The Portland
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.
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