I would bet the bottom one was an earlier attempt than the top one. Scroll work not all that bad on the top one, but not perfect. Actually I fault him more for the crude scrolls incorporated into the checkering panels than for his engraving. Said scrolls would have been improved with a little shallow scalloping/shading as well as better proportioning. Let's hope he got better after this with his animals, too. But, as stated before overall not terrible (if it was a first or second attempt), and at least he was doing it and not talking about it.
