Portland Engraving Project

Portland Engraving Project - Update 13

It’s finished and on it’s way to London. Over the last 6 weeks I’ve worked on this project, planning it, writing the updates, photographing the piece and actually engraving it (and some other smaller jobs in between), finally it’s done. You can view a short video clip of it here http://youtu.be/o6vp9mpIKIw  . We set out to educate and inform people about copper wheel engraving and how a piece like this is done, the time involved and the thought that goes into it. The subject was the Portland Vase, an iconic ceramic piece that Wedgwood adopted as their own and features 6 figures from ancient mythology. Many people have done their version of it as the imagery is beautifully ornate but no one (to my knowledge) had dared to modernise it, to take the same figures and re-tell the story in 2014.

The vase is generally seen as having 2 separate stories – one side is love story, the other a depiction of the afterlife or heaven, where the inhabitants are relaxed in a carefree environment. These are everyday themes that you would still come across today and so, should easily withstand modernising.

Who’s who……

Let’s look at the individuals and the changes made to them;

The first figure is Phelis, tip-toeing into the afterlife/scene to greet his girlfriend Thetis. The modern equivalent is a casually dressed guy in a t-shirt and jeans with tattoos, Dr.Dre headphones and offering a hi-5 to his girl.Thetis is posed facing her boyfriend and away from Poseidon, who wanted to marry her; she’s seen reciprocating the hi-5 while clutching her snakeskin handbag (formerly a serpent). Her clothes are street-style - boots, shorts, t-shirt and styled with costume jewellery. Her hair is in a pony-tail with shades also holding it in place. Poseidon is the third figure on this side. His pose is suggestive of a more mature figure, almost father-like assessing his daughter’s suitor. He now wears a 3-piece suit, with one hand in a pocket, the other holding a mobile as he reads texts (or is perhaps looking up the new boyfriend’s facebook page!).   The background alterations are minimal - a dove flies over the couple replacing the Eros figure of the original, the architecture and foliage remains.

Rotating the vase to the opposite side there are three more figures, all seated on rocky pedestals – a reference to them having passed into the afterlife. The first figure, thought to be Achilles sits with his body facing away but his head turned to the others. He’s now dressed in jeans and logoed t-shirt and has a baseball hat, goatie beard and key-chain. Next to him is Helen, sporting a short jacket, jodhpurs and knee-high boots. She’s dropped her Vaio laptop bag to pose for the camera. Her friend, Aphrodite is about to take a group ‘selfie’, capturing herself and her friends. She’s dressed in a mini skirt and layered t-shirts with a short, cropped hairstyle. Her t-shirt is printed with ‘MMXIV’, that’s 2014 in roman numerals. 

I mentioned previously that the faces below the handles presented an opportunity to introduce some people from popular culture. These aren’t portraits as such, just a ‘likeness’ of these individuals done with a combination of diamond point and copper wheel – 3 hrs max. The first guy is Guy Martin, professional road racer and TV documentary maker. The other face is that of actor, comedian and Hollywood icon Robin Williams, who first came to light in Mork & Mindy and went on to a stellar career on stage and screen but sadly died earlier this year. I’ve used an image of him with a beard in keeping with the original faces.

So far we haven’t mentioned the base. It’s been verified by the experts that the base on the original was added at a later date – perhaps to salvage the vase after an accident. Its composition, both in the engraving of the Paris figure and the substance used differs from the rest of the vase. In keeping with the modernising idea and engraving individuals (who I hope are recognisable) I spent some time choosing who to replace Paris with. I’m not particularly religious but The Dalai Lama is a fitting choice on many levels – not only is he posed and dressed similarly to Paris, but being a spiritual person pays homage to the original vase’s spiritual subjects. His simple lifestyle contrasts with the modern figures/version I’ve done; you could broaden that comparison out to include the handcraft versus the hi-tech/mass-produced debate.  

 

Just to cover some outstanding items, I’ve ‘detailed’ the figures with a combination of polishing, diamond point and vibro (a fine carbide point with hammer action) to finish them. The logos on their t-shirts for example are done with a delicate touch of the diamond or vibro as it’s effectively an ink transfer you’re engraving. I shaped out the handles, engraved some ferns onto them and bonded them into place. They are flush with the top of the rim and sit on the shoulder of the vase just above the 2 faces. I didn’t do a great job photographing or videoing it – it’s raw to say the least but I was rushing to make the courier; you’ll get the idea despite the backdrop and background noise. The finished piece will be part of the Guild of Glass Engravers exhibition in Morley College, London opening on October 8^th. If/when it’s sold I will be forwarding an SD card with 200+ images of it in work, 2 short videos and these updates to the new owner. 

