Idea Development
So once every so often I pick up a pencil and some watercolours and start drawing. Nothing in here is super serious stuff, I view drawing as a good exercise in creative practice, just like good breathing helps when exercising.
I learned technical jewellery drawing at the Glasgow School of Art and before that, I had years of practising academic drawing in art schools in Lithuania, and it often was meditation and a way to relax for me. Some of the drawings here are made solely as a way to take my mind off things and some were drawn for clients or even collections that I have made or still planning to make.
If you see something you like, write me a message and I can make it for you!
CAD Process
Occasionally my work is designed in a 3D software and only gets printed in nylon and hand painted with textile dies. Technology gave me more opportunities to create and explore my skills and design capabilities which makes me able to work faster, in more volumes and transfer my designs internationally easier than ever. Being just a craftswoman isn`t enough anymore and I am happy that Photoshop, Illustrator and Rhino has come into my practice in the last few years.
Technical Drawing
This one was a lot of fun to make! I received an old watch from a friend that was completely ruined and beyond repair, but it was all solid 9kt rose gold so we decided not to waste it. I have cleaned up and melted all the parts to make a wire and honouring the heritage of that watch I made it stylistically similar to the watch chain it was originally from.
The sketches I made are entirely for myself to figure out the structure and proportions, and also how to assemble all the components. The white freshwater pearl is sourced from an old earring that lost its pair, so the only thing that was purchased for this ring was actually the cultured black pearl underneath the ‘cage’.
The gold that I worked with is quite hard and rigid so it`s been a nice challenge to actually shape and form it to the sculpture-like jewellery piece it is now.
Drawing is really just thinking for me and allows me to consider a lot of details and processes because it is slow and deliberate. Especially in projects like this where multiple options are available and techniques are different it helps to slowly draw and think about the making and final product. It makes it all so much more enjoyable!
Pushing Design Limits
I believe I have drawn this sketch during my third year of GSA, so it dates back to around 2016 fall/winter. I remember having a lot of fun drawing it as I imagined how all the components would assemble together with magnets disguised under silver. At that point I have made few things with enamelling and I wanted to explore this technique further and make it into earrings and a necklace.
These sketches are purely for developing ideas and thinking while drawing, they have not been made into actual jewellery, but it was fun to imagine designs and challenge myself in drawing matching pieces.
Doodles
Not all that I draw is for clients or new collections, sometimes I just doodle while procrastinating and these drawings are made in such a way.
I even like to sketch on different pieces of paper in various colours like all the blue pastels showing yellow metals and grey toned paper just looks pretty with a lot of flashy stones. Also, watercolours run very nicely and smoothly, and that’s my preferred medium, although I know a lot of jewellery designers use gouache instead.
Only much later do I combine them to full pages and see how they look together, as some of them can be drawn years apart hence the name of this entire page!
From Start to Finish
A quick glimpse into my study time sketches. Designs usually come from several different sources or inspirations and for quickly developing ideas I find that collage works really well, also they are much more colourful and dynamic than the ‘final’ sketches.
The two collages at the top are for designing the final idea in the pink background.
The idea was driven to have something that looks modern and fancy at the same time. So the necklace would be designed with two sides – one black and the other for teal enamel and rhinestones. The earrings could detach from the main necklace and become a piece on their own also with two sides or can be worn like a larger statement necklace. Earrings could attach by magnets to the necklace.
So yeah, sometimes ideas get that kind of crazy, and no, I would not be making this if you`re wondering!
Sketching for Clients
These rings are currently being made!
From the clients old wedding ring in 14kt rose gold with diamonds and rubies from her engagement ring.
She already had a couple of other my square rings and knew exactly what she wants so the design process was simple and quick as I already had all the information I needed like ring size, thickness, metal and stones.
I`m off to the bench with these ones…
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And that is the final sketch for now in my collection, I will be adding more soon once I get the chance to edit the pictures.
My processes can start from hand-drawn or found objects and manipulate them in CAD like this bracelet!
