About the Course
Bulino Engraving
Engrave figures, animals, and hunting scenes using dots and dashes — the technique behind bank note engraving.
Bulino engraving builds a realistic image entirely from dots and dashes, the same technique used in bank note engraving, rather than continuous lines. You'll learn to sharpen gravers specifically for Bulino work, compose a scene and prepare it for transfer, and build the dot-and-dash control needed to make curved surfaces and figures look genuinely three-dimensional. The week culminates in a flying bird scene as your final project, with time for additional pieces if you finish early.
Class Details
Duration: 5 days (Monday–Friday)
Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM (one-hour lunch)
Class size: 4 students max
Prerequisite: Hand Engraving I and II, and proficiency in pen-and-ink drawing
What's included: Tools provided for in-class use; materials and finished practice pieces are yours to keep
Skills You'll Gain
Sharpen and prepare gravers specifically for Bulino engraving — a different technique from standard graver sharpening
Compose a drawing or scene and prepare it for transfer to engraving, whether from pen-and-ink work or an AI-generated illustration
Engrave using dots and dashes to represent a drawing, in the style of bank note engraving
Create surface effects that make engraved figures and objects look curved and realistic
Engrave figures, animals, and hunting scenes in the Bulino style
Day-by-Day
Day 1 — Graver sharpening for Bulino: sharpen and prepare gravers for the dot-and-dash technique, distinct from standard engraving sharpening.
Day 2 — Composing the scene: learn to compose a drawing or scene and prepare it for transfer to the engraving surface.
Day 3 — Dot and dash fundamentals: practice building tone and form using dots and dashes.
Day 4 — Realistic surface effects: practice cuts and dot-dash density that make objects look curved and three-dimensional.
Day 5 — Capstone project: engrave a flying bird scene; additional projects if time allows.
What This Class Doesn't Cover Pen-and-ink drawing fundamentals — proficiency is a prerequisite for this class, not taught from scratch here (an AI-generated illustration is a usable alternative for students without a strong drawing background, though it does not substitute for the required prerequisites). Standard line engraving, shading, lettering, inlay/onlay, and flare cutting — Bulino is a distinct dot-and-dash technique, not covered in those other courses.
What You'll Leave With A finished Bulino-style engraving of a flying bird scene, plus additional pieces if time allows.