Ta-dah……….

So, after hours of drawing, engraving and polishing you’ve washed your piece and it looks well. Look closely though, are there any fine scratches you missed? Have you signed and dated it? Are you photographing it? Should you make a rubbing of it for your records in case you are commissioned to make another? Does it need a plinth? Have you considered the presentation and sourced packaging and a box – nothing will drag your work down as much as delivering it in a tatty shoe box. Now, get it delivered and get paid.

Congratulations………now it’s finished.

 

 

The Portland Engraving Project - Update 12

The Portland Engraving Project - Update 12

With the first 3 figures finished except for detailing and polishing, we can briefly look at the other elements on this side before beginning the second half. I’ve replaced the Eros figure with a dove, recognised in modern society as a sign of peace and/or love and is far more plausible than an ‘angel’. It’s posed a bit like the Anhauser Bush eagle logo and was straightforward to do. It’s not terribly big so if it hadn’t worked out, I could have engraved Eros over it as per the original vase.  

You’ll see from the images that I have done some preliminary work on the handles. The mock-up image gives an idea of how they will appear; there’s a lot of figuring out to do on them - exactly how and where they attach has a bearing on the 2 faces that appear just below them. The handles aren’t exact replicas of the original and will not be attached to the neck of the vase – they are going from the shoulder of the vase to the rim. They won’t have a 90 degree bend either, as I’ve opted for a more subtle curved design.

As part of the plan to modernise the Vase and date it to 2014, the 2 faces under the handles provide an opportunity to engrave a ‘likeness’ of some individuals – we’re not talking portraits here, more of a resemblance to someone from popular culture. The original figures have long hair and beards (that are fashionable now) and are staring at the viewer. Anyone who knows me would be aware I’m a road racing fan, you know, the Isle of Mann TT etc. etc. so the first guy was an easy choice.........Guy Martin. He is a professional road racer, has long hair and ‘sideburns’; he has several TV series behind him (one called ‘How Britain Worked’ that focused on traditional hand crafts) that gives him a public profile so he fits the criteria. Remember, this ‘likeness’ is the result of about 2 or 3 hours work, is not a proper portrait and needs a little more ‘tweaking’ to finish. You’ll have to wait to find out who the other guy is! 

Looking at the other side now, there are 3 more figures and a lot of background items to do. The theory is that they were Achilles, Helen and Aphrodite, who had all passed into the afterlife and so appear on stone islands. On this vase they’ll appear to be ‘hanging-out’, just doing the stuff young adults do. We’ll work them exactly the same as the first side - draw the figures onto the glass, mark out the outlines with a diamond point and then stone out basic depths. Once you’ve done that it’s back to the copper wheels to get the detail, adding some modern clothing, hairstyles and technology in keeping with the updating.  

I got sidetracked with some other projects in the last few weeks and had hoped to have this piece finished today to coincide with the beginning my 30^th year engraving; the revised date is Thursday next in order to make the exhibition deadline so, no pressure!

The Portland Engraving Project - Interm update 11.5

Interm Update

In the last update I said I wasn’t entirely happy with the figures, in particular the girl. I’d also mentioned previously that you need to hide your wheel tracks and even prior to that we spoke about various techniques. I have some work to do to get this vase back on track but before I get to that I want to outline a discussion about an engraving style/technique I had recently with a colleague.

Eamonn Hartley and I used to work for Waterford Crystal and have been friends for years. Back in the late 80’s the Anhauser Bush brewing company had ordered hundreds of items with their logo. Mr. Havel was asked to make a crystal replica of their ‘A’ logo with intertwined eagle as the main piece - this is long before glass glues had been developed and so the pieces had to ‘fit’ together. The logos were sandblasted first to give a workable template. We, the engravers then spent about 20 minutes working on the eagles to give them some depth. In a few cuts you would do its head and body and a few more would ’give you wings’ as they say! One rounded wheel was used to do the head, body and leading edge of the wing; the next (flat) wheel gave you a row of feathers, a smaller flat wheel was then used to do the beak and finally a ball for the eye. The point here was we developed a format to engrave the eagles in ‘one-touch-engraving’, utilising the wheel profile to carve the image. The finished bird was perfectly acceptable as an engraving but underlined the idea of letting the wheel do the work.

