Customer Reviews

Scroll Saw Portraits: How to Turn Photographs into Wooden Keepsakes

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Though this book does have a few very nice celebrety portrait paterns built into it, the author does not go to any great lenghts to tell you how to achieve these results yourself. The instructions may as well have been "use your computer to edit a digital photo or use tracing paper to create a scroll saw portrait pattern in black and white." The instructions on how to digitally manipulate the photographs were so basic that anybody with any understanding of computers would not need this book, and could find out what he tells you from the help menu of your favorite program. The book consists of roughly 10% instruction (ie. pictures of what he is doing), 90% patterns, so if you really want some of these nifty patterns, buy the book, if you want to find out how to create patterns, look elswhere.

The author compressed his vast knowledge and experience into simple tips and instructions. I was able to immediately make several excellent scrollsaw patterns. Plus, the patterns he provided add tremendously to the value...and his patterns are highest quality. One of the best craft books I've come across.

If you are looking for something different and challenging to do on your scroll saw I would suggest this book.It has a nice gallery section showing the authors work and some great patterns.Just a couple of the patterns are worth the book alone and there is 55 of them.Rather than just a pattern book this also gives you the basic fundamental skills to choose good pictures and create a pattern from them.The information is fundamental and it will carry over to most graphic software titles out there.I for one thank the author for sharing this unique and exciting way of scroll sawing with all of us.His website also has tips and patterns but the book offers more information for the scroller.I hope this is one pattern maker that sticks around because I love his work.

I Loved the Book Scrollsaw Portraits! I just started scroll sawing & I can do the portraits. I think Gary is very talented & should make another book! A must for any scroll sawer!

I have tried to do portraits in the past with little
success, now with some guidance you can recognize
the person. If I continue to follow the
book and practice I will eventually be satisfied.
Enjoying the book.

I think this book could be outstnding but is very vague on the do it your self portion and programs that can accomplish the desired pictres! I think the author wrote tis book to sell his scroll saw patterns, and not to provide the information the title suggests.

If you want to turn your photographs into patterns you might look else where. There are no instructions telling you how to use software. You are told to get a software product that will let you work with pictures. In one photo you are shown a dog with one ear being dark. You are told to copy the ear from the other side onto the dark ear. You are not told how to do it---just do it.
Ther are many patterns already made. If you are looking for premade patterns then you may enjoy this book.

I gave this product as a gift to a relative who is very good with scroll saw tecniques. He was unaware of this book. It gave him a new perspective particularly in creating his own designs. Thanks.