Scrimshaw help

[billk]

Hello, I am a new member and I am working on my first powder horn. My question is how deep do I have to cut the lines when I scrimshaw a horn? Do I have to cut them deep and wide or just cut them lightly on the surface. Would they show well using india ink?
Thank you, BillK

 

[silverfox]

Light,Light. The biggest problem with starting out shrimshaw is cutting to deep and heavy. This makes for slips and gouges where light is easier to follow your lines. It just takes a scratch when filled with India ink to really showup. Try both on a spare piece of horn and you will see what I am talking about. Or just ink a sanded horn and watch the scratches pop up. Take your time go slow and light and your horn will be a treasure.
Fox :hatsoff:

PS: The best thing about schrim on horn is if you don't like it just sand it off and start over.

 

[billk]

Thank you very much for the tip. I will post pictures when I am done. Now I have to fingure out what scene to scrimshaw.
Billk

 

[blacksmithman64]

Good luck, thats the hardest part! Also leather dye will work to fill the lines but its a little harder to steel wool back off. Old timers used lamp black, charcoal, gun powder mixed with water, berry juice,vermillion, squid and octopus ink,( seafaring scrimshaw artists!)whatever was handy, but india ink s pretty much permanent.

 

[whiskey]

Before you do your scrimshaw, paint the area you want to scrimshaw with some China White watercolor paint. ONce it dries, it is easy to draw design with a pencil or even use carbon paper to transfew a design. Then scribe the lines. Because of the paint, when you put the ink in the lines you scratched, you don't get unwanted ink in any cracks or imperfections on the horn. When finished, use some steel wool and water to wash off the white paint and you have perfect scrimshaw line.. Works great every time.

 

[mspowderhorns]

If you don't have any 'china white',draw your design on the horn and then spray on a coat of hair spray..comes off with 0000 steel wool..sometimes a horn is hard to write on ,due to a too 'slick' finish,..get a 'stebrow'[sp] pencil from an art supply house..this pencil will write on slick surfaces,like glass...

 

[chipper]

I draw the design out 2-3 times on paper so I'm practiced up. I then draw directly on the horn or bone with a soft, sharp #2. You don't have to sratch hard, with graving tool, just go easy.
I then use a fine tipped quill pen and re-draw the lines in ink. That way only the spots you want to have ink in will be filled. If you mess up on a little section, don't fill it with ink.
Regards
Loyd Shindelbower
Loveland Colorado