On this Portland vase I’m guilty of overworking some aspects of the figures. The girl’s head is not great – she’s more ‘butch’ than ‘beauty’. The bridge of her nose is too strong, the nose itself is too long, the ball on the end is too big, her eye is too far back and her cheek bone is too shallow. Against that we’re now too deep to apply the ‘one-touch’ idea. It’s a bit like doing an oil painting and there are now too many layers of paint to maintain any subtly. I’ve also left some spindle marks where I touched the surface in front of her nose. So, what to do?

Let’s go back to basics and work on the shallow depths first – that means sorting out the nose. I’d like it to be shorter and have a slight curve out toward the end which means bringing the eyebrow lower and deeper. We can disguise a large forehead with a little with a fringe, a few stray hairs (done with the diamond point). With that sorted, let’s focus on the eye. With a deeper eyebrow and by deepening the cheek we’re giving ourselves a higher plateau to rework the eye. Shade off the existing one, redraw a newer one rectifying the issue and engrave it.

There’s a re-occurring theme here – fixing a problem area is done by working the areas around the problem. To shorten a nose you enlarge the forehead; to repair an eye you need to deepen the cheek and eyebrow. It’s a function of intaglio/deeper is nearer style of engraving. The thing is you will eventually loose the finesse of the engraving by going so deep. Your edges will be harsh and the image will distort if not viewed from the centre point. It’s not a disaster, just a lesson.

I don’t really want to make her head any bigger so I need to get this plastic surgery and botox right.  I’m using a fine powder that cuts slower and also gives a smoother finish, perfect for doing a lady’s face. It cuts a finer line so any error will be noticeable; think back to our pencil sketches – a 7B gave a rough line, the 2B was the definitive line.

Now we’re getting back on track……………….

The Portland Engraving Project - Update 11

The Portland Engraving Project - Update 11

OK, I’m a little behind on this project – I got sidetracked with other things this week. Anyway by now you should have a feel for what I’m doing with this piece. Our first two figures are (almost) complete; he’s got some clothes, a haircut, headphones and tattoos while she has also got dressed and styled with jewellery and a pair of shades; their ‘Hi-5’ replaces the awkward arm embrace. I wouldn’t say I was entirely happy with them just yet, there are still some improvements/repairs to be made.  

The next change concerned the serpent. If you go back to the theorists who’ve studied the original, they suggest it was included to represent temptation; no place for a serpent in 2014, so we’ve skinned it and made a snakeskin handbag, considered by some nowadays as an extravagance……….you’re laughing, that’s good!

 

The next issue is the Eros/Cupid figure who is holding a bow (a symbol of love) and a torch to guide the way. It featured on the original to help convey the story of Peleus entering the world of the gods to marry Thetis but I’m not sure how exactly to deal with it now - I’m open to suggestions. I’m thinking he should be included but polished almost clear to make him almost invisible and ghost-like. I could engrave him using the stipple technique making him more of a shadow rather than solid figure. Third option is to omit him altogether as the 3 figures are already posed is such a way to tell this ‘love-triangle’ story.

 

The third figure on this side is considered to be Poseidon, who was to marry Thetis (the girl). He too has been updated and now wears a suit and stands with one hand in his pocket, the other will be holding a mobile phone.

A note on technique

It’s important to finish the figures so there are no wheel marks left; the viewer should be left wondering how the piece was done. You need to work the piece to eliminate as much evidence as possible by smoothening out every cut. The wheel speed is critical, too fast and you’ll carve deeper, too slow and it won’t grind. I’m using a 280 powder, a good all round grit size but switch to a 320 on some parts. It cuts slower but the softer finish works well on details like fingers – be warned though, you have to be incredible accurate.

 

The next update will be next Friday when I’d hope to have made up some ground and have a lot of work done on the other side. Expect the same ‘updating’ with them – clothes, haircuts, technology and styling. The following week we’ll deal with the handles, the 2 heads and the base.

Today’s Tip - Mix the oil and power carefully – too wet and you’ll slip; too dry and it won’t cut.

The Portland Engraving Project - Day 10

The Portland Engraving Project - Day 10

One down, five to go….

Here’s our first figure finished. All the copper wheel work is done but he needs to be polished and some final detailing added. I won’t polish him until the other figures on this side are completed. The final detailing is to add his tattoos and a logo onto his t-shirt, stuff like that.

