|
Leather crafting is one of the very first crafts man has developed throughout the course of history. This wonderful craft has made leather products dated to as early as 1300 BC. Since leather tools during those times were very scarce, the difficulty of creating bags, belts, wallets and collars out of leather must have been very high. Though difficult, they still managed to produce leather that not only looks good but works perfectly as well. Nowadays, leather crafting is in its best times. Over the years, more and more leather tools were developed. Tools now come in different forms as leather can now be transformed not only into a work companion but into an artwork as well. We are fortunate that today there is such an availability of leather Craft Supplies. Leather carving is one way of turning leather into a wonderful artwork. To do this, all you need is a piece of moist vegetable tanned leather, a set of leather tools and a creative imagination. Choose the right tool depending on how you want your design to look like. In leather crafting, you carve the chosen design on to the leather while keeping in mind that the design needs to appear as if it is real. The proper choice and proper use of leather working tools to create various depths and shadows are essential to bring the design to life. Here are some of the primary and essential leather craft supplies needed in leather carving: the rotary cutter, polymer mallet, ballpoint stylus and the adjustable swivel knife. To begin, moisten your vegetable tanned leather with water. Make sure it is just moist but not soggy. Select a design and trace it on tracing paper using a pencil. Next, trace the design from the tracing paper to your leather using a ballpoint stylus. Be sure to press firmly so that the complete outline is visible on your leather. Now we can start to carve the outline using the adjustable swivel knife. The swivel knife, among all leather tools, is harder to use. Three things happen simultaneously when you use the swivel knife properly. Your index finger pressed the knife deep into the leather while your thumb and middle finger rotate is as your whole hand drags it to the direction of the outline you are tracing. Next tool in line would be the pear shader. Use a polymer mallet to press down the leather. This will give your design texture. You may tilt the pear shader to depending on the design. The shader also comes in different shapes. Some examples of the shader are the camouflage tool, the veiner, and the seeder. Choose the specific tool that will respond to your need in order to turn leather in to artwork. Fine leather finishes are easy to find if you know where to look. Two more leather working tools are necessary to finish your artwork. They are the beveller and the backgrounder. Use the beveller to give your artwork a look like it is chiselled away. This gives your design more edge. Now the backgrounder works exactly the opposite way. Use the backgrounder on areas that are not really a part of your design. These two tools will give your design more prominence thus bringing your artwork to life. The keys to a beautiful leather craft are the proper choice and proper use of leather tools. These two combined with imagination will definitely bring your design to life.
Related Articles -
leather tools, leather supplies,
|
