What to do...

M

mt_hangglider

Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
312
with the dead space? That's the question I'd like to pose to you guys today. I'm making one more holster for a friend's full size 5" 1911, tooled with the Wyoming Bucking Bronc. This time, I'd like to leave ground under the horse's foot but am unsure how to finish it with all that dead space. I could cut a line and background below that to the bottom border... I could put some letters in there but I really don't know what... just looking for some ideas. I thought about tooling "1890" since that was the year Wyoming became a state but I'm not sure I like that. Any suggestions are welcome. Keep in mind everything but the relief (Bronc / Rider, Mountains and Ground) will be dyed a dark brown. Thanks as always!

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This is something Nichole struggles with too when she tools my holsters and sheaths. In this instance what about a sagebrush or two off to the left and maybe a cow skull or something bottom right? You've got the background with the moutains now just a fe abstract foreground details.
 
Right now you have two very distinct features. Plain leather figures and background. If you put anything in the bottom you will be forced to incorporate a third method which when dyed dark brown will accentuate the difference even more. I would vote to leave the foreground blank just as it is. YMMV.

Paul
 
Paul brings up a good point that I'd not considered.
 
Make the border around the bottom thicker and texture it the same as the background behind the rider.
Maybe 1/4" thick (or so).
The border will tie everything together without additional and distracting elements.

Creative use of white space (not dead space!) is essential in good design.
Once you start shoving things into your design to fill space you ruin the integrity of your design.

That piece is excellent... try the border on paper to see if you like it.
 
MT, take another look at Harronek's (Ken) sig line. Truer words were never committed to print!

"A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add , but when there is nothing left to take away"

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Paul
 
Then there's always the 10 minute down and dirty photoshop method instead of pencil and paper...

 
Thank you all so very much for the help! The more I think about it, the more I believe you all are correct. I'm going to leave it and either do a thin border with my backgrounding tool or just bevel the lines to tie it all together. Will definitely follow up with some more photos when I'm finished. Thanks again!
 
mt_hangglider said:
Thank you all so very much for the help! The more I think about it, the more I believe you all are correct. I'm going to leave it and either do a thin border with my backgrounding tool or just bevel the lines to tie it all together. Will definitely follow up with some more photos when I'm finished. Thanks again!
Click to expand...

My vote would be to cut and bevel the border and then STOP. No additional background, no nothing. Good Luck.

Paul
 
Once again thank you so much Paul, Dave, Jason, Snubbie, and Ebbtide for your suggestions! I'm glad I listened to you guys :). As promised, here is the final result. I'm pretty pleased and I'm sure my friend will be as well.

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Absolutely nailed it Chad!! Gotta love that oil and sunshine. BK makes a turn back edger thats absolutely perfect for edging the backside of those slots. #2 size is what I use. I have a Horseshoe Brand one but since you live in leather Mecca go see Barry
 
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The proof is in the pudding, and that turned out fantastic. Really like seeing the burnished belt loops it is a little touch that goes a long way in the 'curb appeal.' Should you want to be able to edge the back of that slot punch easier a #2 tight edge from someone like BK or Watts does a great job.
 
Dang I was editing and typing the same thing as Eagle was!
 
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