Designing Jewellery

[CJ57]

I think I had the drawing part bored out of me! In our first year at ECA we were taken out drawing a lot and I vividly remember being taken to the museum to draw machinery and make the moving parts look as if they were moving in the drawing. I couldn't get my head round it at all. When I plumped for jewellery in my 2nd year we had a whole day a week devoted to natural drawing and design. I do get the point and I'm capable of doing quite technical drawings but because I wanted to be doing things with my hands I found it hard. Is that the wrong side of the brain, I understand the hands on process rather than the following diagrams? I can transfer it to metal better than to paper

[Wendy Moriarty]

This is really interesting,
in college we had to produce a min of 10 designs for every one we were going to make, and we had specifics like 'cubism inspired valentines broach' to follow and we had to do primary and secondary research, and picture boards (I hated those the most), mind maps and lists, which was all new to me, I found it quite difficult sometimes, but I learned so much, and I'm sure it would be great use for commission work and it stretches you design wise, but I'm not naturally much of a sketcher, I do small quick sketches (on a post it note pad) to get an idea down before I forget it, and I've learned it's much more practical to sketch design first and iron out flaws, but I often just go straight to work on the metal, I think it is because I'm not very good at sketching and am not able to produce a drawing that matches the mental image, but am able to produce a piece of jewellery that does match my mental image. Also even when I have sketched a design it usually changes during the actual making, so for me I think working with the metal is part of my design process, and I get inspiration as I am working with the metal

[silver70]

This is interesting - I have dabbled in jewellery making for a while now but am moving my interest from beads to silversmithing most recently and design work. I am starting a course in September for silversmithing and I am a little worried about my drawing skills. I did a project to be accepted on the course and they said it was fine but I am well aware that my drawing skills are naive! I can design and design in my head constantly but am a little tense that I won't be able to get it onto paper as my "art" skills do not match my creativity in my head or jewellery making knowledge. Anyone who has done a course - how important is it that you can "draw" and any advice on how to make sure I can?! I have a few books to try and teach me but is drawing part of the course - do they "teach" you to do jewellery drawing and drawing on these courses or are you expected to be able to be at a good standard before you go? Thanks.

[EmmaC]

Such interesting responses, thank you! I have this anorack like interest in how creative people go about things, a bit like when you get a peek into another artists studio, always very interesting! Total respect to anyone who goes straight onto metal. I'm like a driver who needs both a map and a sat nav!

silver70
This is interesting - I have dabbled in jewellery making for a while now but am moving my interest from beads to silversmithing most recently and design work. I am starting a course in September for silversmithing and I am a little worried about my drawing skills. I did a project to be accepted on the course and they said it was fine but I am well aware that my drawing skills are naive! I can design and design in my head constantly but am a little tense that I won't be able to get it onto paper as my "art" skills do not match my creativity in my head or jewellery making knowledge. Anyone who has done a course - how important is it that you can "draw" and any advice on how to make sure I can?! I have a few books to try and teach me but is drawing part of the course - do they "teach" you to do jewellery drawing and drawing on these courses or are you expected to be able to be at a good standard before you go? Thanks

I haven't been on a jewellery course, however I would say don't worry about your drawing. A lot of artists will have you believe it's some magical and mystical thing. It isn't, a lot of it's down to practise and learning to really look. Looking is probably the hardest bit. I don't feel I really know anything properly until I've drawn it. In the summer a lot of places run short drawing courses if you're really worried. Doodling and sketching is a good place to start, just don't be judgemental, and don't show anyone. Showing someone my sketchbooks would in my mind be akin to showing them my knickers, because it's the only place I draw in a really free non self concious manner, to practise or get down ideas, without the intention of producing something finished

[silver70]

Thanks Emma! I am starting to practice with my books so hopefully I will be able to draw enough to get me through what I need to. I have just been using a4 at the moment - I have sketchbooks but don't feel good enough to commit to real books at the moment.

[CJ57]

We were made in our first drawing classes to draw with charcoal or chalk, really free sweeping stuff big sheets of paper just to get your eye in for shapes and movement and make you look at things. As I don't draw much now I did some of that a few weeks ago and I quite enjoyed it. A roll of wallpaper lining paper is cheap and you can tear it of as needed, just draw what you see. Don't worry about detail and design. As Emma says it's opening yourself up to what's around you. Carry a notebook in your bag and doodle buildings , people anything when you are out and about.

[silver70]

Thanks caroline! Good advice!

[Tabby66]

I always have a sketch book and pencils with me!!!!

Sometimes, I just capture ideas in the briefest detail, but enough to jog my memory, sometimes I do more detailed sketches, or play around with a sketch or parts of it. I do tend to sketch a detailed design if it is needed, and I will increase or decrease the size on the photocopier. I trace a final copy and transfer this to the metal with a scribe, so that I have a permanent line to work to.

If the design is using a stone, I make sure that is drawn to size, with allowance for the setting and then the rest of the design is drawn to scale around the stone. If doing bespoke commissions for customers, I ensure that the produced piece can be lain exactly over the original, agreed design,......reduces need for debate!!

For rings, settings, fractions of mm's can matter, then it's down to callipers, rulers, vernier,....an awful lot of careful marking out, measuring checking, rechecking....

If I'm going somewhere of interest, I often take a camera with me, to capture images quickly to potentially use in designs at a later date......

(Very interesting thread!!)

[Spectra]

I tend to trace and use a scribe too Tabby.I seem to pierce much better,straighter and accurately that way,as opposed to when sticking a design to the sheet

[Wendy Moriarty]

The course I did was a 2 year btec and covered design, we did have some lessons and exercises in sketching, some fun, some hard. I have to say my lack of drawing ability didn't hinder me, just embarrassed me, and I never felt judged on my sketching ability only my designs, I think as long as your design can be understood and envisaged you will be fine. We did have to produce some working drawings which have to be exact size and dimensions and shown from front, back, side, top, these are my least favourite, but even I managed to produce one set I'd be proud to show.(a working drawing holds all the information needed to make an exact other piece) I loved my time at college and I was the oldest in our class, some of the research and written work was a bit of a shock to the system at first, I had been a mum for so long and not done any studying for 15 or more years (I did English and maths at an open learning centre when my kids were babies, because they had a free crèche, 3 babies in 3 years I would have studied anything just for the break)would love to do more courses but can't afford to at the present. Good luck I'm sure you will love your course
Wendy