Monday, September 17, 2012
Me, Myself and I - Monochromatic Color Combinations
Continuing in my design series, today I'm thinking about monochromatic
color combinations. Designing around a single color. The single color works as
a strong Unifying element,
but since we're only using one color, Contrast has to come from
somewhere else.
Truth is, I
don't work with monochromatic designs every often. When I do, I tend to make
liberal use of Value such
as my in Ocean Currents series.
Here, I shade from bright white to deep blues.
I'm also using Undertones to provide additional contrast - with both warm and cool blues. But I've stuck with relatively pure, intense versions of each hue.
In my Leopard Jasper
choker, I shade from a light cream, through dark chocolate, ending on the other
end of the value scale at black.
Brown is more often considered a neutral, rather than a 'color' in and of its own right. That said, there's no reason why you can't use it as the focus of a monochromatic composition.
You just have to find interesting enough browns. I combined warm, rich browns with more neutral antique bronze beads (which worked well with the antique bronze button).
 |
| Ocean Currents, freeform peyote bracelet - blue, blue and more blue |
Here, I shade from bright white to deep blues.
I'm also using Undertones to provide additional contrast - with both warm and cool blues. But I've stuck with relatively pure, intense versions of each hue.
In my Leopard Jasper
choker, I shade from a light cream, through dark chocolate, ending on the other
end of the value scale at black.Brown is more often considered a neutral, rather than a 'color' in and of its own right. That said, there's no reason why you can't use it as the focus of a monochromatic composition.
You just have to find interesting enough browns. I combined warm, rich browns with more neutral antique bronze beads (which worked well with the antique bronze button).
 |
| Lariat by Malin de Konig |
Adding Neutrals for
Contrast
Malin de Konig graciously allowed me to use the picture at left of her lariat.
In this clean, elegant design, Malin combines a single shade of red with a warm, rich neutral brown and antique brass. I love how it allows the red to sing and take center stage.
Check out Malin's blog post to see additional pictures.
Additional
Resources
Looking for other samples of monochromatic compositions, I
put together a Pinterest board, aptly named Monochromatic
Jewelry Designs, using a number of the pieces from Sally Russick's One Crayon
Color challenge from earlier this year. 
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Time to Share the Love - of Art Beads!
How to choose? That became the question of the week. Followed immediately by what to add? There were no samples of seed beading on the chain, so I felt honor bound to uphold our collective Seedbeaders' honor and add some beaded beads. But I didn't want to overwhelm the chain, either. I tried to figure out how to turn my flowers into beads that non-seedbeaders could easily use (the key here being easily) and my brain just wasn't functioning sufficiently this week, so no go there.
What did I decide upon?
Here's what I ended up taking:
 |
| Taken from the Art Bead chain |
 |
| Just added to my stash! |
I spent a fair bit of time looking through posts from the previous chain holders to track down the origins of these different beads, and updated all of the links below so that they lead directly to the Art Bead Tour posts on each blog so you can more easily track its progression.
And here's what I added:
I included my most recent my Corset bead, playing with fall color schemes, and several smaller beaded beads. The small orange beaded bead at right is supposed to be a pumpkin. What do you think? Up top are two of my very own lampworked disks and top right is a paper clay bead I made with a copper tube rivet for the bead hole. And left and right there are two lampworked beads by JulsBeads to round things out.
 |
| two beads by JulsBeads |
Soon, it may be your turn for a visit, because it's time to find the next stop on the tour. I will be doing a drawing this coming Friday, September 21st. So leave a comment here and spread the word on FB, your blog, twitter and friends.
To recap:
The Art Bead Love Tour is an ongoing project to spread the love of handmade to new and exciting places. It's a way to reach people who may have never stumbled upon your blog on their own, and give them a chance to share the love of handmade. A chain was chosen to link beads as a symbol of how this project links us all together ~ in our unity to stand behind handmade.
The winner
of the chain will be allowed to take up to 30 beads from this chain. They will
then replace each bead they took with another handmade bead, charm or pendant of
equal Quality.
(SO
Remember-----You're NOT winning the ENTIRE CHAIN---Just a chance to take some
beads from it.)
PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW
It
is so important that the quality of the beads be maintained, so we can keep the
Art Bead Love Tour alive. We want to share consistent quality with the next
winner. If you make your own handmade beads or components, it's a great way to
get your beads into the world for people to try them out, or, if you hoard
collect art beads it's a great way to share your collection and get some new
additions as well.
(Art
Beads should be handmade by an artist, and not mass produced, such as Hill Tribe
Silver beads or others like them.)
Remember,
the focus is on creating handmade with handmade and beads/components taken
should be replaced with beads/components that are made by an indivdual artist
not an organization.
Here's
where the chain has been:
Your
name here
Here's how it
works:
1. The
winner of the chain will be allowed to take up to 30 beads from this chain.
They will then replace each bead they took with another handmade bead, charm or
pendant of equal quality.
2. The
winner will post pictures of what was taken and what was added, in order to
keep an account of the chain's progress and to keep our followers drooling.
Please be sure to give credit to the bead artists as well (if you know
them).
3. The
winner will then have a giveaway, just like this one,to keep passing the
chain on and on. Rules can be copied and pasted from here.
4.
When you repost your giveaway (remember you can copy and paste from here)-a
list should be added to show where the chain has gone, with links to each
previous blog.Ultimately, this will end up a very long list!
5. Chain
must be shipped to its new home via Priority Small Flat Rate box with delivery
confirmation. Please package it carefully.
6.
There will be a button on the Love My Art Jewelry
website that links to the current blog and giveaway-so if you have the
chain, it will link to your blog, that way our followers can have another chance
to win it.
7. You
MUST exchange your beads and have your giveaway completed within two weeks of
receiving the chain.
(Please,
please, please, if you can not adhere to the above rules, do not enter the
giveaway at this time. It will go on and on and you can always enter at a later
date.) There will be a button on the side bar of our blog so that you can track
where the chain currently is.
Here's How to Enter:
1. You
must have an active blog to enter.
2.
Leave a comment below (make sure your email is linked to your blog or
leave it in the comment. Entries without emails will not qualify)
3. Share
on Facebook, Twitter or your blog for extra chances to win. Leave a comment
for each way you share, with a link if possible.
4. Winner
will pay shipping and will be billed through Paypal-small priority flat rate box
with delivery confirmation, $6.00.
5. Open
only to our readers in the United States-due to problems with tracking and
shipping overseas (sorry).
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