Industrial Arts Design Part 26

Rule 10a. _Designs in precious metals should call for the minimum amount of metal necessary to express the idea of the designer for two reasons: (1) good taste; (2) economy of material._

Rule 10b. _Contour and surface enrichment should never appear to compete for attention in the same design._

Rule 10c. _Parts of a design differing in function should differ in appearance but be co-ordinated with the entire design._

Rule 10d. _Surface enrichment should at some point parallel the contours of both primary ma.s.s and point of concentration, especially whenever the latter is a stone or enamel._

Rule 10e. _In the presence of either stone or enamel as a point of concentration, surface enrichment should be regarded as an un.o.btrusive setting, or background._

Rule 10f. _Stone or enamel used as a point of concentration should form contrast with the metal, either in color, brilliancy, or value, or all three combined._

Rule 10g. _The inceptive axis should pa.s.s through and coincide with one axis of a stone, and at the same time be sympathetically related to the structure._

Rule 10h. _The position of the inceptive axis should be determined by (1) use of the project as ring, pendant, or bar pin, (2) character of the primary ma.s.s as either vertical or horizontal in proportion._

Rule 10i. _Caution should be exercised with regard to the use of enamel. Over-decoration by this material tends to cheapen both process and design._

[Ill.u.s.tration: RULES 10 A TO M: SURFACE ENRICHMENT OF SMALL FLAT PLANES OF PRECIOUS METAL

{IA} INCEPTIVE AXIS

INSTRUCTION SHEET

PENDANTS, RINGS AND FOBS IN SLIVER

DESIGNED BY MISS GERTRUDE EVANS

U. OF W.

PLATE 57]

Rule 10j. _All surface enrichment should have an appearance of compactness or unity. Pierced spots or areas should be so used as to avoid the appearance of having been scattered on the surface without thought to their coherence._

Rule 10k. _Built, carved, and chased enrichment should have the higher planes near the point of concentration. It is well to have the stone as the highest point above the primary ma.s.s.

When using this form of enrichment the stone should never appear to rise abruptly from the primary ma.s.s, but should be approached by a series of rising planes._

Rule 10l. _The lanes or margins between enameled spots should be narrower than the lane or margin between the enamel and the contour of the primary ma.s.s._

Rule 10m. _Transparent and opaque stones or enamel should not be used in the same design._

Postulate.--_The design should conform to the limitations and requirements of tools, processes, and materials, and should be durable and suitable for service._

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What is often used as a point of concentration in the surface enrichment of precious metals? Why?

2. State direction of the inceptive axis for problems similar to: (_a_) tie pins, (_b_) pendants, (_c_) fobs, (_d_) rings, (_e_) bar pins? Why? Under what grouping of planes may they be placed?

3. State the relation between the point of concentration and the inceptive axis.

4. Give three steps in the design evolution of surface enrichment for small flat planes.

5. Describe briefly eleven decorative processes for the surface enrichment of precious metals with the technical rendering of each.

6. Ill.u.s.trate examples of dependent contour and dependent surface enrichment of precious metals.

7. Where should a stone in a design similar to a pin or brooch be placed with reference to the inceptive axis and the geometric center of the primary ma.s.s?

8. Ill.u.s.trate manner of planning primary ma.s.s, inceptive axis, point of concentration, contour, and surface enrichment of: (_a_) pins, (_b_) fobs, (_c_) rings, (_d_) pendants and chains.

9. State the relation of stone or enamel to metal.

10. What rule should govern the amount of metal used in a design?

11. State the objection to a design with contour and surface enrichment equally elaborated.

12. Is it possible to vary the design motive of a chain from that of a pendant? Why and how?

13. Give ill.u.s.tration and requirements of a good design in champleve enamel.

14. What precautions should be exercised in designing pierced enrichment?

15. What rules should be observed in designing a built-up or carved design?

[Ill.u.s.tration: SURFACE ENRICHMENT OF LARGE PRIMARY Ma.s.sES IN PRECIOUS METALS

TREATMENT OF FLAT AND SEMI-FLAT SURFACES

WORK OF STUDENTS OF MILWAUKEE-DOWNER COLLEGE

PLATE 58]

CHAPTER XIV

SURFACE ENRICHMENT OF LARGE PRIMARY Ma.s.sES IN BASE AND PRECIOUS METALS

[Sidenote: Enrichment for Small Areas]

The surface enrichment of small, flat primary ma.s.ses treated in Chapter XIII emphasized the designer's tendency for _full_ surface enrichment of small areas. Such treatment has proved satisfactory because the eye can readily and immediately observe and comprehend or a.s.similate an enrichment upon a small area. For larger enriched areas considered in this chapter, full surface enrichment becomes a questionable policy for the following reasons.

[Sidenote: Enrichment for Large Areas]

It is true that the old time craftsman with consummate skill fully enriched large surfaces, but two factors interfere with this mode of treatment today. The first factor is the decidedly practical nature of the problem. The service to which the modern industrial project is put interferes with the use of full surface enrichment. The second is the lack of skill on the part of the modern amateur designer. It is a sound policy to avoid the ornateness that frequently accompanies a large and unskillfully planned area. In place of this, we should limit the enrichment of large ma.s.ses to a few salient areas which are well related to the structural lines.

Rule 11b. _Conservative application should mark the use of surface enrichment of large ma.s.ses. Its use should:_ (1) _lighten or soften necessarily heavy construction;_ (2) _support or apparently strengthen good structure;_ (3) _add interest to large unbroken and uninteresting surfaces._