Light & shade – black & white

The polishing of your work is as important as the work itself. If you polish, or highlight the wrong area of your work, it can take from the piece. Use polishing wheels that are the same size as the copper wheels, going over the same cuts/depths. Using only large wheels will shine up the ridges rather than the depths. Remember, we’re playing with light here - excessive polishing of a single area will make it appear ‘dark’ or black in the context of the engraving palette.

 What now…

Over the coming days I’ll be working the other figures on this side to bring them to the same point - engraved but yet to be polished and detailed. We’ve covered pretty much all the issues you will encounter, drawing the figures, stoning them out, engraving the background and figures and any repairs. We’ve met engravers with different styles and had daily tips. The stuff we didn’t cover (yet) is how to make copper wheels or look at other engraving techniques – drill and stipple. The next update will be a week from today when I’d hope to have this side fully completed. A further update will cover the other figures and the addition of the handles. The last post will show the finished piece just prior to shipping to Morley College.

Today’s Tip - photograph, catalogue and note every piece you do – you’ll appreciate the information in the future.              

Meet the Engravers

If you’ve developed an interest in engraving and want to learn more, check out The Guild of Glass Engravers for info. There are courses in the UK (Morley College and North Lands Creative Glass); The Jiri Harcuba School are running a course in the coming weeks with Pavlina Cambalova; locally Eamonn Hartley is running a course in Waterford College of Further Education. There are lots of other weekend courses organised by professional engravers, you just have to search them out. I might even organise one myself!

The Portland Engraving Project - Day 9

Day 9

Heading for home

Our guy is taking shape so we’ll do a little work on his head. This isn’t a portrait so ‘a face’ will suffice – big chin, small chin, frown or smile it’s up to you. Initial depths are forehead, cheek bone and chin. The smaller features will require some accuracy but try cut them in one go – a narrow wheel for the front of the nose fading back into the cheek bone depth; a really small rounded wheel to cut the lower lip, slightly wider flat to cut the upper one over it. Do the same with the eye, soft line for lower lid, heavier for upper leaving a raised ‘V’ which will become an eyeball. Use a ball shaped wheel to do the nostril and eye, job done.

Oops – what now?

That’s the ideal but usually something goes a little awry, in this case I’m too deep on the cheek and not enough on the upper lip; the eye isn’t great either and top of his skull is too high. What happens next is hard to catch photographically or put on paper – you just work at it until you get the depths correct and the features both located and finished correctly. Luckily there are some easy fixes here. Adding his hair resolves the skull issue; I considered a hat or a pair of shades. I’ll re-do his upper lip and eye as there’s glass to work with. Worst case scenario is having to deepen the pillar ‘behind’ him effectively erasing the finer features of this face and start again.  

Another common error is that you’ve slipped and left a mark outside the outline. The options are;

Polish out the slip using rough then fine polish depending on the severity of the slip. If you use the largest wheel possible and polish a larger area, if will not be noticeable. Small wheels will leave an ‘inclusion’ or distortion on the surface. Always polish into your work.

Re-engrave it with a wider wheel. It depends on the job but is it possible to ‘go big’ and incorporate the error into the image with either a slightly bigger wheel or by going deeper? If you’re confident enough to try again, go for it but ask yourself why you slipped in the first place?

Hide it - assess the damage and consider if adding to the engraving is a viable option. If it’s a deep chip, you may have no choice but to add something (appropriate) to the original image – be creative.

And Finally………

With his head sorted out, take a long hard look at the overall figure – are you happy with it? Are all the depths correct, the folds in the cloths, the feet & hands? If so, good job, if not, now’s the time to rectify them.

Today’s tip; Keep your powder and polish clean – contamination of either will lead to chips and/or scratches.

Meet the Engraver – the Apprentice

This guy has some skill and technical ability and is eager to learn. He needs to develop the patients, knowledge and vision to get to the next level. Right now he works to achieve a basic standard; he makes lots of little errors but learns from them. He’s not afraid to ask. His circle takes several cuts, doing a few degrees at a time; it has some corners, is more oval than round and has visible joints…… but it’s done and better than the last one.

Lesson – Stick with it, you’ll get there - it just takes time and experience

The Portland Engraving Project - Day 8

Day 8

What!

We’ve stoned out our figures, we’ve added some background detail and examined several techniques and styles so it’s time get working on our figures. Working to the principle that the deepest is the nearest our first guy is the perfect starting point.

