Bead Tips

Design Tips

It’s always hard to give design tips without working ‘one-on-one’ with the designer (you, the beader) face to face. But here are a few tips to consider that might help simplify the design process:

1. Focal Beads
When designing your creation, think about which beads are your focal or feature beads, the beads that are most special and beautiful and that you wish to highlight. Generally speaking, try to use focal beads in odd numbers i.e. either just one in the center, or 3, 5 or 7 etc. Your design will look more balanced this way as there will be one bead in the center that is framed equally either side.

2. Colours
When choosing your colours, try not to overdo it. Two, maximum three colours that are in similar tones will help keep your design simple, elegant and clean. Too many colours and the eye will not know where to look first. Starkly different tones and you risk your colours clashing and the eye feels unsettled and unrelaxed viewing your design. 

3. Supporting Beads
Colour and design is all about optical illusion. Which colours, shapes and textures you choose will affect how the viewer feels looking at your design. After you’ve chosen your focal beads, play around mixing and matching different beads to surround and frame them until you find the ones that most compliment them and create the most energy and excitement when you look at them together. 

4. Texture
It’s important that your design has texture. This means not using all the same shape or size beads in your design. If you’re sticking with one colour, play on the subtleties and variances of shape, size, finish and texture. A design can be pretty unexciting if for example, it’s made up of only 6mm round polished beads. Throw in different shapes of similar or different sizes or choose some round beads that tone in but have a different finish. The eye will get bored easily if the same pattern keeps repeating. Change it slightly, but subtly. 

Remember, good design is not always about what you put in, but often about what you leave out!!

Resist the urge to use every bead you love or try out all your new ideas in the one creation. Keep it simple and let your focal beads get all the attention they deserve.