Precious Metals III

Course details

As precious metal artists grow in skill and confidence, they require a broader toolset, combining materials and techniques to define their own style. Using advanced metal clay modelling skills to achieve greater accuracy, faster production times and work with more valuable metals is the first step in this process. Traditional metal smithing supplements artists’ existing experience expanding their creative potential and providing useful means to re-use components after they have been fired.

With new procedures to follow and more rigorous learning projects, courses in this segment highlight proper form, commercial quality and attention to detail. Participants are encouraged to use the school kiln to fire their metal clay projects in order to master specific kiln techniques. practice proper use of specialized traditional metal smithing equipment such as rolling mills, draw plates and soldering stations. By the end of Precious Metal Artist programme, participants own an impressive array of equipment and have produced a wide range of quality jewellery designs.

What will I learn?

• Master your Tools and Materials: Exerienced designers dare work with the finest of materials. Incorporating 22k Gold clay and 24k Gold leaf with master techniques and skills completes the precious metal artist’s skills with powder metallurgy.
• Designs using Gold: Learn how to minimize waste when working with 22K gold metal clay and how to effectively combine gold, silver and copper clays. For designs that require a tighter budget, ‘Gilding’ techniques with gold leaf represent an affordable and visually stunning alternative to working with solid gold.
• Moulds and Textures: The creation of rubber moulds and the use of moulds to make multiples of existing jewellery components are skills required by every professional. Learn to capture and re-use textures, deign elements and entire components for future metal clay creations.
• Achieving the Look of Enamel: Enamelling is an inexpensive and popular method of adding value to jewellery via simulation of inlaid gemstones or the creative use of colour. Practice using modern resins to simulate the depth of traditional enamels using popular modern UV/Epoxy techniques.
• Advanced Finishing Techniques: The characteristics of a professional finish are highlighted and all past projects are reviewed and perfected. Advanced tools and techniques are then used to create a truly professional finish, all of which are applied to a spectacular final masterpiece project.