Planning what you make

[Rick Barter]

I wonder how everyone decides what they want to make and how you design or plan it.

I find myself doodling a lot of scrolls and s hook shapes, but nothing comes together into a nice design. It seems I either lack imagination or am unaware of what I want to make.

If I did happen upon and idea of what I wanted to make, I'm not sure how to go about drawing it and setting to work making it real.

Can anyone help this imagination starved smith?

rvb

[frogvalley]

In the past I have simply gone to the internet and downloaded a hundred different images of things that I liked. Then I simply went to the forge and worked and hammered and hammered and then hammered some more. Then after making a few things I refined that Idea after looking at it for a day or two to nit pick it. Back to the forge again , hammer hammer, etc. and then into production. My own interpretation of a simple form.

Now larger art pieces come to my head at night while attempting to sleep. Or some crazy and inspired client says "can you make this...whatever..?" And I say sure. If its a big job requiring a" bid " or proposal then perhaps a drawing to show a concept but not a finished form. And thats only if its a really big job, over a couple of grand or so. But even then its hammer hammer hammer, refine, hammer hammer and then sell or install. The art part of artist comes only at the actual inception or creation point. I am not a pencil artist, I am a metal artist. The metal must flow.

On all the small stuff , I don't draw anything until after the first one is refined. That way the drawing is actually right and reflects what looks good in iron, not what looks good on paper.

Almost all of my current work is done in my head and does not see paper until after its finished.

[lefthand forge]

Hi Rick. For me, one of the best ways I've found to train myself to think creatively is to take a particular technique and sketch all the variations of it I can think of even the really weird stuff I don't think I can do, or don't think will actually work. This does three things for me, It narrows down my focus from trying to create a whole masterpiece in one bite,It forces me to visualize in 3D what I'm trying to do, and it hopefully increases my nonexistant drawing skills through sheer bloodyminded practice.
I also read lots of books on design, color, art. Whatever I think I can translate to my medium. Not because I use all of it, or even agree with a lot of it. But because it's interesting to see what other people think art is.

P.S. This was a technique I read about in one of the blacksmithing books. Not my own Idea.


Hope this helps
John

[Ten Hammers]

Normally, I just see it in my head and do it. Take notes. Write down measurements and stock sizes ( even if it's in chalk on the trailer wall at a rondy ). Never know, someone may be watching this year and want one next year.

[Mr Smith]

I have a sketchpad (approx A5 size)

Anything I think of, or make, or see in a book or magazine, gets sketched into the book. I'll go back when I'm done and add little comments, pointers for next time.
I regard it as a way of "thinking out loud"

[HWooldridge]

Rick,

I feel your pain. I've always said that I can make anything that someone else designs but I have a lot of trouble pulling something out of the blue. That must be why good designers are so well paid...

It helps me to have a lot of books at my disposal for reviewing both old and contemporary work. If a customer wants a lamp stand, I can look at Renaissance pieces, or 18th colonial, or Francis Whitaker, or Albert Paley, etc, etc, and get a sense of something that will be my design and not a knock-off of another artist. I can tell you that it gets easier with time and practice so some things will start coming faster and with less effort.

For small pieces, I work like Ten Hammers if making a 'one-off' and like him, I record stock sizes in case I have to repeat it. I also do some production pieces, so those are designed with speed in mind. Almost everything is sketched, however briefly, on one of my 4x8 layout tables in chalk. Makes it easy to forge the piece and compare to the concept. In many cases, I also make an extra item and keep it as a "last article" so it can be compared to the next run.

[primtechsmith]

I draw a lot too. For me I try and draw out the basic form of the piece. I heard a fellow smith say that you need to be able to draw out the silhouette of what you want to make. I can not draw to save my life but the more I do it the more okay it becomes. For me the actual drawing of the piece helps me visualize the steps needed to create the desired look, than to want to put a frame around it and hang it on a wall. I also take lots of photos of things I think are cool, and try to use those as my drawings.

Now if I could only forge as much as I draw...

Peyton

[Nick]

I sketch things out, but I can't draw very well. I'm much better when I actually start making something in 3-D. So I'll sketch, and I'll make lists, and I'll look through my inspiration file if I need an idea, but I tend to refine everything at 2000 degrees.

[Rick Barter]

Thanks for the replies, everyone! It helps. Keep 'em coming. I love to hear about what other people are doing.

HWooldridge: you mention that you look up stuff in books. How do I find books for certain periods (e.g., german, french, english ironwork or period stuff like gothic, french gothic, baroque, etc.)?

Ten Hammers and Mr Smith: do you start off noting the stock you're beginning with and how far back you'll start a taper? Stuff like that?

[rthibeau]

I'll sketch out a diagram to get the initial form down, but it's at the forge where it's really decided. Some days the metal almost forms itself and I just go with it. I'll photograph the end product for future reference.