Our friend here is now wearing a T-shirt, pants & soft shoes and has ear-phones around his neck and been to the barbers, which will outrage purists but I did say it would be modernised! Draw the clothes on the glass. You’ll notice that your pen/pencil has to follow the contours of the depths; your wheels will have to do the same. You can start anywhere but it’s advisable to go with the larger wheels first and work down to the smaller ones - work the whole figure rather than focus on one area.

 

Let’s iron this out….

Take a crease in the t-shirt and examine it; folds and creases in clothes usually run from an extremity (an elbow or knee for example) and fade out gently. You should carve them the same way, starting with a strong definite line and then smoothen out the end as the tension in the cloth eases. It’s important to draw and get the line of them correct as they help re-enforce the figure’s posture.

 

The sleeves present a new challenge – they are wider than the arm. Use your copper wheel to cut the end of the sleeve and smoothen out the muscle it covers. Again the depth will add to the image but the lines you cut for the end of the sleeve and then the folds and creases in it will ‘dress’ the guy. Engraving the clothes means that a lot of the muscle definition will be covered or softened but the depth in the figure remains. In some cases it is necessary to remove a ridge altogether; a good example being a skirt where the legs underneath will be obscured but you have to stone out the depths of the anatomy first to make it look right. Similarly, take care when doing things like the neckline on a t-shirt as it may traverse several contours and depths so accuracy is vital. 

I’ve referenced accuracy in draughtsmanship a lot with clothes, this next part being critical. If you have to engrave a sleeve that’s foreshortened and the internal part is visible you need to use very small wheels to carve the arcs at the top and bottom. They will underpin the illusion that it’s a hollow, tube like form that surrounds the arm. Do the arm first, then cut the sleeve deeper with the internal area last - it only needs subtle shading. 

Today’s tip - The abrasive will eat into the glass and your wheels – file them often to restore profile

Meet the engraver 6 Mr.Techno

Mr. Techno is a master of the engraving craft and doesn’t really feel challenged by this work anymore - he’s looking at the future for a faster way. He wonders how he could marry his is love of computers and new technology to his engraving knowledge. He’d do a circle using computer generated artwork, a mask and sandblaster as it’s faster and can be replicated thousands of times – it makes him popular with accountants and marketing guys.

Lesson – Technology is great but you should respect the integrity of the craft.     

The Portland Engraving Project - Day 7

Day 7                                                                                 

Let’s talk technique

So far, we’ve taken out big scoops of glass and shaped them to give the basis of our figures. They resemble the pencil sketch ‘bubble figures’ I mentioned earlier, recognisable and human figures but no real detail. All of this was done with stone or diamond wheels so we have depth and substance in our figures.

Just before we begin with copper there are 4 specific techniques we need to look at in detail.

1.Straight Cut – it’s often the case that one of your wheels will match perfectly the line you want to cut. For example you could engrave a rope on a sailboat with a sharp wheel; the metalwork on your Eiffel Tower engraving is perfectly suited to your favourite flat wheel – you just sharpen the wheel, charge it with slurry and engrave. 

2. Creating an edge – sometimes the image requires an edge to be carved like the shape of our sail, the side of a building or the ground. Prepare as wide a wheel as is workable in the given area; rather than present the glass flat to the wheel, angle it slightly so the edge/one side of the wheel cuts but the other side does not. The resulting cut is angled into the surface giving the edge on one side, trailing off on the other.

3.Shading – if you need to ‘colour in’ an area use as large and wide a wheel as possible. It should rotate slowly, be regularly re-charged with slurry and most importantly, move the glass in a circular motion. If you don’t, you’ll get an uneven finish with small ridges in it – not good.

4. Carving – If you carve a depth into the glass, most likely it will need to be shaped. Recoat the wheel with fresh slurry and ‘feel’ where it cuts/grinds. If you’re doing a pear shape for example start with a central vertical oval and then carve to the left and right, broadening out the bottom of the shape as desired. Allow the wheel time to carve but smoothen out the cuts so they become one – see shading above.

Earlier I mentioned how the wheel profile determines the cut profile; let’s revisit that. Imagine a (4 wheel drive) rally car turning hard on a gravelly surface and the tracks it will leave. As the back of the car swings out, the rear wheels spin and stones fly everywhere. The front wheels however are working differently. They also pull the stones under and spit them out the back, but they’re angled in the direction of travel. Now think about how this applies to copper and glass. Depending on how to present the glass to the wheel, you can determine how the waste glass/slurry mix exits. If you want to avoid chips along any edge/ridge you’re engraving, then present the glass so the waste material is drawn under the wheel and exits out into the engraving work, not onto clear glass. Mr.Havel, (Maestro in Crystal, ISBN 9781856079402) the original designer, engraver and sculptor in Waterford Crystal, to whom all of us ex-WC designers, engravers and sculptors owe our skills & livelihoods, in his best Czech-English described it thus “indaway out, not outdaway in”.  

