- Details
- Parent Category: Projects from Journal Back Copies
- Category: Projects 1999
Kathleen Kay
Using copper shapes from the enamel supplies catalogue
There are many enamellers who prefer to buy copper shapes rather than cut their own designs from sheet metal, so, for beginners, I want to make some suggestions to encourage a little forethought and decision making rather than random use of shapes.
We all have personal preferences - we can't please everyone - and no simple set of rules makes a shape a good or bad choice. As the most successful designs are usually planned, what we can do is to first give thought to the effect or design we want to achieve, then consider the choice of copper shape, together with our ideas for the surface pattern.
The saying ' Form follows function' is an old one, but it's obviously important that our choices must work together physically. For example, it's mainly logic that tells us if a shape is suitable for a brooch - a pin positioned so that the piece 'sits' nicely; no sharp edges to spoil a garment or hurt a child; if the size and shape are what we want then we should go for it.