- Joined
- May 28, 2003
- Messages
- 1,815
Thanks Tom. Really fine job. Please show us the finished piece when it's done. 
-
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OT some: gun engraving
- Thread starter gravertom
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2003
- Messages
- 5,594
oh holy cow, i had no idea we had so much talent here.
Now we've got a real santas workshop.
Dan Koster makes the knives, Gravertom engraves them.
Bruise blesses them, I use them...
is it a deal?
Now we've got a real santas workshop.
Dan Koster makes the knives, Gravertom engraves them.
Bruise blesses them, I use them...
is it a deal?
O.K., DIJ; I'll agree to three out of four of your proposals. 
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2004
- Messages
- 1,163
Wow,
you guys are too kind.
What talent I have is a gift.
You want to see some of the best engraving ever?
check here.
Lindsay engraving
At least I have the privelege of using one of his tools!
I've been making progress since at the new job, but still many hills to climb.
It's fun though!
I've got to be one of the most blessed men ever!
Those who think my work worthy of attention, do me honor...
Those who think my work worthy of adorning THEIR work, do me great honor...
Thanks again,
Tom
Now, back to the Dojo, errrr, work bench!
you guys are too kind.
What talent I have is a gift.
You want to see some of the best engraving ever?
check here.
Lindsay engraving
At least I have the privelege of using one of his tools!
I've been making progress since at the new job, but still many hills to climb.
It's fun though!
I've got to be one of the most blessed men ever!
Those who think my work worthy of attention, do me honor...
Those who think my work worthy of adorning THEIR work, do me great honor...
Thanks again,
Tom
Now, back to the Dojo, errrr, work bench!
Gravertom;
There's a lot of artists in my family. I used to draw myself. I'm no student or expert, but your work was simple and even elegant. There is much to be said for knowing what you can do and working within that. I liked it.
I have a question for you; Do gun engravers draw well? Do they have natural talent? (I'm assumng yes) The link you provided shows engravings that are like fine drawings. But we've all seen the ads for easy engraving in the gun books where one follows a template.
I imagine there are ways to hide errors, but engraving always seemed final. You've left those lines on someone's firearm. Not like a prison tatoo that can be covered or ignored later.
munk
There's a lot of artists in my family. I used to draw myself. I'm no student or expert, but your work was simple and even elegant. There is much to be said for knowing what you can do and working within that. I liked it.
I have a question for you; Do gun engravers draw well? Do they have natural talent? (I'm assumng yes) The link you provided shows engravings that are like fine drawings. But we've all seen the ads for easy engraving in the gun books where one follows a template.
I imagine there are ways to hide errors, but engraving always seemed final. You've left those lines on someone's firearm. Not like a prison tatoo that can be covered or ignored later.
munk
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2004
- Messages
- 1,163
Munk,
I am not a great drawer, but keep working on it. usually, when the need arises, I work on it.
I am capable of more intricate work, but the project and time constraints didn't call for it. That is a historically correct STYLE, and it serves the purpose for which I envisioned it. I may be a traditionalist, but certain types of engraving look right on certain type of metal objects.
To me, the fact the the design concept was pleasing to many of you is the greatest reward. If the bare skeleton of the design looks good, greater levels of detail, used in balance will look good too.
I try to draw or at least design every decorative piece on my own. Stencils can be helpful, but don't realy help with composition.
To take the next step, I really need to improve my limited skills in drawing people, animals, and outdoor scenery. learning to manipulate photos in photoshop and corel draw helps too.
This was a new leaf style for me, and I was having great difficulty drawing it consistently. I ended up scanning in a few of the elements of the design into the computer, along with a scan of both sides of the gun's outline. In Coreldraw, i could scale and manipulate everything until it looked right. This saved a lot of time, and was essential with the very short turnaround time on this project. It really helped to find the visual balance that i was looking for.
There are 4 sizes of the main leaves in this design. Some have a vine around them, and some don't, but the leaves them selves are consistent in those 4 sizes all over the gun. When drawing totally freehand, it can be tempting to fudge a little in difficult areas, making something a little smaller, larger, or stretched out a bit. This really can kill a design. It took several tries, but I finally got the two large sizes to fit well, leaving room for the two small sizes to fill in the gaps. Where I need a little more weight, a vine went around a leaf. Where I needed less weight, or things were tight, no vine.
I then printed the design out, and filled in the blanks, connecting vines, adding the little curls, etc. When the design actually went on the gun, further refinements were made. To do the barrel, top and bottom of the action, buttplate, etc, I took pulls directly from elents already cut to maintain that consistency. The vine work was the variable, re drawn to connect the main elements that had to remain consistent.
This poject was very rewarding, and I plan to use this method from now on.
To me, drawing is like cutting, the technical part, the craft part. The composition is the Art part. There is some cross over though, as techniques can be part of the expressvie process . Composition being so important though is one reason why i think computer generated art has vailidity as an art form. No matter the tools, you still have to compose well.
This thread has lead to some inetesting places.
Thanks!
Tom
I am not a great drawer, but keep working on it. usually, when the need arises, I work on it.
I am capable of more intricate work, but the project and time constraints didn't call for it. That is a historically correct STYLE, and it serves the purpose for which I envisioned it. I may be a traditionalist, but certain types of engraving look right on certain type of metal objects.
To me, the fact the the design concept was pleasing to many of you is the greatest reward. If the bare skeleton of the design looks good, greater levels of detail, used in balance will look good too.
