Is this legible?

[Cherie Lee]

So 899: your comment is about the "...for your. ..." part, right?   As in when Lu suggested "謝謝你的雅，謝謝你的美, " in her august 3rd post? 

You would recommend "謝謝您的雅，謝謝您美, 

instead? 

[陳德聰]

I feel 您 is distancing, though. Like do you call this person "老師" when you refer to them? I think that 您 is way over the top but I know that regionally different people have different 你/您 thresholds.

[Cherie Lee]

No 陳德聰, even in the beginning I did not outwardly call him 

老師, (even though I *thought* of him in that term) it was always casual and informal.  First name basis. 

 

On a seperate note,  look how much you're teaching me:  writing the character properly first is critical, especially for ones that will be carved in the negative (like the government-y style one below).  Unstanding stroke order is the only way I can determine when and where connector pieces can appropriately  be used. 

On the left was the first indeed I did (what feels like weeks ago), but if I'm following all this,  I think it would more aptly be like the one on the right

 

(Again, these are just sketch pieces - so not going for the cleanest carve here)

 

How am I doing,

老師's?

(not well enough to figure out how to pluralize, apparently! )

 

[陳德聰]

Is it weird that I am somewhat gleeful about you being able to get this right on your own??

 

Brava

[Cherie Lee]

Lol!   No more weird than the joy of discovery that I'm experiencing!  

 

Hey 陳德聰, where in this wonderful world are you actually *located*, out of curiosity?

[Lu]

1 hour ago, Cherie Lee said:

On the left was the first indeed I did (what feels like weeks ago), but if I'm following all this,  I think it would more aptly be like the one on the right

I agree with Mr B, this is awesome!

Another amendment you might try: the middle part of 謝 is a 身. It has two 'legs', a straight one and a slanted one. You could try and not attach the slanted one to the the 目 part. Also, the left part you write as 讠, this is the simplified version. It looks nicer (imo) if you write it 言, although I see that that might be rather more complicated.

[Zbigniew]

Cherie Lee, as someone who occasionally pierces out patterns like this in precious-metal sheet using a jeweller's saw, I'd be interested to know what tool(s) you're using to carve out the designs in the eggs. And is the carving done freehand or through a marked-out/stuck-on pattern? 

[Cherie Lee]

Zbigniew, I'd love to see some of your work. 

 

I use a high speed engraving tool, specifically the scm 400xs (http://www.scmsysteminc.com/engraving.php if any one cares,and if it's ok).  Sort of a straight-shafted dental drill.  But I only got it a few weeks ago, so I can't testify yet.   This will be my first ostrich egg with it, so I'm stalling some, I think! 

I've wanted this thing for ages!!!  Until now it was all dremel work, but you are so limited not only in bit size but it's too aggressive and can even vibrate the shells to crack.

 

Your turn to share! 

[Cherie Lee]

Lu,  I'd like to try the 言 section, but I will need to check a stroke order guide to figure out how i could handle the box part at the bottom.   That'll certainly be a weak spot - a perfect example of why order matters

Silly, I know, but it's all kind of exciting, really.   I'm happy you are all on this journey with me.   I found a good bunch! 

[lips]

FWIW, this is the stroke order of the character "beauty" posted by @Shelley

[889]

There'll be a convenient gap in the brushwork at the SW corner of the 口.

[lips]

On 8/12/2017 at 2:19 AM, Cherie Lee said:

Secondary Word options

You can use Google translate for single words.  Most of the time it's pretty good, especially for nouns.  Like others have said, for art work it's better to use traditional Chinese instead of simplified Chinese as the output.

 

You can then copy the Chinese character output that you want.

 

Once you have the Chinese characters, go to

www.zhenhaotv.com

 

You'll see the following  screen:

You may see gibberish if your browser cannot display Chinese.  I have marked the input boxes for you.  After you've pasted in the Chinese characters, select your font, size, colors, etc., click the bottom right button to generate a picture of the Chinese character, which you can copy or save.  This particular web page only has brush script fonts.  (BTW the "grace" character that I posted previously was from font #2 on the drop down list).  It's OK if you can't understand/read the font names, just do it by trial and error until you find one that you like。

 

These are all sample commercial fonts that may or may not have free personal use rights, so handle them accordingly.

 

 

[Cherie Lee]

Oh this www.zhenhaotv.com site is awesome!   I'm going to end up getting lost in there! 

