The RULES & Asst. TIPS by various artists.
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MUST say, when I started MisterX.ca, I would never had imagined I'd be
posting instructions on how to make a One Cut Flake. After all, there
is only one cut made, so what's to "x"plain? ...Man, was I wrong!
Slowly, but surely, the One Cut Flake has become a favorite technique of
many flakers.
Almost right from the get go I started getting emails asking about One Cuts. What are they? How do I shade? What are the "rules"?, etc. Well, how should I know?! Until just recently, I only made one model of 'an "X" 1-cut'. It is the most difficult (and painful) snowflake that I make, however, it certainly doesn't qualify me as an "x"pert on the subject. (UPDATE! AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, I NOW MAKE 1000's OF 1-CUTS!) So I asked some of my favorite One Cut flake creators for some help on the subject. I was really VERY surprised at some of their techniques, and the simply AMAZING designs that they can achieve with "a single swipe of the mouse", as Ingrid puts it so well! |
Go figure, One Cut Flakes have only ONE rule! Start
your line ANYWHERE, end your line ANYWHERE, as long as:
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~SOME
TIPS~
---Most
"X"perienced One Cut creators agree: End the cut where it began, or at
least on the same side it began, for the best results!---
---Believe
it or not, the SP's can step in if your design is too compleX. BEWARE!---
 I guess it's about time I sent you the info I promised, so here goes. As you know I've been flaking for quite some time now but when I discovered the shading process, that's when my style changed and I never looked back. I just can't seem to make flakes without the shading now. LOL A while back Faith asked me how to do it, so I made a flake and took pics of it with my digital camera as I went along, with a written explanation of each pic. I'll attach those pics here for you and if you want to share with e1 it's okay with me. My hubby says, "Don't give out your secrets!!!!! Your flakes are unique!!!!!" "But, everyone's flakes are unique, there are no two the same," I replied! Anyway here are the pics and the descriptions(hope they come through). Pic A and pic B show the shading process, you shade with your mouse using vertical strokes. Pics B, C and D show the results when you drag the line "under" the shading and let go. Pics F, G and H show the results when you drag the line "over" the top of the shading and let go. Pic I shows the result from pics A-H. Pics J and K are just cutting out normally. and... Pic L is the final out come. As for 1 cut flakes I combine all this in one, just hanging on to the left mouse button until I'm done. I just discovered this one day while I was looking for new techniques and was very pleasantly surprised with the outcome. As I do the 1 cuts, I try to make some things symmetrical, repeating the strokes in various places. I try to make as few lines as possible, the old "KISS" rule..."Keep It simple, Stupid". But, I usually end up with something very complicated looking, hahahaha, don't know when to quit (according to the SP)! I am "cutting back" on my flaking lately (only 5 flakes a night) and trying to get back to doing my "real life" artwork! I still need that daily "Flake Fix" though, so I'll just keep flaking til I stop!! ...Jackie :oD |
ThanX
Jackie :DDDDD You are right. We can give our secrets away because
our individual styles CAN'T be duplicated! ThanX VERY much for the
wonderful digital photos, they turned out splendidly! -X-
NAME: JACKIE MESSAGE: CUT |
 Have you caught up on your sleep yet?? LOL Well as you asked me to submit some stuff on one cuts!! I am Emailing as promised! Hmmmmmmmm where to begin? Usually on my one cuts, I start on the lower left corner, making cuts into the flake up the left side and down the right. (I usually do not cross any of my lines.) Then at the bottom right corner I draw under the triangle and connect my line where I started! Since I seldom can do a straight line, that's why I use curves and scrolls. They look softer anyways. I have started on other corners or parts of the flake. The middle edge of the flake will give you a smaller flake when you connect the ends of the line. I have also done one cut faces, animals, snowmen, angels etc. Those are always a challenge for me! LOL I did a search using my Name and "A NUTTY one cut!!" in the message box and came up with 130 results, although I have made many more one cuts than that LOL. Feel free to use any of them on your site if you would like! ( this is the # for the one you liked best, if you didn't save the # 1998689) Well I hope this helped!! Have a great day X!! :) Hugs, *NUTTY* SEARCH OUT NUTTY'S ONE CUTS! 
NAME: NUTTY MESSAGE: ONE CUT |
 Simplified directions for One cuts.... 1. go into the triangle at top ... 2. from start to finish never take finger off mouse and never leave triangle until the design is completed. 3.continue designing downward 4. when design is completed exit on the right side of triangle "only". (I don't know why...but this is the only way it works for me) 5. keeping finger on mouse maneuver outside triangle under it and upwards to exactly where you began design (remember this is "outside the triangle with your finger still on the mouse not releasing it) 6. connect to starting position inside triangle 7. release mouse - Finished Points to remember: When you leave the triangle do not go back in to add to design. Do not "erase" any left over lines or specks. Design must be perfect when you release mouse never entering triangle after that....It's what makes it a true "one cut". I have made a few mistakes and went back in to clean up and then realized that it was not truly a "one cut" if I did that. See # 2103976 You can "ride" the very inside edge of the triangle from inside it as you are designing to get from one "short distance" place to another, but you must be very careful doing this and not do it too often, I have deleted parts of the design by doing this, so practice a lot and eventually you will see what you can and cannot do with a one cut. You can tell when you see a flake open up on the flakes page if it is a one cut or not. Also MrX has a computer where he can tell if it is or not. You cannot fool MrX. A
few tricks:
Keep notes. I sometimes make a wonderful design and learn a few trix only to forget them next time I am designing a flake. People ask me how I did something and truly I cannot remember not even to redo the flake. The brain gets to overload LOL.... Practice,
practice, practice :)
NAME: RIA MESSAGE: ONE CUT |
As I mentioned above, my 1 cuts are limited in design (so far!) I shall show how I create them and you can see for yourself why they are soooo difficult to do! I don't make many, as they tend to "damage" my mouse hand, lol! The
Original "X" 1-Cut
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| As
you can see, One Cuts (and the way they are made), are as individual as
the flakers who make them. They can be blissfully easy, or painstakingly
difficult. It is really up to you and how much time you are willing
to spend on a flake that COULD turn out ugly, lol! Start with simple
designs and progress to more complicated ones as you "x"periment with different
strokes to see how they will come out.
Good
Luck & Have Fun~
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