Missouri Mule

[ozarkhillbilly]

A friend at work asked me to make a mule portrait for them, making the pattern and cutting it was easy, finding a decent picture to make the pattern from was the real trick! My google search didn't give me much, some clip art and pictures I couldn't work from. But with a lot of patiance amd surfing I managed to come up with something that I felt was decent.

I cut it using 1/4 cherry plywood and framed it in an 8x10. Hope they like it.....

[CanadianScroller]

EEAwww some job!

[Gill]

You're back on form in my book, Bill .

With a vengeance.

Gill

[Marcel in Longueuil]

Beautiful work Bill,

Your patience looking for a good picture paid off, I'm sure the recipient will love it.


Are you still using the Coyote software to make your patterns? If so are you still happy with it?

Regards,
Marcel

[ozarkhillbilly]

Carl, Gill and Marcel thanks for the compliments. I took it into work and they were very happy with it. Whew!

Marcel, yes I'm still using coyote and I like it very much, I've learned quite a bit in using it and making it work for me. Some patterns require more work then others and some just fall into place. I'll get impatient on some patterns when cleaning them up. And just go ahead and print it and clean it up with a magic marker
But for the most part I really do like it and wouldn't be with out it. I do want to add a graphic pad in the future!

[Neal Moore]

Great work Bill!!! I bought Coyote a while back. It doesn't help much with segmentation patterns because I can draw them faster than I can work them up using that particular software. I've done a few pierced portrait patterns with it and I think it's the neatest thing since canned beer!!! Again....Great work.

[ozarkhillbilly]

Thanks Neal! Glad to hear you like the software too, I know my favorite button is the fall out preview. I'm getting better with doing the initial design, but it's nice being able to hit that button and and have that instant highlight of floaters pop up!

Oh, and here's to cold beer! Cheers!!!

[Minnesota scroller]

How could they help but not like it, Bill. How does cherry cut compared to BB? Some say BB and Finland are the only plywoods that cut decent. I've never tried anything besides BB.

On the Free Scroll Saw Patterns webiste, they are offering lessons in pattern making online. They are using PSP to teach it. SO, I ordered the software off Ebay for around $35 and signed up for the school. Doesn't cost anything so I have nothing to lose, except the cost of the software. I'll let you know how it goes. I downloaded a free trial of Coyote and the trial version wasn't impressive. I do have Photoshop and Corel Draw so maybe PSP won't have anything new. I should still learn something though.

[ozarkhillbilly]

Mike I'm always a bit nervous when making a portrait for someone, unlike having a bunch of completed portraits laid out, if they pick one up and buy it, it must be because they like it, I always worry about it when it's a commisioned piece and I am making the pattern from either their picture or one of my own. I've been very lucky so far, or some of these customers have been excellent actors.

I like cutting cherry, rather it is plywood or hardwood, using spirals with it produces much less fuzzies then with the BB, however using BB ply allows me the ability to use a varity of stain to achieve the look I want for the piece I am making. I chose cherry for the mule because of the rich color of the wood matching that of many of our Missouri mules. And it was a pretty piece of wood
This was the first time I have used cherry plywood, although I have used cherry hardwood on a few other projects, see the pics below. The cherry really brought the Falcon to life, but I guess it would of been better if it was a Red Tailed Hawk The eagle and Hobo are of cherry hardwood also.
Good luck on the PSP class, I'm sure you'll come out of it with more expertise, then perhaps you'll share with me, cuz I sure haven't had much luck with it Then again I get frustrated really easy with some of these computer software programs, that is a big reason I like the coyote program. I took to it pretty easily, and with results I liked from the begining, and I'm still improving upon.............

[minowevie]

Bill thats a great mule. it taks one to know one. Ark Ark. really nice job. your sure moving up there my friend. from dragons. and perfume tryes. i guess. say my friend. i do have some pictuers of my packing trips. would you be interested? i sure would love to see more of this kind of stuff. your friend Evie

[ozarkhillbilly]

Welcome back Evie!! And thanks! Of course I'd be interested!! After all, I can only try right? I'm also waiting on a friend of mine to get me some pictures of his Mountain Man Frontier Days get together. I'm hoping there will be some good pics there also to make some patterns from.

[Sawduster]

Mike ,
I am just getting my feet wet in pattern design and I am using PSP7. the basics of it are pretty simple and straight forward, but the clean up is pretty tedious. That could be largely due to the fact that I don't know diddly about the software and may not be using it to it's full potential.

Bill,
I have considered Coyote but just haven't taken the plunge. they make a pretty compelling argument for it's user-friendly interface, but I'm still hesitant ....it is advertising after all and it's supposed to sound simple. Is it really all they claim ? You do some really impressive stuff ! I especially like the magic marker trick I would have never thought of that !

[ozarkhillbilly]

Robert, not only am I a scrollaholic, but I am one big computer dummy. After all I am from Missouri. And I swear, I can read and re-read some of these program instructions and all I get is a thousand yard stare. But SHOW ME, once! I've struggled with PSP 8, (still haven't given up) and just can't get the hang of it or the results that others who use it do. So when the coyote program came out and I read their advertisment, I too naturally was a bit hesitiant. But sincerley, I am very happy I did buy it.

Speaking for myself, It is that easy to produce a workable pattern. And the more I've used it, the better my technique and results. And I have to give Carl a big shout of thanks! Like I said, I'm not the brightest on these computer programs, but thru PM's Carl has helped me to understand alot of the computer jargon and help things go click!

But as I have already stated, I still will break out a magic marker to do my clean up! on some of the patterns.