 

[Cherie Lee]

Ok I've pulled my head out of zhenhaotv.com for the first time since Tuesday (thanks Lips), and I've made an observation about the layout of the egg that was an interesting revelation (hold that thought).

 

when I came up for air I realized I only answered one of Zbigniew's two questions (I dislike that as a modern email-response dilemma, so...can't let it slide).  

Zbigniew, I have always just laid things out manually (caveat attached).   Partly because I was always too poor to afford much more by the way of tools than a pencil with a good eraser, a decent light sourse and faith enough to trust where to go.   My first egg (chicken, when I was, like, 12) I had a drill bit but no drill.   So I literally hole punched (so to speak) by twisting that bit like I was trying to start a fire!   I twisted enough holes to eventually punch out a heart shaped opening.   Built a tiny mountain lake scene inside with a piece of broken mirror for the lake and a carved piece of blackboard chalk stained with coffee for the mountains.   I made it because I couldn't afford a present for someone I loved.   Still have it.   Silly huh?   So I wasn't kidding when I said I'd love to see your work.   Be honored, really.

 

Once I found out this drill existed, I wanted it right away.   I just turned 49 last week, and now I finally have the tools.   ("You've met me at a very strange time in my life").  With it came a stencil film that is amazing and if you want to ask about it, I can see how it might be a powerful assistance. 

 

Hand drawn layouts and layout revelations are a smooth segue (clumsily delivered) ---

So Lips got me lost in font selection and I went thru everything I wanted this piece to say.   I guess it will help at this point to show the layout so far:

(That's not actually it so far,  it's just the one I'll use to talk about.   Now is looking more like this: and -only it doesn't resemble a sad frog face in real life, as it does here).

 

hey you know what - I have to step away so I will have to do the revelation post shortly. ...I'm so sorry for the clif hanger!   (Worst part: it won't be worth the hype! )

 

 

 

[lips]

This looks very interesting.  Would love to see how the finished product looks!

 

For more Chinese fonts (not just brush script fonts):

 

http://www.qt86.com/list.php

 

The fonts are listed in the little boxes, with each Chinese font name displayed in that font.  Just click on the black rectangle in a box and it'll take you to a page similar to www.zhenhaotv.com.

 

Again, not sure if those fonts have free personal usage rights.

 

[Cherie Lee]

Lips. ..why do you hate me?   Or more importantly, why do you hate my family?   Didn't I just get done saying I was lost in zhenhaotv for 6 days?   I just made eye contact with my kids for the first time this week! 

And now this?   Oh my God some of these are beyond coooll.   Next thing you know I'm gonna be trying my hand at chinese graffiti! 

Well guys,  if you don't hear from me for another week or two, you know who to thank for it!   

[陳德聰]

Thank you for the update and we've missed you terribly

[Cherie Lee]

Ahh my dear friend 陳德聰!  Did you see what Lips keeps doing to me?   Isn't it amazingly dreadful? 

 

I love you guys (and I'm not even drinking! )

[Shelley]

10 hours ago, Cherie Lee said:

Lips. ..why do you hate me?   Or more importantly, why do you hate my family?   Didn't I just get done saying I was lost in zhenhaotv for 6 days?   I just made eye contact with my kids for the first time this week! 

And now this?   Oh my God some of these are beyond coooll.   Next thing you know I'm gonna be trying my hand at chinese graffiti! 

Well guys,  if you don't hear from me for another week or two, you know who to thank for it!

 

Now maybe you can understand the passion that grips learners of chinese, for me learning chinese is a voyage of discovery, a delight to the brain and a pleasure for me to enjoy for the rest of my life.

 

Your preliminary sketches are looking good, when you resurface it will be amazing to see what you do.

[Cherie Lee]

It really has been a great path to stumble so ungraciously down.  I appreciate how each of you have been helping me with my footing so willingly. 

I feel like I'm crashing through this lovely language like the scarecrow when he lost too much stuffing, but each time I look up for support there you guys are,  telling me I'll dance like Ginger Rogers soon.   (Are you guys even in America?   Are my references totally lost on some of you?)  

Just in case - that was me saying thank you all for nudging me a little closer to linguistic grace and beauty!  (Ah-ha see what I did there uh-huh).

Before I got here I was ignorantly willing to begin a great deal of work on a perfectly useless piece of mediocrity.

謝謝
謝謝
謝謝
You saved me from my own impetuousity!