I try to draw or at least design every decorative piece on my own. Stencils can be helpful, but don't realy help with composition.
To take the next step, I really need to improve my limited skills in drawing people, animals, and outdoor scenery. learning to manipulate photos in photoshop and corel draw helps too.
This was a new leaf style for me, and I was having great difficulty drawing it consistently. I ended up scanning in a few of the elements of the design into the computer, along with a scan of both sides of the gun's outline. In Coreldraw, i could scale and manipulate everything until it looked right. This saved a lot of time, and was essential with the very short turnaround time on this project. It really helped to find the visual balance that i was looking for.
There are 4 sizes of the main leaves in this design. Some have a vine around them, and some don't, but the leaves them selves are consistent in those 4 sizes all over the gun. When drawing totally freehand, it can be tempting to fudge a little in difficult areas, making something a little smaller, larger, or stretched out a bit. This really can kill a design. It took several tries, but I finally got the two large sizes to fit well, leaving room for the two small sizes to fill in the gaps. Where I need a little more weight, a vine went around a leaf. Where I needed less weight, or things were tight, no vine.
I then printed the design out, and filled in the blanks, connecting vines, adding the little curls, etc. When the design actually went on the gun, further refinements were made. To do the barrel, top and bottom of the action, buttplate, etc, I took pulls directly from elents already cut to maintain that consistency. The vine work was the variable, re drawn to connect the main elements that had to remain consistent.
This poject was very rewarding, and I plan to use this method from now on.
To me, drawing is like cutting, the technical part, the craft part. The composition is the Art part. There is some cross over though, as techniques can be part of the expressvie process . Composition being so important though is one reason why i think computer generated art has vailidity as an art form. No matter the tools, you still have to compose well.
This thread has lead to some inetesting places.
Thanks!
Tom
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2004
- Messages
- 1,163
To address the talent thing, i believe Mr. Lindsay has a bunch of talent. I think I have some with respect to fine motor skills, hand eye co ordination. No drawing talent at all. I have to work on it hard. Looking at and analyzing good work may be a talent, or at least a skill that, as it develops, helps me better my own work. Two improtant questions in my career: Why does that look so good? Why doesn't my work look that good? The answers to those questions have been the key to my improvement.
If we can apply those question to other areas of life, it could be helpful.
Tom
If we can apply those question to other areas of life, it could be helpful.
Tom
Aardvark
Gold Member
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2002
- Messages
- 4,871
Ok, hopefully I don't put my foot in it here, but I like your work better, Tom. It lets much of the medium (steel) show through, whereas Mr. Lindsay seems to want to make viewers forget what is being engraved ON. His work is technically brilliant, no question. But I like metal for what it is. Hope that makes a little sense. Been a long, hard day.
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2003
- Messages
- 5,594
PHP:
Not like a prison tatoo that can be covered or ignored later.Munk, you might be interested in studying the history of Japanese tattooing. one of my hobbies.
Most Horishi, Japanese tattoo artists, do an apprenticeship that may last ten years, and they start by learning how to draw. They study the works of the masters and learn to replicate their work. I am in that phase myself. For the last month I have been working on drawing the human hand and a few kinds of flowers. Soon I will move up to the elbow! (Hands are damned hard to draw)
The word "Horishi" comes from the old Japanese word for "engraver."
The first Japanese tattoo artists made their money as engravers and did the tattooing on the side.
Obvioulsy, you may have recognized that there is a vast difference between a "prison tattoo" and a Horimono, which is a large body-mural tattoo and is nothing less than a living masterpiece.
I dont think anyonce could mistake the work of Horiyoshi or Horihiro for any crude prison tattoo.
- Joined
- Nov 3, 1998
- Messages
- 4,331
Tom,
I rarely see engraving on firearms that I like. Usually, it seems over-ornate, and ultimately, in bad taste. Simplicity has a purity that can't be over-emphasized.
I like it, a heck of a lot. I hope I can afford your work, one day- I'd be honored to have it on my "dress gun".
Hopeful tears for your wife and precious child.
John
I rarely see engraving on firearms that I like. Usually, it seems over-ornate, and ultimately, in bad taste. Simplicity has a purity that can't be over-emphasized.
I like it, a heck of a lot. I hope I can afford your work, one day- I'd be honored to have it on my "dress gun".
Hopeful tears for your wife and precious child.
John
- Joined
- Feb 23, 1999
- Messages
- 4,855
Tom, Your style has some similarities to classic manuscript illumination. If you ever get a chance, you might pick up the old book "Writing, Lettering, and Illuminating" by Edward Johnston. You might find some ideas that fit well with your style.
Danny, wasn't it you who had links to tatoo'd women in Japan? I saw them.
I agree with Spectre that most engraving is over ornate and ultimately offensive. The master engraver's work I saw was involved, but not carnival like. So I guess there is a place for art on firearms. I'd prefer the simple myself, and could see a few scrolls on a working gun. I can't imagine buying a gun to put in a case after engraving.
I like Howard's idea of the designs of old manuscripts. The monk's did good work on the page borders.
munk
I agree with Spectre that most engraving is over ornate and ultimately offensive. The master engraver's work I saw was involved, but not carnival like. So I guess there is a place for art on firearms. I'd prefer the simple myself, and could see a few scrolls on a working gun. I can't imagine buying a gun to put in a case after engraving.
I like Howard's idea of the designs of old manuscripts. The monk's did good work on the page borders.
munk
