Forms And Surfaces

After getting to know about the elements of design, the very next step is to understand the various metal forms and surfaces. An understanding of this subject will give your conceptualization an interesting edge.

I have an exercise for my readers to do… Take a few pieces of jewelry available with you and try to observe these pieces. While making an observation try and look for the following things-       

• Is your piece of jewelry absolutely flat?
• If yes, then how appealing it is to you? 
• Look for a piece that has a little bit of a dome or a curved effect. Or something that has a combination of flat and dome.
• Try and judge what seems to be more captivating.

Through this exercise what I intend to convey is that, while designing jewelry we need to use different forms to increase the appeal quotient of an ornament. A piece of jewelry that uses a couple of forms will definitely be more alluring than a flat piece of jewelry. One also has to understand that there is a lot of jewelry made with a flat form, depending on the kind of product being dealt with. For example wedding bands are usually fashioned in a flat form. And a lot depends on the demand of one’s clients.

FLAT SURFACE USED FOR WEDDING BANDS

There are different kinds of forms and surfaces that we can work with. To make it easily understandable I have tried to broadly divide them in the following categories-

I have illustrated the following forms. For a clear understanding it is very essential to know how light falls on these forms and surfaces. In all my illustrations I am assuming the light source to be top left, which is marked with an arrow. The dark shades indicate the areas where lesser light is falling on the object and vice versa. This will always help you in rendering which in return will make your design communicate well with the viewer and the craftsmen.

1.FLAT :A flat surface can be defined as an even or smooth plane with no depth, curve or tilt.

FLAT SURFACE

 2.DOME/CURVE: A curved object usually has a bent or a raised, smooth surface.

CURVED SURFACE

3.KNIFE- EDGE: This surface is marked by a very sharp and fine edge, like that of a wedge on which the

 plank of a see saw balances or oscillates.

KNIFE-EDGE SURFACE

4. SPHERE: .Sphere is perfectly round, three dimensional representation of a circle

SPHERE

5.    CONCAVE: This can be defined as a curved surface, like the interior of a hollow sphere.

CONCAVE SURFACE

6.CONE:  it is a three dimensional shape that has a round base and one vertex. It tapers evenly from the base to the vertex.

CONICAL SURFACE

Another aspect which I would like to touch upon here is that do not restrain your -self from using these forms in combination. Forms can produce remarkable results and can take your design to a new high.

USE OF FORMS TO CREATE JEWELRY
(CURVED SURFACE AND SPHERES)

There is a tip I would like to share with you. Whenever you are trying to develop a form or a complicated design, use a clay model (play dough) to make it. Shape the clay with your hands to give it the desired form. 

Also when you give a model like this to your craftsmen it is very easy for them to understand your design and for them to replicate it.

  You can develop your own interesting and unique forms and work with them. So, let your imaginative side take over and make best use of these forms.

  

Elements Of Design

1)     What Is Jewelry Design?

Jewelry design can be defined as an art which involves conceiving a design, developing and rendering it to create pieces of adornment. It can also be defined as a process of laying gems and metals in an alluring manner to develop a piece of jewelry.

Designing is based on several concepts and basic principles &elements. These elements are the most important factor when it comes to design as these elements help you in expressing the conceived idea into a tangible object.

There are six basic elements:

·         Line

·         Texture

·         Mass

·         Shape

·         Space

·         Color

Line:

Line is the most basic element of design. It can be defined as an extension of point or an element that marks the span between two points. Line also serves as a very versatile element since it can be both two dimensional and three dimensional. For example- When a line is drawn on a paper it is two dimensional. But it can be three dimensional when used as a wire or when you are viewing it as the side of a cube.

[USE OF LINES TO CREATE 3 DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS]

Also, lines can produce different effects when drawn in different manners.

Example- bold lines can create a very powerful impact whereas smooth or curved lines are capable of creating a very soft and smooth effect.

BOLD LINES

CURVED LINES

Even the pattern in which lines are drawn can have a very different impact. When lines are drawn in a soft n flowing pattern they denote rhythm and movement whereas, lines drawn in a zigzag pattern denote sharpness and alternating directions.

SOFT AND FLOWING PATTERS

ZIGZAG PATTERN

    

Texture:

Texture can be defined as the visual and tactile quality of surface. In simple words it can be defined as the ‘feel’ and the visual appeal of a substance. Textures can range from being grainy to rough to smooth and silky to being slimy. In jewelry textures are very important to create that visual appeal.

 

EN-GRAINED TEXTURE 

   

GRAINY TEXTURE

                              

 Various textures like stamping, hammering and filing are created to enhance the look of the ornament.

TEXTURES IN JEWELRY

GRAINY AND FILED TEXTURES

Mass:

 Mass is the measure of matter in an object. In other words, mass is used to describe the weight and size of an object. As we all know weight is a factor which is extremely important when it comes to jewelry .Whether you are designing, manufacturing or selling. Your design should not over weigh considering the comfort and cost factors. Even while manufacturing you should always consider making jewelry with techniques which will help you eliminate excess use of metal. And from buyers point of view weight will always be one of the major considerations for the obvious reason.

Shape:

Shape defines the form or marks the outline or contours of an object. Though shapes are two dimensional they plan an important role in the art of jewelry making. A well-defined shape makes a piece of jewelry a lot more alluring. Whereas, abstract shapes provide unconventional looks to an ornament. But abstract designs must have an interesting form otherwise it can ruin the look of jewelry.

ABSTRACT DESIGN

WELL DEFINED DESIGN

Space:

Space is the area around and within an object. Space can be both ‘positive’ & ‘negative’. Positive space is the area where the space has been taken up and negative space is the space that has been left out. Concept of space when applied to jewelry can produce interesting results. Positive space definitely beautifies the ornament but sometimes negative spaces inside a form can further beautify it. As negative spaces allow light to pass through, the metal and the gems sparkle even more. So, when a designer uses negative and positive spaces in balance it can produce remarkable results.

 NEGATIVE SPACE

POSITIVE SPACE

Color:

Color is a very wide concept which is based on the principle of selective absorption. Color has three main properties-

·         Hue-

Hue is basically the first impression of a color or basically the light reflected back to the eye. In other words hue is the name given to a color, say – red, green, blue etc.

·         Tone/Value-

Tone usually refers to the ‘lightness’ or ‘darkness’ of color.

·         Saturation

Saturation means strength of a color. It defines whether the color looks vivid and bright or pale and washed out.

In jewelry color is a dominant factor. Undoubtedly gemstones provide us with a huge array of colors and even though diamonds are colorless their internal fire or dispersion makes them so desirable.  Nowadays gold is also available in a huge variety of colors.

Colors should be used in balance for jewelry so that they do not overpower the ornament. 

                     

To conclude , I would say these elements form the very base of jewelry design and it is very important to be well versed with them. But at the same time you should use not be considering all of them for one design. Use the ones which suit your perceived ideas to make it better.

These elements are similar to cooking ingredients, you cannot use all of them in a dish but you have to carefully select from what you have to make a lip smacking meal!!!