FCD CAD assistance request

[chrono]

Starzin!
I'm glad you will have time to help out soon. I'm disappointed because I feel as though the design has lost the Russian feel; it looks like a regular organic style ring, albeit a nice looking one.

PinkJewel,
I am truly stumped. I usually do not have this many problems with projects so I think perhaps it is because nobody in the US does this design? You are so right about the colour balance too, with all the "heavy" colours at the bottom and "light" colours at the top. Is anyone out there good enough with Photoshop to tweak colours on the FCDs? Pretty please?

 

[Starzin]

A quick response between clients... what do you think is missing from the "Russian feel"? Do you think it's simply that you've lost some ability to envision the leaves after so many cads with smooth leaves?

I will try and swap in the carved leaves from the base we've been working from in order to give more of a finished look to this iteration and see if that helps at all, but it probably won't be until your morning.

 

[Starzin]

Does this make it any different?

Note I've left the top curve on the top leaf.

 

[chrono]

Starzin,
I cannot thank you enough for your help with the Photoshop work and design suggestions. Yes, even with your updated tweaking, it doesn't shout "Russian antique" to me. I don't know why or which element(s) is the cause, hence I don't know how to "fix" it. I just know that when I see certain rings, I just "know" that they are antique Russian, by design alone.

PinkJewel's caution about the light vs dark colour balance is definitely timely. I do not like the lights on the upper half with the darks at the lower half. Urgh! The designer is going to kill me if I rearrange the stones again but unfortunately, I am going to do just that. Looks like I have to take some time today to play around with the placements of the FCDs again.

 

[Starzin]

You're welcome, I'm just so sorry that it's not working for you.

I know you've wanted your own "Russian" ring for a long time. However, above all, trust your intuition - if it isn't right, stop now and we'll start over.

Okay then... we start over I'll have another think in (my) tomorrow.

I do not like the lights on the upper half with the darks at the lower half. Urgh! The designer is going to kill me if I rearrange the stones again but unfortunately, I am going to do just that.

It's good to know that you have a definite opinion on this too so that we can try to avoid it.

 

[Starzin]

Well I sat down Sunday afternoon to try and come up with some ideas and got stumped on "Russian". I feel it's best to define what this means in terms of where we've got to with this.

So I've been having a bit of a think... and I may have inadvertently derailed this by putting you on to Acanthus leaves When I came up with that, you found the inspiration picture.
http://www.romanovrussia.com/Jewelry.html#RINGS

Would it be fair to say that most Russian leaves are thin/smooth and most stone stalks are straight? Actually I don't think that's as telling as the fact that most leaves appear to be stone set. Are you open to that? I know it means probably buying a few melee, but is this part of what's missing from the Romanov "feel"?

[Starzin still thinking... ]

 

[FrekeChild]

Eesh Chrono. I have been feeling melancholy about this project for a while, so I can't imagine how you feel right now.

Anyway, I went through the link from Starzin, and these were the ones that I thought you might like, based on the design you've been concentrating on.

http://www.romanovrussia.com/Art_Nouveau_Gemstone_Flower_Ring.html
http://www.romanovrussia.com/Art_Nouveau_Antique_Brooch_Pin.html#.U7uJjfldWSo
http://www.romanovrussia.com/Art_Nouveau_Pendant.html#.U7uKpfldWSo
http://www.romanovrussia.com/Art_Nouveau_Large_Pearl_Pendant.html#.U7uKrPldWSo
http://www.romanovrussia.com/Garland_Style_Demantoid_Necklace.html#.U7uKrvldWSo
http://www.romanovrussia.com/Art_Nouveau_Jewelry.html#.U7uKtPldWSo

I know this would be kind of a rotten but have you thought about scraping these CADs and starting over?

Also, is this vendor capable of such a design? I know that your standards are very high...this project has been stretched out for so long and the CADs have been revised so many times that I'm starting to question if they are up to it. Did you see similar items in their shop?

 

[chrono]

Starzin,
I agree that we may have to go back and define what elements make a particular ring scream "Russian" since we are sort of groping around and around in circles. I am honestly burnt out as well and did not think anything jewellery for the past few days so I am fresh and ready to tackle this again. It is fair to say that most stalks are straight and the leaves are thin, although the design ranges from simple twists to complicated picturesque. In my case, I'd rather have the stone in simple baskets and let the leaves be engraved.

A few common themes I noticed:
1. None of the rings are ever straight or symmetrical. Everything has soft gentle curves.
2. There is symmetry in its non-symmetry, meaning that although the left side doesn't match the right, it still has balance.
3. Everything looks deceptively simple, yet it isn't if you study it closely (a lot of consideration is given to the support structure on the underside).
4. There is no single focus on a stone, yet it paints a complete picture.

 

[chrono]

Freke,
Yes, it would be rotten but I am willing to start from scratch again. I still believe the vendor is capable of such a design IF I can nail down what I want. They have the skill to pull it off; they probably don't have the "feel" for the Russian design though. I have seen their carving and workmanship so I am confident that once we are past the CAD stage, it would be a ring that I would love forever.

 

[digdeep]

In every art form, the genius is hidden by the simplicity of what you see and your heart responds to..........
You've learned a lot through this process. If you take out a blank paper today and 'start' the project anew, what would the design look like? It's an exercise in 'letting go' and creative flow at the same time.......you know a lot more now than when you started this project! Have any blank paper that needs some doodles?

