NewNewbie Posted April 19, 2011 Report Posted April 19, 2011 On my bench the cello I made 5 years ago for Michal Kanka (Prazak Quartet). In the style of Testore family. Thanks for sharing! Very nice work!!! I really like the look of the top with the grain lines being prominent!
FrancescoM Posted April 20, 2011 Report Posted April 20, 2011 It´s not very "Milanese" but thanks! Hi Christian, first of all congrats on your work! No words to express the beauty and perfection of your work, the varnish, the coloration, the chatoyancy... if I'm not asking you much, could you tell us more about the corduroy effect you worked on that, how do you achieve that kind of grain effect with the winter grain so evident? Any advice will be precious thank you!
christian bayon Posted April 20, 2011 Report Posted April 20, 2011 Hi Christian, first of all congrats on your work! No words to express the beauty and perfection of your work, the varnish, the coloration, the chatoyancy... if I'm not asking you much, could you tell us more about the corduroy effect you worked on that, how do you achieve that kind of grain effect with the winter grain so evident? Any advice will be precious thank you! Thanks, first of all it depend of witch school you want to copy , in Crémona for example, Strad and Del Gésu don´t have the grain so pronounced than Milanese school or Andréa Guarneri. The problem is never technical, I finish like many of my colleague with scrapper, the difficulty is to know exactly what do you want at the end. For that you need to train more your eyes than your hand. Thanks to Bruce for the wonderful photos he post on MN, this help a lot who don´t have daily access to hight level instruments!
FrancescoM Posted April 20, 2011 Report Posted April 20, 2011 Thank you christian for your quick reply!! I really would like to achieve your same result as for the grain (I'm talking about your Testore viola, milanese school)...I finish with the scraper too, but the winter grain does not evidence like your one. I do "bagnatura" made with water, then let the wood dry and then followed by scaper..I did this passage 3 or 4 times or more if I need to highlight the grain, but the appareance of the winter grain is still very different from yours. Even after the varnishing process (I'm using a varnish made of 1 part greek pitch,1 part mastic and 2 parts linseed oil, marciana varnish), it is still very different.
robertdo Posted April 20, 2011 Report Posted April 20, 2011 I would think that scraping 3 or 4 times with watering in between will rather lose most of the corduroy structure.
FrancescoM Posted April 20, 2011 Report Posted April 20, 2011 Maybe you are right robertdo, but when I do not water before scraping, the summer grain doesn diminuish and the winter grain doesn't highlight well...maybe you have a solution to this?thank you for all your suggestion
robertdo Posted April 20, 2011 Report Posted April 20, 2011 I am afraid I can't offer you any advice and others with more experience will. But what I can say is that last year when I finished my second violin I did the final scraping on the top without watering it (only because I didn't know you have to... ) Then I went on with staining the violin with some tea (wtaer based), then sealing it with gelatin (water based again). At no point did I rescraped the wood (I was worried I would waste everything...). Then when I varnished it I realised that there was a very pronounced corduroy effect (a little bit too much maybe).
robertdo Posted April 20, 2011 Report Posted April 20, 2011 Now what I can add is this: I did varnish the first 3 violins with a brush and oil varnish. Then for number 4 I thought I would use the glazing effect just for a try. And when I did it on the top (which had been scraped-watered-scraped again) I realised that I had achieved what I saw in some violins but couldn't understand what it was. The dark lines of the grains were darker, like they were bleeding, while the light parts of the wood stayed light because after wiping some of the glaze some pigments were trapped in the dark lines while they were wiped out on the light parts. I know I am not being very clear, but if you have some spruce scraps try just to rub some madder lake with some oil on them. Then wipe thee excess and you will see what I am trying to explain. And this can give an "effect" of corduroy even if it's not really.
christian bayon Posted April 20, 2011 Report Posted April 20, 2011 After water (or water stain), don´t scrape again or you will "kill" the grain!
FrancescoM Posted April 20, 2011 Report Posted April 20, 2011 I usually scrape as first, then water the wood, let it dry and scrape again, then I use some dark tea to give a golden hue to the wood. Christian, do you usually work your spruce without watering it?I mean, it is very difficult for me this way to obtain a good winter grain..
~ Ben Conover Posted April 20, 2011 Report Posted April 20, 2011 On my bench today I have two scroll blocks cut out, the off cuts make heads and grafts. One is to be the Alard De Gesu, the other is the a scroll for an Iizuka model viola. Cheers.
christian bayon Posted April 20, 2011 Report Posted April 20, 2011 Christian, do you usually work your spruce without watering it? I put hot water if I want raise the grain, but after, I don´t scrap again, I start the varnish.
Melvin Goldsmith Posted April 20, 2011 Report Posted April 20, 2011 Looking at Strad's scrolls from the 1690's shows far more disparities than I expected...
christian bayon Posted April 21, 2011 Report Posted April 21, 2011 New one, the violin I´ll bring to Prague for the EILA convention:
FrancescoM Posted April 21, 2011 Report Posted April 21, 2011 I love how you put in evidence the grain...congrats!also the color is unique...do you have other pictures?
Michael_Molnar Posted April 21, 2011 Report Posted April 21, 2011 I am graduating a back and working on a scroll for the next violin. The top and garland are done. In my light box I am finishing up one of the violins I started varnishing at Robson's Varnish Workshop. Two others are waiting their turn. Maybe I should make more light boxes. As you can imagine, I like multitasking. I get bored easily. Stay Tuned. Mike
James M. Jones Posted April 21, 2011 Report Posted April 21, 2011 New one, the violin I´ll bring to Prague for the EILA convention: Are the fingernail looking marks from spool clamps? I assume the are intentional. For what its worth...I love the work.Nicely old and vintadge looking.. without being decrepid. I also like the clarity and texture of the varnish. good luck at the show.
joerobson Posted April 21, 2011 Report Posted April 21, 2011 Two others are waiting their turn. Maybe I should make more light boxes. Stay Tuned. Mike Yes, you can Can... on we go, Joe
christian bayon Posted April 21, 2011 Report Posted April 21, 2011 Looking for suggestions... I am near the end of the varnishing on 3 violins. I would like to take some pictures that actually LOOK LIKE the instruments. I have a digital camera with a tripod. Any suggestions for taking some [low-tech] shots of these? Thanks in advance. on we go, Joe Use natural light!
Michael_Molnar Posted April 21, 2011 Report Posted April 21, 2011 Nice color, Christian. Stay Tuned. Mike
joerobson Posted April 21, 2011 Report Posted April 21, 2011 Use natural light! Well it IS spring in upstate NY, so we have daylight sometimes but sunlight is...well...a premium. on we go, Joe
Michael_Molnar Posted April 21, 2011 Report Posted April 21, 2011 Yes, you can Can... on we go, Joe You read my mind ! Stay Tuned.
christian bayon Posted April 21, 2011 Report Posted April 21, 2011 Well it IS spring in upstate NY, so we have daylight sometimes but sunlight is...well...a premium. on we go, Joe Daylight is better than sunlight, is more diffracted.
DarylG Posted April 21, 2011 Report Posted April 21, 2011 Beautiful and inspiring work Christian! Cheers,
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