Jewellery Drawing Techniques

[becks3636]

Hello, I'm hoping to get some advice on drawing jewellery. I'm trying to find a way of drawing fairly accurately wire filigree jewellery. I've tried sketching but I'm struggling with symmetry. I'm thinking of drawing using gauche and black paper as well to try and draw to create a silver effect as black lines on white paper is a bit hard to visualise. But I'd love to hear any thoughts or ideas?

[gingercandyflossgirl]

I like to use a water soluble pencil, as i can draw the outside of the line, wet the brush a little and push out a dark shadowed background behind the line (effectively you are drawing the background and the jewellery that appears is a bonus!). This way the silver is white paper and detail can be added with a hard pencil. For complicated symetrical type drawings like chain or fine wirework I also like using photos of other bits of work (real chain or wirework) and drawings, in photoshop and painshop pro. I can adjust the images (copying and pasting sections) and print, and then draw back into them. hope this is helpful.

[Dennis]

Symmetry can be achieved by folding the paper in half and drawing one half of the image. Then add a mirror image.

A simple way to add a mirror image is to place it still folded on an artists light box, turn it over and trace the other half.

Alternatively, you can make two copies of the half drawing on acetate, assemble them by turning one over to make a whole and then printing from that.

As you see, a light box and a photocopier are useful tools. The copier will also give you a preview of various sizes, prior to making a piece. Dennis.