 

[Starzin]

Freke - you have a good eye, we've posted 1 and 4 before and I was looking very closely at a couple of the others you picked just before I posted.

Chrono - oh good! I'm so glad you gave yourself a break from this. Have you been in touch with the designer to say there will be a bit of a hiatus? I think you may be right in that s/he may not have the "feel" for what you're aiming at - that's okay, neither do we really... but we'll get there However, when I look at the last version I posted, we may not be all that far from it either.

For instance... one of the simplest switches to get a darker stone above the line is to simply swap the pink oval with the tiny white, taking their stalks with them (reverse the white curl so it then follows the leaf.)

As for all the doodlers and sketchers who have been following along, don't be afraid to post some ideas. You never know what will be helpful

 

[chrono]

All doodling welcome!
Had to try out the new emoticons.

Starzin,
I will get in touch with the designer about a hiatus once I have some idea of where I want to run with this. At the very least, I will contact him by Friday with some news. You are so positive about the current design meeting the mark in the end.

I looked again at the Romanov website and was sort of taken by the below. Hmmm.....bezeled yellow pear, then all the little pinks underneath.

 

[chrono]

A mix of colours and shapes but I would like a bit more metal embellishment.

 

[chrono]

Good carving work makes my knees go weak, even though they aren't Russian.

 

[FrekeChild]

Here are a few sketches I was screwing around with months ago. They aren't at all completed.

 

[Starzin]

Ooh! Hadn't seen the new smilies

Yes, I'm convinced we can get there but it's always difficult when you've been so far along a particular track to then be able to see something different.

I like the first one, I seem to have passed over that. Would you have the melee loop around the pear? Not fussed with the next two and the next two carved ones are lovely.

Freke thank you so much for adding your sketches, I haven't had a chance to look at all the detail yet.

 

[chrono]

What do you think? I could have diamond melees loop around the pear or a loop of carved vines.

 

[Starzin]

Good timing! I've been thinking about this and I do think it has great potential. I've just made some comments on a couple of other pics which have "elements".

As you say, it could be a melee loop as in the inspiration, or "arms" of carved leaved which come from the band in the same way to embrace the pear. If they are leaves, I don't see them closed at the bottom of the pear. Which do you think you favour? I see the top bit changed ever so slightly - to not join as they are - and I see you put the oval E-W where I would be inclined to keep it N-S.

I'll try to make a sketch combining it with leaves around the pear tomorrow.

 

[chrono]

Graduated leaf-like flowers from a small size at the shank, getting larger at the top of the pear, then getting smaller again as it loops back to the shank.

 

[chrono]

Starzin,
We think alike! I also think this design is less complicated, hence less likely to screw up. We've moved away from the Old Russian Romanov into the French Belle Epoch too. I would love little leaves on a vine but wonder about the impracticality of it getting caught on things in a ring, unlike pendants where the chances of that happening is much lower. No, they would not close or end at the pear but continue on to the shank. Hmmm...I will create one with the oval N-S for comparison.

I was drooling over this very same pendant a short while ago.

 

[Starzin]

Ummm... I don't think you've got room for that. I'm thinking more like the two leaves at the top of the demantoid pendant I just posted.

 

[chrono]

Ummm... I don't think you've got room for that. I'm thinking more like the two leaves at the top of the demantoid pendant I just posted.

Don't understand where the leaves go.

 

[Starzin]

Oops! Cross-posted. Yes but moving away from something that doesn't work to something that does in the same era is okay

I'm saying bottom of pear as the fat end and was thinking open leaves there.

Also... have a look at the platinum one above again, See the two big arms that end in 3 points? All melee, that's another option.

 

[Starzin]

Oooh! That was clever! Can you give me a close up of the bit I circled and the two (bigger) leaves under it please?

A little pair of leaves as in the circle and a bigger pair of curving leaves to replace the loop.

 

[chrono]

I prefer the oval set EW for better balance.

 

[chrono]

Oooh! That was clever! Can you give me a close up of the bit I circled and the two (bigger) leaves under it please? A little pair of leaves as in the circle and a bigger pair of curving leaves to replace the loop.

Link here with bigger pictures if you scroll down.
http://romanovrussia.com/Garland_Style_Demantoid_Necklace.html#.U76apvldV8E

 

[Starzin]

Ah... thank you for that.

I'm trying to keep the flow - remember the pinks and white won't be in a row and I think if a tiny pair of leaves could be put below the pink, then it would need to be N-S.

I think you might have to wait for the drawings

 

[chrono]

I am so excited by this design that I added my halo of leaves. Guess I better wait for your rendition tomorrow, although I am far from patient today since the flames are lit anew.

My concern with going NS on the oval and adding a pair of leaves close to the white is that the lower half is going to end up longer than the top half.

 

[Starzin]

Oh bless us - she's taken up gardening! LOL

My concern with going NS on the oval and adding a pair of leaves close to the white is that the lower half is going to end up longer than the top half.

Then turn the ring around dearheart. I would not wear it as they have it on the model anyway - I would wear the pear, which is the heaviest part, toward the palm.

And "patience is a virtue" and all that malarky - unfortunately you're going to have to wait, it's just turned pumpkin time here and I'm off to bed! Pick up a pencil and try some drawings.

 

[chrono]

Yes, but the leaves will never die on me in this case.

Ah, I didn't think of turning the ring around! It changes the entire look with more emphasis on the pinks now.