IDEA EXPLORATION

WATCH the video on Laser Cutting leather, "Leather Laser Cutting and Engraving"

Using Jam Board create an Inspiration Board with all the cool possible bracelet design related to YOU or someone else.    Find 20+ images of cool laser cut bracelet designs.  And then post it on a new tab, Leather Bracelet,  under 2020-2021 on your website.

INITIAL FOCUS 

Write an initial statement of what type of bracelet you plan on making and who of it for.

INITIAL FOCUS: I want to design a leather bracelet for my wife with some type of ocean or water theme.

INSPIRATION BOARD - LEATHER BRACELET 

You need to get inspired!  This is one of my favorite stages.   Basically you explore what is out there and possible directions you can go.  Collect /research reference images, current designs, inspirational, blueprints etc. Basically find as many as you need, which is at least 20+ sources.  I call this phase, the “Inspiration Board”. 

Find 20+ focused images that will inspire your leather bracelet design. State the date

Annotate the Focused Inspiration Board  

Annotate your inspiration board with thoughts and comments of the designs and resources.

Thoughts, Analysis, & Reflection

State the characteristics that you want to try to implement in your design based on design direction.  Use images from your inspiration board and re-state your annotations and thoughts.

I want a irregular rectangular shapes like design

I want a irregular outlined edge.

I want a irregular outlined edge and I want a irregular hexes shapes like this design.

NO STRAIGHT EDGES

Write Design Objective

First write a brief design objective including details.   This should be brief and concise. You should explain and justify what you are designing, and who is the client/ target audience. 

*Keep in mind the design or concept should be ORIGINAL.  

DESIGN OBJECTIVE: I will DESIGN and CREATE  a laser cut leather bracelet to be fitted to my wife's wrist with a design that she would actually wear.   I want to design a bracelet that blends both designs, the rectangular shapes with an irregular edge. . (9/12) 

I want a irregular rectangular shapes like design

I want a irregular outlined edge.

Write a Design Objective Reflection and Possible Resources

Try to answer these questions the best you can, with the as much detail you can.  The more resources you find the less problems you will have down the road.

What problems do you foresee? 

What possible supplies do you may need? 

What skills do you need? 

Measuring  the Wrist 

Experiment with bracelet thickness & find the correct length.  What thickness looks good on your wrist or the wrist of the person you are making it for?  

Using standard 8.5" X 11" printer paper, fold a strip lengthwise with the width between 1.5" to 3".

Add a small piece of tape to the end.  any kind of tape will work.   

Wrap the strip around your wrist with the tape side last.  Leave a bit of room, it should not be too tight or too loose -leather stretches slightly.

Add extra tape to reinforce the loop.   May be easier with a 2nd set of hands.

Flip you hand over to the non-overlapping side.  

With scissors, cut the strap in half.  This is best done with a 2nd person.  

Measure length.

Unfold the strip and measure its length.  My strip is about 2" wide and  7.5" in length.  AND I like it . . .

Cut a 2nd strip with your desired thickness.  Measure the length of your 'correctly ' fitted bracelet and the measure out the length plus 1" (inches) 

Cut another piece out of card stock and measure it.   This piece should be about  1" longer for overlapping.

Cut the extra length off.   

Measure and draw a center line with a ruler.

Measure about 0.5" in from the ends.

Testing Template 

Punch a hole 0.5" in from the ends.

The hole is to test the length.  We will use brads as testing clasps.

Wrap it on your wrist and spread the brad.

Mine was way too loose.

Good Fit . . . May stretch a bit too much with leather.

Good Fit . . .

Add a few more holes about 0.25" apart and find the optimal length.  *Keep in mind leather stretches.  

Measure total length and hole placement.  

Hole distance: 7.5"  (7.5")

Total Length: 8 1/4"  (8.25")

Width: 1 3/4" (1.75")

Hole from the end:  1/2" (0.5") 

Bracelet Thumbnail Sketches Template  

Create a new Illustrator document and change the following:


Total Length: 8 1/4"  (8.25")

Width: 1 3/4" (1.75")


Create a square with the dimensions of your bracelet.  

For example my design was: 

Hole distance: 7.5"  (7.5")


Hole from the end:  1/2" (0.5")


Created a square that was 0.5 inches wide and matched the height of my bracelet test.

Select, Copy and Paste the new square.  Move it to the right side.

Draw a straight line hold down the {Shift} key while drawing.  Then move it until it snaps to the center.

Create a circle with the diameter of 0.18 inches and snap it to the cross hair.  Repeat for the 2nd circle.

Select all of the curves, Copy,  Paste, and move below.  Delete the reference lines and change the color to red.  Then print, cut out and test on the wrist.

Make a circle that is 1/8"  diameter or  0.125" X  0.125".  Also make sure it is centered on the right side of the new square.  This will make sure it is centered and 1/2" form the end.

Measured total length and hole placement.  

Hole distance: 7" 

Total Length: 8" 

Width: 1 1/4" (1.25")

Hole from the end:  1/2" (0.25")

Delete the squares we used to measure the hole distance.  Then select  the circles and the rectangle and change the color to light gray.

I changed the color of the lines to super light gray so that it is just a guide when sketching my designs.

Select the circles and the rectangle and copy and paste 3 or 4 more copies below.  Use the arrow keys to move them down. 


Print out 4-5 copies.

 *Hard to see super light gray lines

Then I printed out 4X copies

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

THUMBNAIL SKETCHES 

Sketch your designs in Krita.  You can  use both horizontal symmetry and vertical symmetry.  The circle pucks can be moved for the symmetry location.  

DEVELOPMENT SKETCHES  

Further explore your design in Krita.  I made the thumbnail sketch layer partially transparent and then re-drew  while cleaning up the lines.

I explored end variations.

Create a finalized design in Adobe Illustrator

This design has 2 pieces.  The idea is to dye the two pieces different colors and glue them together.

Bracelet Finalized Concept Design Due 11/7