My wife bought me this template system from GRS.It turns out good scrolls and the final product on a practice plate for a newbie. Has anyone else tried them.

mark hall
2/23/2007 2:46:05 PM

i,ve never used something like that. one must learn to draw scroll. and fit them in a jillion sizes and odd shaped spaces. templates just aren't going to fulfill a need for very long. they might work on practice plates, but i cant imagine them lending themselves to real work. you must learn to draw.
study th work of others. practice drawing more than you practice the cuts. why cut, if you're starting with a design that is poor to start with ? don't start with the more complex scroll. some of these guys are doing scroll that takes tons of practice to draw. start with more simplified design, get comfy with that and expand when the time is right.there is one substitute for drawing practice, and that is to do more of it !

j.d. swartzfeger
2/23/2007 5:54:53 PM

Mark, I've had some students purchase the scroll templates. They can be helpful as a learning aid and with time you should be drawing your own. As a learning aid draw several different shapes that need scroll and with the templates draw many different designs that fill those spaces. The templates require you to complete the lines and you will also learn some things about connecting scroll. Good luck. The templates don't cost much and can get you started but in the end you find great satisfaction in drawing and adapting your own scrolls and designs.

Lee Griffiths
2/26/2007 3:20:13 PM

Mark.
I 100% agree with what Lee said.
Learning to draw your own good scroll is very important for your future.
But the templates used as Lee suggests will train your eye to see properly formed scroll backbones.
No need to add leaves for a while, just the template backbones within the outline.
Then draw the same backbones into a duplicate of the outline by hand.
After a while you will find your hand and eye catching up and won't need the templates any more to form good scrolls.
They are always useful however, to place over a scroll you have drawn to check it out if it does not look quite smooth and round.
Best wishes to you and tell your wife she bought you a fine learning tool.
Regards, John.

John Barraclough
2/26/2007 9:08:50 PM