you cut them in the leather.  It is most profitable to practice right and learn the right way.  Much harder to un-learn bad practices.  As you go forward, try to make each cut and stamp perfect... exactly where and how you want.  Practice perfection!  Good luck!  Keith

[Stetson912]

Well, I used my plan and tried it again. Took into account everyone's advice too. Best as I could remember. Here it is.

[Rockoboy]

You are definitely improving. I don't mind the cuts you made on the scrolls instead of using a veiner, but I do think the veiner looks better.

[Stetson912]

Thanks Rockoboy, It actually is a veiner. Just a thin lined veiner though. I also didn't strike it very hard because it's really easy to over do it with that veiner and sail right to the middle of the leather. That's just more practice on my part though. I'm thinking of giving it one more try today. My bar grounding is terrible haha

[Rockoboy]

5 hours ago, Stetson912 said:

It actually is a veiner. Just a thin lined veiner though

My bad. The 'usual veiner' that I see here, and the veiners that I have are more curved than yours appears to be, plus the textured finish of the 'usual veiner' is more viaually appealing, IMHO. Not withstanding that, you have done a good job with the veiner you have used. 

[alpha2]

Your curves are getting a lot better, very quickly! Much smoother now.

Jeff

[Stetson912]

Thanks guys. I'm still working on the little leaves of the scrolls getting those smooth and less choppy.

@Rockoboy I like the scalloped veiner too, I just don't have one that is any good. :/ I will get one one day. I'm using craftool pro stamps that were on super sale because they are being discontinued. I wanted something intermediate to get the use of the tools down before I invest heavily in better tools. So I'm making due for the time being haha.

[JLSleather]

Looks and sounds like you have a pretty good grasp on what's happening -- making good progress and seeing YOURSELF where there's room for improvement.  And there IS improvement, looking "smoother".

Two points to consider for the future that may be helpful - not just for you but everybody:

I don't like the design so much, in teh way it ends.  Repeating that pattern - as many belts do - would leave a MONSTER background area to the right of the flower, that I would prob'ly alter. and,

for those who love to preach "custom" work and "handmade" and "one at a time" and "by hand" and "no machine"... ask them for one with the design reversed.  You'll often find they aren't as "custom" as they claimed.  For instance, 

A guy who makes this "by hand', "one at a time", with "no machines", ... 

 

SHOULD HAVE no trouble at all making this the same way - by hand, one at a time, no machines.  No more or no less custom this way, right?