Tuesday 7 February 2017

Crackly Marbly effect - Decided against a tutorial



For several reasons, but mainly because of the existence of a very good crackle/faux raku tut by Shannon Tabor. 
My technique is pretty similar to hers, and the results are not too dissimilar, the main difference being the 'active ingredient' so to speak. The 'active ingredient' I discovered, (cheap and available from any hardware store. . ) and which I use, can make some specific and unique effects. These particular effects and the positive reaction to them were what led me to consider the idea of maybe making a tut in the first place.

But after sitting down and thinking it through, rather than vaguely and unthinkingly mentioning it in blog posts as a future possibility, and after having had an amicable chat with Shannon about it all, I have decided that I will leave it as my own private surface trick and not share my process in a tutorial or in any other way. It wasn't a hard decision, and it feels like the right and proper thing to do. Win win and all that. . .



If I did try to sell a tutorial I would perhaps leave myself open to claims of plagiarism, which would be wrong but understandable up to a point. After all, I bought Shannon's tut and had the spark of inspiration about my own 'active ingredient' and it's possibilities while working through it. So I owe it a debt of gratitude ;-) The question of whether my process is sufficiently different from Shannon's to justify it's own tut would always be there. In my mind as well as in others'.
Anyway, it was just an idea!

So no tut.

I'll just carry on experimenting and getting cool effects. . . And you can try to work out what I'm doing ;-)

Other stuff I have been working on? Well, I made a few sets of small image trans round beads, as per my image trans tut, but using some of my small 'tile' pattern designs.



I made some crackly marbly bicones as per my secret technique, pics of which you can see at the top of this post, above.
I made some textured disk beads using up-cycled disk beads from a necklace I got from a charity shop, as cores, which is something I shall do more of.



And I made a bunch of cufflinks, as my existing cufflinks have gradually but steadily been selling and I only had a few left.



I'm definitely in bead making mode this year so far, and am enjoying getting stuck in after the distractions of Christmas and new year etc etc. Still plenty of DIY, but it's not as frantic. It's all good. . . Jon x

1 comment:

  1. I like your crackle quite a bit Jon. Not sharing is absolutely fine. I think most of us artists have at least one thing we want to hold close because it's ours. Sharing it takes away from our income and also or uniqueness.

    Have been very busy and away on holidays but now am sort of getting back into the studio. That means buying new tutorials and trying things. I've admired your cufflinks for a long time so your tute is on the top of my list.

    Keep on doing what you do so well Jon.

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