Today’s tip; Wipe excess/waste slurry into your work, not out over clear glass – saves polishing scratches later.  

Meet the Engraver 5. Captain Slow

Our Captain Slow has a motto – steady ahead. He has huge technical knowledge and considerable skill but he works at his pace and won’t be rushed. He knows the finished piece is worth waiting for. He goes by the book, is technically perfect and the result shows it. He draws the circle on, measures it, prepares the wheel, cuts part of the line, checks it and then repeats the same actions to do the next section.

Lesson – steady progress pays, rushing will lead to errors.

Portland Engraving Project Day 6

                                                                                                                                                                      

 

Let’s get some background…..

Our three figures need a place to hang out and we’re going to do that with copper wheels. Today is about building on the foundations we’ve laid and adding detail. Best place to start is with the pillars – a couple of easy straight cuts. Start on the pillar furthest to the left – we’ll give this pillar some depth with stone/diamond but do the other entirely with copper later. Cut an upright edge on the left side first; now do the right side to give us the nearest/facing side of the pillar and shade/smoothen out the area in between. It’s ok if these cuts go through where the plinth and cap-stone will be. To get the perspective right and show the side of the pillar, we have to cut that 3rd edge and shade back from it. Using the same wheel cut a parallel line beside the right side of the pillar – it will automatically give the pillar a 3D look.

 

To do the plinth cut two edges, one vertical (the side) and one horizontal (the top) that should cut through the verticals of the pillar. You’ll notice where the two lines meet at 90 degrees in the corner, a small 45 degree ridge forms, a consequence of working with wheels that you won’t get with sandblasting – big clue there to spot the difference between the two. Get a really small wheel to soften it out.

The cap stone is dealt will in the same fashion. Cut edges and shade/colour in the area. I’ve only done half with the diamond as it should be shallower toward the furthest away end. Revisit the rest of the scene, using smaller wheels to add details, the smaller branches on the tree, the other stonework and ground. Once completed, you can put away the stone and diamond wheels, the water supply and tray and dry the place – we’re onto copper wheels at last.

 

Today’s Tip - Always ‘shade’ in a circular motion - it will give a smooth finish 

Meet the Engraver – Mr. I’m In The Wrong Job.

My colleague here has a problem – he’s a hugely talented artist but does not have the patience, the interest, the passion or will to stick with it. He hates the workshop environment, the repetitive nature of the work, the slow pace, it’s so mundane; putting ‘muck on pennies’ to ‘scratch glass’ is not for him.……...but he needs the money. There’s no style in his circle, it just done and he’s gone home.

Lesson – Engraving glass isn’t for everyone, but is immensely satisfying to a few.

The Portland Engraving Project - Day 5

Day 5

 

 

‘Next……..’

With our first figure ‘stoned out’, we can look at the next candidate. She is stretched out on a stone plinth in an awkward pose – head facing one way, body the other. In order to get the correct depth in her body, you need to remove some glass for the plinth she sits on, otherwise she’ll be ‘floating’ in the air. Use a flat profiled wheel to model the stonework , carving a depth for each stone (and consequently leaving a ridge between them). Well do the ground later.

Working to the same format, you need an initial depth in the torso and legs adding weight to the more prominent parts. Take some time to study her pose - her right knee is covered by clothes that suggest it should have significant depth. But her foot is visible. The creases and folds are misleading; yes, but while the knee is the deepest part of her leg, it should only be a little deeper as her lower leg must be connected to the foot. Draw her legs first to get the anatomy right, carve out the depths, worry about the clothes later.  

 

I’m omitting the snake and Cupid for now as they’re ‘different’ in my (modern) version.

 

The next guy is standing with one leg raised on a pedestal. Just like the lady needed a solid bed to lie on, he too needs some groundwork done. Since we have switched to doing background items, we can work on the architecture, trees and ground. The trees are straightforward - use a round profile wheel of the appropriate width first, reducing the size/width as you progress along the trunk/branches. Switching to a flat profiled wheel you can put some depth into the architectural stonework.

