Simple elegance

[nev]

What makes a turning, or indeed anything, pleasing to the eye?


The simple bowl below was posted on Facepants earlier and I do find it most covetous. Its not a spectacular wood, not an amazing 'how do you turn that?!' shape and no clever pyro, texture or colouring but there is a simple elegance about the piece that makes it , to me anyway, most desirable.

This inspires me that little bit more on the turning front because I know that I am capable of producing something like this, without any special kit, without any talent in the decorating department and without exotic and expensive woods, with just simple tools, time patience and practice.

Mr Hastings, I salute you

 

[Tazmaniandevil]

I saw a tutorial on bowls a while back. This one falls into the same category as the ones being demonstrated.
The video was from a group who had a guest in to do a demo. The bowl was described as the perfect bowl shape, because in any country/culture it is immediately recognised as a bowl.

Some of what we turn as a bowl may not appeal to some, because the majority will look upon bowls as utilitarian items.

 

[Bodrighy]

One of the things I have learned (or am still learning) is that design is as important if not more so than the actual skill level in turning. A piece can be made perfectly as far as tool work, wood etc is concerned and still look unattractive. Complexity of design, quality of workmanship etc are obviously important but the design, shape, form etc is equally if not more important.

Pete

 

[Dalboy]

Found something that may be of some use on design, from Philip Streeting's web site there are 5 different pdf's to read I for one found them very good.

http://www.philip-streeting.co.uk/page11.html

 

[marcros]

i wonder whether there is some simple formula to which things that look "right" more of less conform to- the magic ratio etc. I know what you mean about the one that you posted though- really elegant and simple shape.

Edit. I actually meant golden ratio, but only remembered when i saw it on a post further down.

 

[Bodrighy]

Some rules of design do exist e.g. the rule of threes and the 1:2 or 2:3 ratio but design is often better felt than telt. Pieces should flow for example. Goblets are a classic example. All too often they look like a bowl on a stick with no relationship between the foot, stem and bowl section. Curves should be flowing into one another, not have bumps or flat sections unless designed in as features. Little things like curving the base of a bowl so that it appears to float can make the word of difference. When you see a turned piece does it make you want to pick it up and handle it or move on to something else? At the end of the day, as Philip says so often it is all a matter of personal choice but there are simple rules that can make a piece special rather than just nice and unless you go and do a course it is best learned by studying the work of people whose designs you admire. Especially look at some of the classic and antique pottery, sculpture etc for inspiration and ideas.

Pete

Pete

 

[chipmunk]

There's some other useful stuff here from Michael O'Donnell on design...

http://www.woodworkersinstitute.com/page.asp?p=1403

Don't forget the Golden ratio which is a more precise definition of the rule of thirds...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio

and has a long association with aesthetic elegance and proportion.

HTH
Jon

 

[Philip Streeting]

My original Design site which was produced primarily to help turners did not prove to be popular in the UK so I withdrew much of the information there. One useful, unpublished, document was a thirds grid that could be resized to suit a given blank size. This could be used with tracing overlay to sketch out shapes prior to turning. If this might be helpful to anyone let me know by pm and I will try to find it or produce another one.

If used in a Draw programme it is possible to used it as a base layer to use as a guide layout.

If anyone uses Serif Draw I have several PDFs that are basic guides to the programme and individual guides on how to produce and edit curves. They were produced some years ago and with a different free version of the programme but the basics remain the same.

I have at various time offered free publications, free talks, free tutition and offered to give my work free to anyone who wished to have a piece. As Chipmunk has quite rightly pointed out on another thread my apparent, obnoxious personality seems to get in the way of any positive help I can offer. For this reason I have withdrawn from from writing any further free documents. I had planned to produce a free working guide to design and creative techniques for woodturners but decided, given the reactions I seem to promote, this would be an unproductive use of my time.

.

 

[Philip Streeting]

This link might be helpful
http://www.westbaywoodturners.com/tutorial/pdf_files/Woodturning_Design.pdf

 

[Philip Streeting]

For those who like me have an aversion for maths and geometry this link provides some information on a more visual way of understanding the golden mean using using a Fibonacci gauge that can be made in the workshop.

http://woodturnersunlimited.com/index.php/tools/29-golden-ratio-calipers-fibonacci-gauge

 

[Tazmaniandevil]

Dunno whether you are obnoxious or not Chief, but if you were offering free tuition in my area I'd be round like a 2-bob rocket. I've actually saved & printed some PDF documents from your website (hope you don't mind) and have printed them out for the shed.
I can't draw for toffee, never could, so jumped on the chain/curtain wire idea.
I've got my eye on a massive dry-wipe board at work that's destined for the skip. As soon as it comes off the wall, it's right in the back of the car & home with me.

 

[chipmunk]

As Chipmunk has quite rightly pointed out on another thread my apparent, obnoxious personality seems to get in the way of any positive help I can offer.

....We all have bad days and life's too short. Let's move on - I can if you can.

Thanks for your useful links and information on design.
Jon

 

[Martin10]

Very interesting discussion, inspired by a lovely piece. A word I use in a lot in my professional life (not as much fun as producing shavings though) is "affordance". Essentially this means the property of suggesting use. I love the shape of this piece, and before I read any of the text I had imagined picking it up in two hands and drinking from it. For me (a very poor turner with absolutely no skills worth mentioning) the real pleasure comes from producing something that I enjoy handling afterwards. I don't care if they are perfect, or look like they should be displayed in a gallery (although I love seeing other people's work in that category) - it's grown up play-dough for me!!

 

[Dalboy]

Thank you Philip for all the other links very useful.

 

[johnny5]

Thanks Phillip,
great ideas I can work towards

 

[yorkshirepudding]

Excellent work Philip. Only by understanding what, how and why can you go on to develop your own mark. Artists such as Picasso and Dali were first of all superb draughtsmen.
Thanks.

 

[Philip Streeting]

Thanks for the feedback everyone and thanks to those who have visited my site.

Philip

 

[Philip Streeting]

I have now reworked the design grids mentioned earlier in this thread. They are an aid for thirds design and are in pdf format. If they appear to be useful you are welcome to download them and try them out.

Philp

 

[nev]

Many Thanks Philip, much appreciated.