Design for Jewellery Makers: Inspiration, development and creation
Description
A practical hands-on resource for intermediate and professional jewelry makers, as well as those attending jewelry-making courses and who have taken up jewelry making as a hobby.
Containing expert guidance on design and the design process it includes more than 30 inspiring step-by-step project briefs and themes for readers to use as a base for developing their own ideas.
Also included are examples of jewelry pieces by contemporary designers, sourced by the author, as well as the author’s own illustrations. Following the introduction, the book includes an overview of the design process and the fundamentals of jewelry design, followed by practical guidance on making space, making time and managing your expectations.
Also included are chapters on:
- Practical considerations: everything you need to know in order to design functional jewelry, such as how thick to make an ear wire and how long a necklace should be. It also include information on surface treatments and finishes, allergies and toxic materials.
- Design methods and techniques including sketching and making paper or clay models.
- Design project briefs: structured into 4 categories – ideas led by typical beginner’s jewelry-making techniques; material-led projects (experimenting with a range of materials and letting the designs emerge through the process); themed briefs (e.g. movement, animal symbolism, the seasons, family, labyrinth, fantasy); and open briefs for more experienced designer-makers.
- Q&A interviews with contemporary designers.
Praise for Design for Jewellery Makers: Inspiration, development and creation
Library Journal
"Award-winning jewelry designer Seijen ten Hoorn’s book is a visual feast that will likely appeal to all creatives. The author has a master’s degree in jewelry and metalwork, and she generously shares her training. The book’s helpful index directs readers to a massive number of topics—sketching, model making, mold making, saw piercing, surface finishing, press forming, and more—for all kinds of jewelry. Readers are treated to a taste of each topic. There are also lists of resources that creatives can explore in greater depth. In addition to rings, pendants, brooches, cuffs, bracelets, and necklaces, there are explanations and descriptions of many contemporary earring styles (e.g., ear climbers and huggies) that a youthful crowd will likely appreciate. Throughout the book, there are valuable tips designed to generate ideas. The author encourages artists to arrange, tinker, and play with materials by using mood boards, sketchbooks, and inexpensive models.VERDICT A comprehensive overview of jewelry design that also offers creative exercises for aspiring artists."