Thou Shalt Not Steal…Borrow...but not steal

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“That guy stole my design!” Imagine those words coming out of your mouth. You’re walking around an art show and come across an artist making copies of your work, work that you spent years to design and perfect? Would you walk up to them and congratulate them for all of their hard work and effort.  Of course you wouldn’t. You’d probably be tempted to give them a stern talking to. No artist wants to ever be accused of copying a design. So how can you use elements of someone’s designs without copying it? The answer is – borrow… not steal.

 

On the market today there are a lot of step-by-step blogs, websites, books and magazines that teach you how to create different styles of jewelry – you happen to be reading one now. The point of these projects isn’t to show you how to mass produce that jewelry piece.  The intent is to show you how to utilize certain techniques to express your artistic vision. Think of it this way – what would you think if Picasso painted the same picture over and over only changing the colors? Would you think of him as a master? Of course you wouldn’t. He wouldn’t have been expressing his artistic vision. He would have been mass producing the same painting. When Picasso created his works of art he used the same techniques but in very different ways. This helped him to create something that was true genius. That’s what we want to do. We want to use various techniques to create true works of wearable art. How can this be done?

The first step is to identify the technique.  As you read the step- by- step instructions spend time identifying the various techniques that are being taught. Also note how the technique is being applied to the jewelry piece being made. What is the function of the technique? Is it used to add structure to the piece? Is it only used as a decorative element? By thinking along these lines you can get a better understanding on how you can use this in other jewelry pieces to create something new. It may even be a good idea to jot down techniques that you would like to use in a notebook.

Once you understand how the technique works, follow the step-by-step instructions and create the project. This will give you a working knowledge of the technique. It may be necessary to make the same piece a few times so that you have a good idea how it works. As you make the piece a second or third time, look for ways to make changes to the piece to make it your own. You can even look for ways to improve on the technique. Exploring new ways to use a technique has led many to discover new techniques. This is the evolving of our artistic talents.

Now that you have a good idea how the technique works, you need to find new ways to incorporate it into your designs. Pull out your sketchbook and start drawing designs that use that technique. Don’t worry about the design being practical, the idea here is to get the creative juices flowing so you can find a way to incorporate it. Once you settle on a design idea, create a few working drawings that detail how the piece goes together.

Sketch it Out

 

Finally, bring the drawing to life by making the piece. This can be challenging so remain calm and take your time. As you make this new piece keep notes on changes that need to be made in future pieces. As I am coming up with new designs I often have to refine the design before I put it down in writing. This is all a part of the design process.

Don’t limit the above learning method to just wire art techniques. A lot can be learned by looking at metalsmithing, goldsmithing, and beading techniques. Riveting, for instance, can be used in many ways to enhance your wire art. With the renewed popularity of copper, chemical etching of the metal can be used to add texture to a piece. There are various texturing methods that can be borrowed from other art forms that you can add to your “bag of tricks”. The key is to explore, learn, and try new techniques.

One more reason. A new trend that has been developing over the past few years is the influx of wire art tutorials. As wire artists we are always looking for new ways to create jewelry. This hunger for new designs has prompted many (myself included) to share their designs by writing and selling tutorials. The problem isn’t with writing the tutorials, it’s the plagiarism of the designs. I can personally point to at least four tutorials of the common ring (also known as the Pharaoh’s Ring) in a popular book, a popular magazine, a popular DVD, and a website. Each author of the tutorial has their own approach to creating the ring and that’s good. However, the way that the tutorials are written makes it seem as if the writer is the creator of that design – something that simply isn’t true. The common ring was designed by Tom Phalan and patented in 1948. This practice of artistic thievery must be stopped. As fellow artists I challenge each one of you to take a stand for our art. It’s up to each one of us individually to put a stop to it.

The Common Ring (Pharoah's Ring)

So the lesson is – if you’re going to write and sell a tutorial don’t steal. It’s better to borrow techniques and come up with something new. By doing this you’ll sell more tutorials and you’ll keep your artistic integrity intact.

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The Secrets of Annealing Revealed

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As many of you may know I personally hate using half hard wire. From my experience I’ve found it to be difficult to shape and brutal on my fingers. When I’m teaching students to create wire jewelry, I always recommend they use dead soft wire. Once the piece is completed they can then harden the piece. Many of my readers that are outside of North America have told me that they have a hard time finding dead soft wire from suppliers. I've also heard from others who tell me that they have a ton of left over half hard wire and want to know what to do with it.

It is possible to change half hard wire into dead soft. To do this the wire has to be annealed. Annealing is the process of heating metal to restore its malleability. When metal is hardened the space between the molecules are closer together. Heating the metal separates the molecules slightly making the metal malleable. The process sounds like a lot of work, but in reality it isn’t nearly as difficult as you may think.

Here are the steps to anneal half hard sterling silver into dead soft. It's a good idea to practice these steps on a small piece of scrap wire before you begin using it on wire intended for a project. Keep in mind that these instructions are only for Argentium and traditional Sterling Silver.

The Materials
Before we start heating up the metal we need to go over the materials needed for the annealing process. You’ll need the following – a soldering pad or brick, micro torch, flux, a small paint brush, pickle solution (See “Pickle? What’s Pickle”?), cross-locking soldering tweezers and a glass dish filled with water (Picture of the materials). Some of these materials may seem a bit foreign to you. Don’t worry they are all easy to use and easy to find from a jewelry supply company.

The Materials

The Annealing Process

Cut the wire to be annealed into the lengths that you plan to use it. With a small paint brush, brush flux on each piece of cut wire (Picture 1). 

