DESIGNING with THE LINE - The Basics - STRAIGHT LINE, "V" LINE, CURVED LINE, & "S" LINE

DESIGNING with THE LINE

The Basics

STRAIGHT LINE, "V" LINE, CURVED LINE, & "S" LINE

This start up tutorial on the line is going to be presented in the bracelet format.

The photos attached to this segment are a step by step presentation on how to state layout of the simple linked bracelets in its many forms.

Using your imagination will expand once you understand the concept of the bracelet layout.

Here are the simple lines we will follow.

This explanation of the bracelet layout is in a simple one line form.

Lets make the master line first that the bracelet links will be laid out on. Below is the line we will use. Note the dots at each end. The measurement is 190mm long from the dot at the top to the dot at the bottom. I have also marked the center by folding the tracing paper in the middle of the line.

Next, let's look at the lines we will be placing on this 190mm long line.

The 4 short layouts were drawn out very quickly to get a feeling of the direction I wanted to use. These are all flexible links in a single line layout and will develop into more substantial concepts later in this tutorial. End clasps will be discussed later as we go forward with these designs.

Lets get started on the clean art work.

Layout each line and the round connectors first. Below are two examples of these layouts in thin line art work.

One thing I would like to explain is that the breakdown of this bracelet is in 4 major sections connected by round floaters that are connected on each side by the long straight bars. The next 2 drawings are of the remaining 2 concepts. The "V" and the "Curved line"drawings. As I was drawing these last two designs I was aware that I should mention how I transfer my designs to paper when the computer and scanner are not available.

Here is what I do using my fingernail as a burnisher.

Here you see the Curved line and the V line . These were mentioned above.

All four we used in the 4 segment layouts and will have to have side views.*

Because the links are long they have an arc. This high arc causes a reduction in its overall length but is given an added measurement in the height of the arc which makes up for the apparent shortness of the bracelet. 

In this layout I will be talking about bracelets and how the bracelet will fit the wrist in its proper length.

I wanted to mention something about how I use my pencil and in the video clip I can demonstrate what I mean by " short strokes ".

So in this short stroke video clip you see how I use the short stroke and that the eye and hand work very well together with a little practice. Tracing exercises are very good to get your hand working in the way it should. In classes I taught people to take some pictures to trace around and to put those first tracings in an envelope and to seal them then for only 15 minutes a day to trace things. After about one week of only 15 minutes of tracing exercises then open the envelope and compare the first tracing with the latest tracing ; there will be a big difference.

That's it for today, we will continue to the next chapter ... The curve line ... next week