Current Training and Schools
Today, both large and small training facilities and studios exist in the Unites States and in many other countries such as Belgium and Italy. Most notable is the GRS Training Center in Emporia, Kansas. The facility is on the same grounds as the small, family-owned business GRS Tools, which invents and manufactures tools for the industry. GRS classes are 40-hour intensive sessions with a maximum of 12 students per class. Several professional engravers hold classes at their personal studios, training students throughout the year. Individual engravers such as Michael Dubber, Barry Lee Hands, Sam Alfano, and many other artists offer private instruction in the engraving arts. Ray Cover's School of Fine Art Engraving and Weyerts Fine Arts Engraving School can accommodate several students for instruction and include a variety of tools and systems. Most classes range between $500–$1000 for fundamentals, but costs vary.
Another contributing factor to the influx of new hand engravers is the dozens of books and videos available that detail the methods used by artists today for hand engraving techniques. Many artists have even recorded detailed work and published it freely online. One of the most highly recommended books on the subject is by the late James B. Meek, titled The Art of Engraving. These resource materials offer a low-cost investment that provide a solid foundation of knowledge and a nice glimpse into the world of hand engraving.
In 2006, Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas, began the first ever Bachelor's program in the Engraving Arts. The program is funded through an endowment of equipment provided by Glendo Corporation, the maker of the GRS Tools line of engraving equipment. Printmaker and engraver James Ehlers currently serves as head instructor and Assistant Professor in the Art Department at the university. Students learn both hand push and pneumatic system methods with GRS equipment.
Those interested in hand engraving, either as a hobby or a career, now have many avenues through which to acquire both knowledge and skills, including university-level accreditation.
Read more about this topic: Engraving
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