This horn was a commission which did not seem to want to be made and it has a story. (Don't they all?)
I admit I was intimidated by this image There is a tremendous amount of detail as well as great depth and when you're working in B&W getting the gradations of tone and distinguishing between two elements which may have been different colors but are the same in terms of light and dark is a significant challenge. The image is a rendering of a painting which I had to adjust to fit on the horn. Where the painter has color and texture and technique as well as the luxury of painting over a "mistake" and redoing it; I have none of that and erasing is a luxury that I do not completely enjoy.
Starting out, I had trouble with the image transfer and, after I spent nearly 3 hours transferring it, had to sand it all off. A tedious and delicate operation since one must take care not to sand through the white while removing as much of the outline as possible. After finally getting a good image transfer and finishing the image, I discovered a major mistake that could not be fixed so the client declined to accept the piece. I have not finished this piece because other commissions have been waiting so I've put this one on the shelf until I finish the more pressing matters. I thought I'd show you what I've done so far. When I finish the inside curve I'll show the rest of it.
Here's what I've done so far:
As always, questions, comments and critiques cheerfully entertained. Thanks for looking.