[Mr Smith]

G'day all!

Rick: Usually, I'll sketch out a rough diagram - I'll try to estimate what size of stock I need, but it's generally a case of whatever's in the rack, so I only really write down a rough estimate.

As for scrolls, etc, I have trouble estimating how much to allow for a given scroll, so I usually just say "scroll the last 2 inches." I find that easier to work out with regard to measurement.

Hope this helps - I can post a few scans as examples, if you like (and if I can work out how to do it)

[Rick Barter]

If you could post a few examples, that would be great!

[JerryCarroll]

My wife get's several magazines--catalogs in the mail with lots of iron works from all over. If you need to copy or do your own version of some of the stuff the pictures are usually very clear with measurements stated for the overall size. She got started with the "Country Living" mag. and sent for some of the catalogs listed in the back.

[lefthand forge]

Rick. Check dover press. I belive they are the ones who carry a whole line of books like that.


Hope this helps
John

[HWooldridge]

Rick,

Centaur Forge (and probably Amazon) has a lot of wrought iron books for various periods. Here are a few in my library that I can see from the computer:

Treasury of Ironwork Designs by Grafton
Early American Wrought Iron by Sonn
Colonial Wrought Iron by Plummer

I also have all of the books by Otto Schmirler and the COSIRA publications.

PS - I forgot to add that Dona Meilach's books are also outstanding.


Mr. Smith from Perth,

I actually have a method that works reasonably well on scrolls. I draw the scroll on the table until it's satisfactory to my eye then measure the length with a seamstress tape measure - my wife is a quilter so there are a few lying about the house. A seamstress tape is made from cloth or plastic and easily conforms to the shape of the scroll. If there is a taper or other element involved on one or both ends, I estimate the amount of material needed and go to forging. On most scrolls, the ends are completed and the body bent cold with forks so it's easy to 'tweak' if the finished piece is a little too big or small - but it's pretty close in most cases.

[Ten Hammers]

OK rick, here goes. I sometimes think of things while driving, sleeping ( in dreams) or just settin thinkin about an upcoming event. Many things never get built. I DO build some new stuff from time to time. I will note that if you build something new, either keep a sample of the item or KNOW where the item went and have the ability to go see it for future reference. In notes, I will write stock size and any of the following ( just as examples ):

Draw to one hammer face taper and pigtail.

Upset and punch hole about 2 fingers from the end.

Similar to Kieths Dinner Bell.

3/8 square, hot cut or hacksaw/either works fine.

I guess what I'm tryin to say is, by association of past things built or mebbe by comparing to another smiths work, I can hopefully remember. I STILL have notes with measurements for Celtic Crosses in the back of a notebook in the trailer. I wish to thank Glenn Conner for the I-Forge demo several years ago. Sometimes one item brings out a "Line Extension"of another item ( just bigger fork or spoon or smaller or whatever). Of course custom built items I DO take good notes and mebbe a drawing. I have a spirol notebook for these specific deals and I date the note and customers name. Keep track of your tooling and write down what builds what. I use a paint pen to write on tooling ( scrollers s-1 through s-9 example ). I hope this ramble helps.

[mike-hr]

Sketching-- I'm very un-gifted at designing things on paper. At a hammer-in this spring, John Emmerling and Tom Dudkowski brought a nifty easel that uses a roll of butcher paper that feeds over a piece of plywood. Tom said he tries to draw something every morning, a bird, flower, pair of tongs, whatever. He uses a lump of charcoal to draw with. I tried it, charcoal is awesome. You can sketch a half inch wide line or a thin detail and smudge a shadow with your thumb. Try it!

[Woody]

I begin my designs by making random sketches on a pad of paper. Once I have a design that I am pleased with, I draw it to scale on graph paper. That allows me to see if everything fits together in the proper manner. The graph paper also makes it easier to draw patterns out and the scale drawing allows you to accurately estimate the amount of material needed. When I am ready to start construction, I make a full sized drawing on a piece of card board, or a sheet of wrapping paper taped to the garage floor for larger projects. For one of a kind objects, I use a full sized drawing in chalk on the garage floor.

Woody

[Mr Smith]

Okay - here goes.

Apologies for the picture quality - you may be able to make out what I've written, maybe not. My scanner won't play ball, so I had to use the camera.

Thanks for the tip, Ten Hammers

[Jeremiah]

Myself, when I get an idea (no request/commisions yet) I start with the basic layout of the piece to scale, I then break it up into smaller sections and sketch many different variations, like lefthand forge I like to put them all down, even the wild and wierd this allows me to put togther many different combinations until I settle for one that I like. By drawing to scale I can approximate my material, which for me is gravy on tha' biscuts:). I just recently started doing this and have not yet completed any, so I guess I will see how well this works for me.