Starry Night

I was in a creative mood today and got to thinking about engraving again. I had a blank brass oval laying around collecting dust so I decided to pull out my tools and see what I could come up with.

I'd been thinking for a while about using many lines created by different graver sizes side by side--winding around almost on top of one another to create a somewhat impressionistic effect. Specifically, I wanted to see how close I could get to make an engraving that could mimic in spirit the rich, intense, and animated brush strokes of Vincent Van Gogh.

And since one should always have a telescope close at hand on a clear starry night, I thought I'd add my own little astronomical flare to the original scene...

Here is the finished plate. A little rough around the edges maybe--and certainly nothing more than a shadow of the original masterpiece--but hopefully fun none the less.