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I am seeing "twig-like" rings becoming regular and I have a great idea to use this look, but I can't seem to get the look right.
Could anyone give any advice on how they create the branch effect for a ring - is it a mould, or freehand? I am self taught in everything but can't seem to find any books or sites with this technique.
I've attached an image of a similar look I'm going for which I have found in a store.
thanks
Don't know how that one was done, but I should experiment in silver first.
It might have been carved in wax, or acrylic sheet and then cast.
Personally I would carve it from wire, using burrs and then form the ring and add a twig and some claws. Start it using about 6.0cm of 2mm round wire and a cross cut cone burr, such as Cookson 979 054. If the result is too crisp, reticulate the surface by playing a small flame over it until the surface just melts and crinkles.
You will go through several pieces of wire and other types of burrs before you are satisfied, but the result can then be fairly described as your own version. Dennis
You can actually cast a twig. If you would need to find a suitable one and shape it to a ring shape then invest it when because its organic it would be burnt out leaving a void that can be filled with metal. The claws could be added with wire later
I did try to make one in cad a while back but it wasnt that clever you cant beat mother nature
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E5EobWV5eQ
I did think later as a low tech idea, that if you soaked a piece of twig, shaped it to size around a ring stick and tied it with thread or the thin wire from a bunch of saw blades, you could press it into cuttlefish and cast a shank.
It would certainly have a rustic look. There are several tutorials about cuttlefish on U-Tube. Dennis.
Using cuttlefish to cast, would it be possible to just cast the twig as it is, and then aneal and bend to ring shape afterwards in the same way as you would make one normally from wire/sheet? Or do cast items behave differently?
Yes good idea it would be possible
If I was going to make it, I think I would carve the twig shank in wax, then solder on the wires after casting.
I think the easiest way would be to find some lovely looking twigs and send them to a casters and then shape it afterward. I know a few people on Etsy sell plain cast silver twigs to be used/shaped how you like.
the other alternative is electroforming
Im just in the middle of this now.
I picked some suitable twigs and cast them in Delft clay.
The silver has worked out fine, currently still trying to persuade the white gold to flow to the end ......
In any case I agree with Josef, you can't beat nature so if you want an authentic look you need to use the real thing.
I actually experimented the other day with a heart burr and ran it long ways across a shank and created a "bark" look. It's actually quite effective!