Form

[Ron Solfest]

When I was first starting to turn 30yrs ago I remember reading a comment from Raffan about form. The words were different, but what stuck with me is 'When turning bowls form is what counts, wood tones and grain mellow but form is what you'll see as the years go by.' I think of this often when turning a bowl, or just admiring them.

I was reminded again of Raffan's advice this morning when browsing the Photo Gallery. I've been traveling and away from turning for the last 5 months. This morning I decided to browse the last few hundred pictures in the gallery. I did this in ~10min, only stopping to pause a handfull of times and poke into the picture to examine and learn more. As I was doing this I started thinking about what drew me into various pictures; it was almost always good clean lines and form. Sometimes a clever interpretation or unique turning caught my eye, but I was on to the next in seconds unless the form drew me in.

Not surprisingly, the same names often popped up as I poked into the pictures. We have some wonderful turners that regularly inspire us on this forum. Thanks!

 

[hockenbery]

When discussing form lots of folks ask “ how will it look painted black” , “ how does it look upside down”

The occasional “black and white” shows restrict entries to with those colors to showcase form.


We learn to turn beads, coves, and flats. How we visualize putting them together creates the forms.

 

[Bob Brown]

When discussing form lots of folks ask “ how will it look painted black” , “ how does it look upside down”

The occasional black and white shows restrict entries to with this colors to showcase form.


We learn to turn beads, coves, and flats. How we put them together creates the forms.

J. Paul Fennell used to paint forms so the eye wasn't distracted. Works best for comparing hollow forms. Great wood artist.

 

[Jaramiah Severns]

I remember reading a comment from Raffan about form.

Raffan’s book, The Art of Turned Bowls, has been a significant influence in my approach to turning, largely due to its emphasis on the elements of form.

Jacques Vesery’s talk about design and form at the 2023 AAW symposium also had an huge impact on me.

Couldn’t agree with you more, Ron. Lots of super talented folks on this forum. I’ve learned a ton from y’all.

 

[Darryl Fective]

Because there is so much to learn, new turners can get too focused on just making cuts. Even knowing proportions and what good form looks like, it still eludes me sometimes.

 

[Doug Rasmussen]

Form is the most important thing... "form is what counts, wood tones and grain mellow but form is what you'll see as the years go by".

A recent journal article has suggestions for designing on the computer with free software to get a finished appearance that can be viewed from any angle. I imagine most readers glossed over that article because it requires some serious effort to become comfortable with the process. I do this every piece I "turn" on the CNC machines.

It doesn't help when we see in a video the nonsense from Ellsworth that he throws a piece of wood onto the lathe and lets the wood determine the form without a design in mind. I don't believe that statement of his for a minute.

 

[hockenbery]

lets the wood determine the form

.
When I am working with organic elements, I often change my design to produce a more appealing form as the organic elements become known. I have a vision when I start with the organic elements as I see them- I often change the centers as I’m rouging to put the organic feature where I want it. After establishing the rim, I may change the target height, width, curve, etc. to get to a more pleasing form.

Last century, In David’s class, we all learned to view the shape as we did the roughing between centers by leaning over sideways or taking the piece off the lathe for examination. Focus on ratios of height, width, where to put the wide spot, curve design, rim design….
Can shift one or both centers to achieve a design.
Don’t let the holding method or the blank size compromise the design.

Using the organic elements may not lend itself to modeling.
Scanning technologies can map some organic elements but many are revealed by a cut.
The challenge is how to best present those elements in a form.

 

[john lucas]

John Jordan did a series painted black and white to show off form. It's hard to judge form on the lathe. In the old days I would screw the chuck off with the piece attached and set it on my headstock and study the form. Now days just take a photo with your phone and turn it sideways to look at the form.

 

[Isaac Litster]

What I see too much with many turners, I feel, is that the wood "speaks" for the piece. I have read Raffan's book on bowl design numerous times, and have two copies, and I agree that form is crucial to a piece. I am inexperienced with form, but I have looked as far back as 2009 in the member gallery here so far, and what I am more impressed by is great shapes, proportions, texture, composition, etc. rather than a burl, or an 8" bowl made from pink ivory for example. Wood is cool, but it is only one part of the puzzle. It is the same with any art form. If you can draw anything realistically and with extreme detail, that is impressive, but sometimes a scratchy quick sketch by Alberto Giacometti is more impactful. In photography, the most amazing sunrise is pretty, but its potential is lost with a terrible camera, the wrong settings, and bad composition.
I greatly respect those on this forum who use carefully executed forms to speak for a piece and support the form with amazing wood, and composition.

 

[Isaac Litster]

Because there is so much to learn, new turners can get too focused on just making cuts. Even knowing proportions and what good form looks like, it still eludes me sometimes.

As a new turner, this is accurate, we focus on making a good cut, as cleanly as possible, and not getting a catch, hoping that the product looks okay.

 

[Kevin Weir]

Very relevant thread. In my mind, form is everything in woodturning.

 

[Graham Dolby]

And sometimes it takes the removal of a millimetre to change a pleasing form i9nto one that "sings". Of course, the opposite can happen too

 

[John K Jordan]

'When turning bowls form is what counts, wood tones and grain mellow but form is what you'll see as the years go by.'

That kind of goes along with "the woodturner's insult". If the form, surface, or finish stinks on a piece, just say "my, what beautiful wood!" 😄

I like to evaluate the feel and balance as well as the form, and that can be related to the inside shape as well as solely the outside form. Raffan suggested that occasionally when you turn something you like (or maybe don't like", put it on the bandsaw and cut it down the middle, presumably to learn what works for you and what doesn't. It's so hard to do that, of course, but can be enlightening. If the piece is small, you can do nearly the same thing by feeling the inside and outside with your thumb and forefinger. To me, it's a win if both the outside form suits me AND the finished piece feels great in the hand.

I often make a sketch before I put tool to wood, sometimes planning the whole piece, sometimes with several options to help eliminate what I DON'T like, then sometimes make full scale drawings of the design I like. I did just that when preparing for a demo on turning metals on the wood lathe, in this case for feet and finial. This is about 4" in diameter at the wide spot.



I'm not much in the "let the wood speak to me" camp. When the wood speaks to me it's usually something like "Oh no. Why'd ya do THAT?"

Also, I turn to please myself. Not everyone likes the same thing, whether form or finish, so I am never concerned of what someone might not like.

JKJ

 

[Ron Solfest]

… Raffan suggested that occasionally when you turn something you like (or maybe don't like", put it on the bandsaw and cut it down the middle, presumably to learn what works for you and what doesn't. It's so hard to do that, of course, but can be enlightening….

JKJ

I’m pretty sure I watched Raffan do this on a VHS ~25yrs ago while exclaiming “a little thick in the bottom, like many of us”