Video course "Vitrigraph 101. Stringers, Twisties, and Murrine"
Usually when you are inspired by someone’s art you ask “How?”. How was this done? Then you try to do something similar. If your attempt fails, you ask another question – “Why?”. Why this went wrong? The answer to the second question is more important than the answer to the first because if you know the cause of the failure, you can avoid failures in the future. You feel confident enough to not to ask “kiln gods” to do a favor and get predictable results.
The new video tutorial “Vitrigraph 101” is my attempt to answer both questions.
1. Why it works this way, and
2. How to use this to make what you want.
That is why this tutorial may be useful for both vitrigraph beginners and those who already have some experience but want to ask less “Why” questions.
There are 4 modules in this almost 2-hour tutorial. Every next module is based on the information provided in the previous but adds more complexity. That simplifies understanding of theory and makes practice less challenging.
· In the first module I talk about practical ways of vitrigraph setup and usage. I compare different types of pots, the ways of placing them in the vitrigraph and some other basics.
· The second module talks about pulling straight stringers. You will learn how to manage the colors and get stringers with new non-standard colors. At the same time, you will see how to initiate pulling and what makes stringers straight. And of course, I will talk about mistakes which are better to avoid.
· Pulling twisties is described in the third module which begins from the experiment answering to several “Why?” questions. Of course, you will learn how to plan pot loads for any twisties and try to make them yourself.
· The fourth module is the longest. 43 minutes I talk about “Why” and show you “How” vitrigraph is used for pulling cane and making simple murrine. Do not be fooled by the word “simple”. Indeed, I begin with the simplest circular murrine, but then explain how cane of any shape can be pulled, how to make intricate patterns, and even make simple millefiori. In this module you will learn how to avoid distortions and pattern truncation, how to eliminate hollows, and much more.
This video course is not based on my e-book. The information is presented differently, and I used new examples to illustrate vitrigraph techniques.
The course is included in the “Webinar in a box” series. It does not require internet connection. You get a USB flash drive with all 4 modules, so you can study at your own pace and watch the video as much as you want.