How do I care for my scrimshaw?
Assuming that your scrimshaw is on ivory, you should treat it carefully, as any piece of fine jewelry. Care and cleaning are important, as it can be damaged if you are not careful. With proper care though, it will not only last a lifetime, but many lifetimes.
The main rule is keep it out of the direct sunlight, and keep it dry. Inks, especially colored inks may fade the scrimshaw, and cause ivory or bone to develop cracks.
If your scrimshaw should need cleaning, very gently, use a cotton swab, dipped in alcohol, and very lightly, wipe gently over the surface. Never use harsh chemicals or cleaners on ivory or bone.
If you think your ivory or bone is dry, dab on a little unscented baby oil, and allow it to soak in. This should be done periodically.
Howard coats the scrimshaw when finished with a light coat of Renaissance Wax when he finishes a piece, to seal the surface. This can also be done periodically after cleaning, and oiling.
With proper care, your ivory or bone scrimshaw piece, will give you many many years of pleasure. And taken care of properly, most pieces appreciate greatly in value.
Does Howard do color scrimshaw?
The answer to that question is both yes, and no. As you can see from the gallery, and you may have seen in the book "Advanced Scrimshaw Techniques" that he was featured in, he has indeed done color scrimshaw. However, color scrimshaw takes 3 to 4 times as long as black and white scrimshaw, and is much more difficult to do. He may consider doing a color scrim here and there, but prefers to choose his own projects for color work, and rarely takes on a custom order for color. When he does, it is priced according to the extra work it entails.
Will you send me a sketch of the design to be scrimmed before hand?
Howard does not do sketches before hand. He works directly from good quality digital photographs. You are not limited to EXACTLY what is in the photograph, but the body pose, and shading should be exact. Details such as clothing, lack of clothing, hair length, jewelry, background ect., can be added, subtracted, or switched up quite a bit.
Should I choose the design for my scrimshaw or will you?
You are perfectly welcome, to find your own picture and are in fact encouraged to! However, it will be up to the artist to decide if it is something that will work with the piece you have chosen to put it on. One thing I should say though, is that Howard's very best work, is almost always, when he was left free reign as the artist to what he thinks will work best.
