How to: Make Artwork Jewellery

After seeing all the fabulous artwork dresses at Dolce & Gabbana, I have become a little infatuated with making clothing with iconic paintings printed on them. Here's my problem though - when exactly would I wear such an extravagant item of clothing, let alone a tiara?

Images from vogue.com

 

So instead, I decided to make art-inspired jewellery - easier to wear and a lot easier to make. Although I still dream of nipping down to Sainsbury's wearing a fresco dress. *Sigh*

 

 

You will need:

• A picture of the painting of your choice
• Shrinking plastic
• A selection of coloured pencils and pens
• Scissors
• Hole Punch
• Jump Rings
• Pliers
• Necklace Chain

First up, you need to find a painting that you want to use. I'm using The Kiss, by Gustav Klimt, although I'm now eager to use a Van Gogh or a Monet. Just choose a painting that inspires you, or one you think looks nice. Think about whether you want the whole painting to feature in your jewellery, or just a part of the painting. For this one, I'm just using the figures themselves.

 

 

Place your shrinking plastic over your painting, and start to trace out the main features. This can be time consuming, but it is better to take your time and capture all the details from the painting.

 

 

Firstly, I traced out all the main details using a pencil, and then built up the colours by layering my pen strokes. I started by using the lightest colours first. Then, use a marker to fill in any dark sections, or to give a sharp outline to parts of your picture.

 

 

Wait for your ink to dry before carefully cutting out your drawing. Place your drawing on a white surface to easily see if you have missed any areas. Don't worry if your colours seem rather pale, they intensify after the plastic has shrunk.

 

 

If you want your artwork to be a necklace, now is the time to puncture some holes in the top of your drawing.

 

 

Now follow the instructions on your shrinking plastic to shrink your drawing in the oven. Wait for it to cool before attempting to do anything next.

 

 

This next step is optional, but I'd recommend it. I like to paint the reverse of my shrunk drawing white, using acrylic paint. I just think it make the colours pop on the right side.

 

 

Wait for the paint to dry before adding any jewellery fixings to your drawing. I've made a necklace here, but you could make a brooch, a bracelet, or even a pair of earrings.

 

 

Now you're finished, and your mini-artwork is ready to wear.

 

I'd love to see any variations on this idea, and would especially love to see photos if you try this. Which artist or painting would you like to use on jewellery?

 

|Soundtrack - State Of The Art by Gotye|