Picture 1



Place the fluxed wires on a soldering pad putting a little space between each one (Picture 2).

Picture 2

Light your micro torch and apply the heat to the first wire (Picture 3).

Picture 3

Move the flame slowly back and forth over the wire to heat it evenly. As you heat you’ll notice that the flux will dry to a powder and then it will begin to liquefy. At the point where it liquefies remove the heat. Flux liquefies at approximately 1100 degrees Fahrenheit and that is the temperature that we want to bring the metal up to in order to properly anneal the silver. Another temperature indicator is the light red glow of the metal.  As the metal is heated it will begin to get a glow to it, soon after the red glow the flux will liquefy. Pick up the annealed wire with cross-locking soldering tweezers and place it in the water (Picture 4).

Picture 4

Continue annealing the remaining pieces of wire.

You’ll notice that the wire has a dull grey film on it. This is a residue left behind by the flux. To remove the residue, place the wire in a pickle solution (Picture 5).

 

Picture 5



Remove the wire strands from the pickle solution using copper tongs. Place the wire in water to remove the pickle solution. Your half hard wire is now dead soft. The only thing left to do is create a beautiful piece of jewelry.

Pickle? What’s Pickle?

Pickle is a mild acid that is used to remove flux residue from metal after it has been heated. It is shipped from the supplier in crystal form and is mixed with water by the artist.  The mixed pickle solution works best when warm and many have found it useful to store it in a slow cooker. When needed the slow cooker is turned to low so it can be sufficiently warmed. It’s important to note that this IS acid…it will burn your skin, so please follow all of the safety precautions listed on the product label.  

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If I Had a Hammer...

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The Wire Art Education Center

Now that I have that tune stuck in your head, let’s switch gears from 60’s folk music to swinging an actual hammer.  One of the most satisfying processes in creating jewelry is using a hammer to add texture and dimension to a piece. Taking out your frustrations on an innocent piece of metal can truly be gratifying. Many wire artists, however, shy away from wielding a hammer because it seems too intimidating. Many say, “What if I do it wrong?” or “what if I destroy my work?”.  Those are some valid fears. You can take all of the mystery and apprehension out of the equation by arming yourself with a lot of knowledge and a little guts.

Let’s first get up close and personal with the hammer. The hammer most often used in creating wire jewelry is a chasing hammer. When used in metal working this hammer is used with chasing tools to embed grooves or lines in metal. It’s also used in setting rivets, stamping, and other texturing processes. For the wire artist it’s used to flatten and texture wire. Looking at the tool you’ll notice that the head of the hammer has two sides, one that’s wide and somewhat flat, the other looks like a small knob. In brief, the wide flat side is used to shape and flatten wire. The small ball peen side is used to add golf ball-like texture to the surface of flattened wire. All chasing hammers look similar with a little variation in head size and weight. The weight of chasing hammers can range from 2 ½ to 6 ounces. Choosing a chasing hammer is a matter of personal preference. For the wire artists needs, a 3 or 4 ounce hammer will accomplish most jobs.

To successfully flatten and texture wire it requires resistance. To give the needed resistance the metal is placed on a thick piece of polished steel called a bench block. When the hammer strikes the metal the bench block causes firm resistance that allows the full power of the hammer to flatten the metal.  Without this resistance the power of the hammer blow would be ineffective. Bench blocks come in a variety of sizes from 2 ½ X 2 ½ inch square to 6 x 6 inch square. The bench block that you choose is entirely up to you.

 

Before we begin swinging a hammer it’s a good idea to go over a few points of safety.  It’s always a good idea to protect your eyes so be sure to put on safety glasses before hammering. It’s also important to avoid hitting your hand with the hammer. To properly flatten and texture a piece of wire, though, you’ll need to hold it securely in place. This puts your fingers at risk. So what can you do? It isn’t necessary to hammer the entire length of wire at the same time. Some of the wire can hang off the side of the bench block. This gives you something to hold as you hammer. When one section is complete, turn the wire around and hold the newly hammered section while finishing the process.

Keep Your Fingers Out of the Way



Now that we have a basic understanding of the hammer, bench block and safety rules we can have a look at using the hammer. We’ll begin with flattening wire. Place a 3 inch (7 cm) piece of scrap 18 gauge wire on your bench block – a larger gauge can be used. Using a chasing hammer, strike one end of the metal until it flattens (Picture 1).

Picture 1

 

Continue this action down the length of the wire (Picture 2). You’ll notice that the flattened piece of wire isn’t perfectly square. As you hammered, the metal was stretched in several directions causing odd lumps on the sides of the wire.
 

Picture 2

This is easy to fix. Set the wire on its side and tap it with your hammer to square it back up (Picture 3).

Picture 3

 

Now that the wire’s flat we can add some texture to it. Using the flattened wire, place it back on your bench block. Turn your chasing hammer around so the ball peen end is pointing towards your work surface. Now tap on the flattened wire in a random pattern with the ball peen head (Picture 4). It’s good to tap a little then review your work. Continue tapping the metal until you’re satisfied with the results.

Notice the pattern that it gives the wire. Those little divots will reflect the light in such a way that it gives the piece a sparkle.  

Finished

See that wasn’t as bad as you thought. Using a chasing hammer isn’t scary or mysterious if you understand a little about it. Adding texture in this way will not only add depth to your work, it’ll also give life to your creativity.  

 

'til Next Week 

Jim McIntosh
The Wire Art Education Center
http://www.wirearted.com

 

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