The artistic ability of metal engravers varies widely. Scrolls, leaves, borders, letters, and other geometric elements are one thing, but engraving pets and people are another.

Say a client has a photograph of their dog that they want engraved. Unlike the photo that captures life easily, both a drawing and an engraving have to simplify the pet without losing the likeness and personality. Although software today can create instant “line drawings” of photographs, these programs don’t have the emotional eye of a human artist. A skilled artist can recreate the photo without erasing the life from it.

But what if your drawing skills are not quite there yet? When a job like this comes up, instead of shying away because of your drawing skills, consider the help of an artist outside the engraving industry. In most cases, that artist will be fascinated by your engravings and skills, and you will turn out a great project that your client will love.

The example is a photo of the client's pet, along with the rendition done by a pencil artist prior to being engraved. The rendition artist and the client discussed the aspects of the pet that made it special. The dog's distinctive underbite, which needed to be apparent but not overbearing, and its unusually soft, silky fur were both important details. With these details in mind, the artist can successfully convert a photograph into a drawing that you can engrave with confidence. Stay tuned for Part 2 to see the actual engraving result.