Nothing compares to a real master engraver instructing you as you learn new skills and techniques. Although true masters are becoming more and more rare, a few like Alain Lovenberg pass on the skills and knowledge they have attained.

The final project plate, shown here, was a constant beacon for those who attended Lovenberg's Grand Masters course. Students constantly reached for and examined Lovenberg's progress as he continued on this plate during the GMP course. From the many lines of the background (and how to make it actually look like the background) to the delicate curves of the woman's face, students carefully looked over each cut.

In our world today, the information found online can be invaluable with the lack of printed resources for engravers. Learning certain aspects of engraving online can be beneficial, but it is no match to a master engraver guiding you, looking over your shoulder — and the cold, hard practice of drawing. Note the lines that Lovenberg used to portray certain parts of this engraving, and try this bulino style out for yourself.