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.

For More Jewelry Tips, Information and Projects, Visit Us Online

http://www.wirearted.com