Ginkgo leaf WIP

[Wallace]

What an amazing experience, can't wait to see what comes next ��

[-Sally-]

Hello Peter - it must be time to post an update!
Sally

[ps_bond]

Pah. The edge is a little more refined, I've made a new chisel and started working the edges of the leaf to round them off. Been studying photos of the leaves to work out exactly how I want this to look (how simplified).

Unfortunately, I didn't pay enough attention to my ergonomics and hunched over the pitch bowl at the wrong level long enough to strain my back... Salutary lesson there for everyone. Watch how you're moving, take frequent breaks to stretch and keep everything in alignment.

I'll grab a photo, but the differences are subtle at best.

[-Sally-]

Sorry!

Sally

[ps_bond]

OK, so there's a *little* more difference. I now need to make a smaller chisel to sort some of the lines out and refine things; the chisel I'm using at the moment is too large to work much further back than the edges.



Once I'm happy with the overall form and I've removed the worst of the chisel marks, I'll use a scraper to refine it, followed by Water of Ayr. I might make a textured punch to further blend the edges where the metal has been punched down to hold the shibuichi too.

[Wallace]

It looks amazing.

Yes, you will comment on what is sill needed and it's flaws, but I see a beautiful leaf. :p

[ShinyLauren]

I missed this thread before - very cool leaf Peter and an intriguing technique to learn.

[metalsmith]

Great result. It has matured nicely!

[-Sally-]

I can see you've spent a lot more time working on the leaf - it's really taking form. I reckon when I check back in another couple of weeks it'll be all ready for patinating.
Sally

[ps_bond]

A touch more progress -



I've made the new chisel (forged from a piece of coil spring from my car - well, I couldn't just throw it out) and carved some of the finer detail. It's been scraped with hisage to even out the tool marks, now I'm stoning it to remove the hisage marks (although I may go back & forth between hisage & stones to refine some of the lines a little more).