Finally, the ground should be deeper than anything that rests upon it. You need to angle the glass away from one side of your flat wheel, thereby cutting an edge (that’s the horizon) and a grey/shaded/matt area representing the (fore)ground. I am not saying it should be the deepest depth of all, just that you should cut it so it’s slightly deeper than the stonework, the tree trunk or feet. The tiny ridge you create will catch the light, appear as the ground/horizon and connect the 3 figures we’ve done.    

For photographic reasons we’ll focus on and finish these guys.

 

Today’s tip; Work with the rotation of the wheel like feeding cloth into a sewing machine, turning left/right a required as you go.

 

Meet the Engraver 4. Mr. Fix-it

This guy has mastered copper wheel engraving but likes to experiment when the boss isn’t looking. He always seems to have a ‘project’ on the side and they show really imaginative work. He has, but hates to use his polishing wheels to repair chips and slips, preferring instead to add a flourish that disguises the error. It’s creative. He does a circle in 4 or 5 sweeps, no perceptible joins or ‘corners’ in it. If he does go wide or slips he’ll repeat the cut with a wider wheel making sure to disguise the error.

Lesson – don’t panic if you make an error – perhaps it’s an opportunity!

The Portland Engraving project - Day 4

Day 4

Into the deep…….

With the arm already stoned out, we now have a depth to work from. All the other depths in his body will relate to it. The shoulder will have to be deeper than the arm, the torso too and from that to the head via the neck and down into the legs and so on. You need to take a lot of glass out to give the torso depth and substance - use a large wheel with rounded profile. Because our guy is turned slightly, we need to go a little deeper on his right side, the side that is closer to us. Onto this initial depth we’ll model out a rib-cage, six-pack, pelvis and hips, later adding pecks, collar bones etc. until we have a workable body. You can draw these on the ‘grey’ glass now with a hard pencil (3H). Remember, all the depths are related – the nearer shoulder (his right) should be deeper.

In terms of initial modelling with diamond/stone wheels, his legs present our first real hurdle. Let’s focus on his left leg which is further away and therefore should be shallower. It needs to be fully modelled out before we start the other leg. Just as we carved the muscle depths in the arm, the same idea applies to the leg. The upper thigh and calf muscles are more prominent and should have some definition/depth. The same wheel should suffice to carve out the substance of the leg. The right leg, when cut deeper than the left will appear to be in front of the left. Carve out an initial depth then add muscle definition.  Using whatever stone or diamond wheels you have continue to add substance, weight, depth, definition or detail to the figure until your happy with it.

‘Cut the shape - shape the cut’

The profile of any wheel determines what shape cut it will make; rounded profile = rounded cut, flat profile = flat cut; it’s not rocket science! Let’s look at that round wheel for a second. What if I was to feed the glass under the wheel at an angle? The resulting cut would be more of an oval profile rather than the rounded shape the wheel actually is. We’ve moved from carving according to the wheel profile to the wheel silhouette……..read that again. Now, think about the form you are trying to engrave and ‘cut the shape’. Sliding and manoeuvring the wheel around within that cut will shape it. If you can grasp that, go straight to the top of the class.  

Stone the body, engrave the clothes

Consider this, no matter how well you engrave clothes, they will never ‘hang’ properly if there isn’t a body underneath. Getting the right depths into a figure will make dressing it far easier. Getting the wrong depths will make it look like the clothes are still on the hanger! When you are doing folds and creases in material, your wheel will have to follow the contours of the depths. 

Today’s Tip - Use the plasticine to make a cast of your work – it can help to see your depths. 

 

Meet the Engraver 3. Mr. Shallow

This guy is a talented and knowledgeable Engraver; he’s worked out every trick and shortcut you can imagine. He can do but avoids ‘depths’ (which is the cornerstone of intaglio engraving). If he engraved a footballer for example, the ball would be more like a dinner-plate than sphere, perfectly round but ‘flat’. He finishes the circle first, it’s done in 4/5 swift arcs and is round but is almost a shadow. 

Lessons – if it’s worth doing, then do it properly. Commitment (read depth) is key.

The Portland Engraving Project - Day 3

The Portland Engraving project - Day 3

Let’s get stoned…..

We are now going to switch to stone or diamond wheels and begin to ‘stone out’ the image. You will need a (warm) water source feeding onto the wheel for lubrication and temperature control. You could begin with the background work (the ground, the architecture, vegetation, the environment etc.) or start on the figures. Either route is fine but personally, I’d stone out the figure’s depths first as it’s done under running water and can be messy; you’ll be able to see better if the area around your figures is still clear. There is no point in spending time doing a beautiful background if it’s going to be carved over.

