Progressing through design work can be simple for some engraving artists, those like Marty Rabeno. With years of art teaching behind him, he can knock out a beautiful scroll design with several elements.

Here, you can see the basic steps in creative thinking that Marty took when designing this piece. In his simple initial sketch, he tried to get a feel for the flow of the design and what he might like on this knife. Marty recalled an interesting face, as seen in the dark, scanned image in photos two and three, from a copyright-free art book. He tried the face on both sides to make sure it would work well with the bolster, and then went right into guiding his scrollwork through the design area.

Marty knows this skill doesn't come naturally for everyone, and not everyone has years of art experience and knowledge. In September 2011, Marty Rabeno will teach a new course at the GRS Training Center specifically for hand engraving artists. This course will focus on Basic Art for Engraving, something many engravers wish they knew and can now learn.

Want to take this course from Marty? Check out his courses, as well as dozens of others available at the GRS Training Center in 2011.

Find inspiration in Featured Photos and have your own work to share? Send an email to featured@grstools.com with images of your work!