Help with tooling

[Horsewhishper]

Helpppppppp! I am getting frustrated, I can't seem to get my floral tooling to pop! I tool alot but have never done a lot of Sheridan style and would love to learn. Any help would be appreciated.

[Grihm]

Do you have a picture on how it looks now? Also, do you cut with a swivel knife first or do you bevel directly?

[Horsewhishper]

[Grihm]

I think it looks good. What you can do to make it pop out when you color it is to first add an alcohol color to the background. Go for a darker option than what you will use on the entire piece later on. Let´s say black background and when that´s added, you add an antique dark brown with a soft spunge or cloth. Add the antique in circles and don´t push too hard. Add layer on layer after each layer is dry. When you are satisfied, add a sealer, then oil or leatherfat and polish for a fantastic end result.

 

Also, you can add scratches and small nooks etc in the petals or leafs to add another layer to help with the popping out. 

[Rockoboy]

Not too bad (AKA ... better than my 1st effort!)

As @Grihm said, if you apply antique to the tooled area, but leave the rest of the leather a natural colour, that will make your design POP!

As with most things, practice practice and more practice will improve your end result. Google "swivel knife practice". There's a few youtube channels that have an opinion or 2.

[Horsewhishper]

Here is my second attempt

[Grihm]

36 minutes ago, Horsewhishper said:

Here is my second attempt

That looks very good and the details in the pattern helps it pop out. Good background coloring and a good smooth surface. Stay on it =) It looks really good.