We’re carving into the glass so the nearest thing to you will be the deepest. With lots of practice, you’ll begin to understand this illusion. So, imagine a rough pencil sketch with rounded shapes for the torso and limbs to get body proportions & position correct – it’s similar with stone and/or diamond wheels. They are used to get this initial depth in the body. Generally you would begin with the largest stone or diamond wheel, working down through the wheel sizes, getting more detail/definition as you go. However, we’re going to begin with the shallowest/furthest away part of the figure, in this case our guy’s left arm which will be the basis of all other depths ie. his orientation, limbs and ‘weight’. This is a safer approach as you will naturally have to go deeper with the rest of the body to get the depths right.

To make a point one of my teachers stoned out the furthest away leg on a training piece I was doing – he went so deep with it, I had to go waaaay deeper with the rest of the figure to get the (related) depths correct.

The first cut….

With this first cut you are trying to get some substance in the forearm but you do not need much depth in it. Your anatomical knowledge will tell you the (brachioradialis) muscle goes from the back of your elbow over your bicep tendon down to your wrist. By carving a little deeper where that muscle is, you will effectively engrave it. Your aiming to get a long cut that represents the whole forearm but is slightly deeper on the upper side near the elbow. 

All of the stone /diamond wheel work on the bodies will be with round profile wheels. The correct wheel would be well within the width of the arm outline, about 2/3’s of it is perfect while the diameter should be large enough to carve roughly half the length of the forearm.

Apply the same method to the upper arm, staying inside the lines and carving slightly deeper where the bicep muscle is. You should gently slide the wheel around a little to smoothen out any harsh lines made by the wheel when you did the muscle cut. All going well you should have some depth in the arm with a little muscle definition. We’ll return to it later with copper wheels to work it to a finish.

 

 

 

Today’s Tip – everyone appreciates a ‘good set of wheels’. Learn how to make them properly, sharpen regularly and they’ll serve you well.

 

Meet the Engraver 2. Leader of the pack

This guy is the Grand Master. His knowledge and experience are boundless; his confidence is rooted in his ability, he’s good. His wheels run perfectly, his bench is tidy, his mind is clear and focused on his work. In fact he’s so comfortable and relaxed, he’s sitting sideways at the bench with one leg tucked under the other, yoga style. He cuts the circle 90 degrees at a time in a fluid motion of his fingers and wrists; it’s smooth and even with no start or stop marks………..perfect.

Lesson; Chill out – with confidence in your ability and good wheels you will do this.   

The Portland Engraving Project - Day 2

The Portland Engraving Project - Day 2

 

Visualise the finished piece

Before you even look at the glass you need to visualise the finished piece. Watch athletes doing their warm up - all of them are visualising the race ahead, right through to the finish. If you can visualise it in your head, no reason you can’t do it on the glass. Now look at your sketches and try to anticipate any problems that you may encounter. Get a feel for the weight, size and balance of the glass. Decide what to do first; plan your route to the end.

 

Relax – you can do this

This is a big job by any standard but it’s ‘doable’. Break it down to one figure at a time. It’s purely about being relaxed and being confident in your ability. If you make a mistake, generally it’s fixable. You can polish out slips, repair chips and go deeper/wider; who’s to say that (within reason) a nose isn’t that long or bicep that big?

 

Buzz off

Let’s start off with the outlines. You’ve already worked out a size to fit the figures around the glass and have them on (a few sheets of) tracing paper. If you rub the plasticine on the back of your tracing and tape it to the glass, positioning it carefully, you can re-draw the image with a point (a dried up ball-point); it will transfer an accurate but faint outline to the vase. Redraw the figures with a marker. If you are happy with them, you can now use a drill & diamond point (known around here as a buzzer) to leave a permanent outline. Stay inside the drawn lines; we’ll be carving them away later. I’m doing half (3 figures) to begin and the others later – it’s so the photographs will be clearer.

 

Today’s tip - Looking at your work from the back can help see depths better.

 

Meet the Engraver 1. Mr.Benchmark

When it comes to engraving, my colleague here is the benchmark on both time and quality.  He works competently and methodically through every job; no time wasting errors, just exactly what’s wanted engraved without flaw. He cuts a circle 10 degrees at a time, meticulously following the line, smoothly feeding the glass to the wheel, like an airplane touching down and taking off again.

Lesson – mastering technique takes practice but don’t be afraid try stuff.