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Cameo Cutting

Chapter 11: Drawing the Design.
By John B. Marsh
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About This Book

This practical handbook explains the history and recent rise of shell cameo work, surveys suitable shell varieties and their colour layers, and gives step-by-step instruction for preparing, drawing, and cutting designs. It describes essential tools, the use of a holdfast, polishing and sharpening techniques, mounting methods, and cost considerations for materials and appliances. The text also addresses practice tips, lesson formats including correspondence guidance, market prospects, suggested designs, and illustrated examples to assist amateurs and more experienced artists in producing finished cameo pieces.

Drawing the Design.

Beginners should draw the design or figure first upon a piece of paper, or model it in clay or wax, and then draw the pattern upon the shell.

Fig. 2.—Transferring Head to Shell.

If the surface of the shell is irregular, do not attempt to make it level, but follow the irregularities, remembering that the white stratum is of the same thickness all through the piece, and that if the surface is filed down the ground will show through, disfiguring the appearance of the design, and preventing the pattern being modelled in proper proportions. When the design is settled upon, copy it on the shell with the help, if necessary, of a star, as in the head (Fig. 2). Draw the outline slightly larger than the design, so as to allow of the proper proportions being secured on cutting. Skilful Cameo engravers never use a pencil, but sketch the desired outline with one or other of the cutting-tools; and many of them could not draw the figure on a piece of paper which they readily cut with their tools.