Bead Craft and Patterning
One of the most intricate and difficult aspects of bead craft is the notion of patterning. The human eye reflexively seeks out and identifies patterns, and our brains are designed to parse data in smallish, easily organized chunks. Thus, the reason phone numbers, social security numbers, and the like are broken into smallish chunks: 555-1212 vs. 5551212.
Oftentimes, a novice to the world of beadwork will be tempted to simply use whatever is on hand, and the results will be haphazard randomness. Now, it is true that this approach can sometimes yield attractive results. There is, however, a growing body of evidence indicating that symmetry and identifiable patterns are one of the keys to defining what we see and understand as “beauty.” A student of bead craft would do well to take these lessons to heart, which brings us back ‘round to the importance of patterning.
Beading ideas and beadwork patterns can be as simple or as complex as you’d care to make them, though I’d recommend simpler designs for the novice, with increasing complexity as a natural extension of experience. And do not think that a simple pattern will produce unattractive results! The simplest pattern of all is 1-1-1, best embodied by the classic strand of pearls. Simple. Elegant. Timeless. Still, many people get into bead craft as a form of self expression, and one of the ways that expression manifests itself in the hobby is through the magic of the pattern.
For some reason, a fairly significant number of people who are new to the hobby find themselves at least slightly intimidated by the notion of patterning. This is unfortunate, but in some ways, understandable. Still, if you stay with it, you’ll find that as your skill level increases, your fear and misgivings of patterning will diminish, and almost before you know it, you’ll be off and creating on your own. If you’re not there yet, however, don’t be afraid to look around (online or off!) for a little help! And there’s tons of help to be had! Offline, there are books galore on the subject, and online, there are thousands upon thousands of sites devoted to all aspects of bead craft and beading ideas, and a multitude of free beading projects. Explore for yourself and see! Almost before you know it, and even if you start with a design you found elsewhere, you’ll find yourself tweaking it and making it your own, and you’re on your way!
Bead craft’s basic mechanics are simple, and almost anyone can master that part of it within a matter of minutes. Somewhat harder though, is mastering the art of patterning. You needn’t worry though. Even if you’re a little intimidated by the thought, there are literally thousands of beading ideas out there to choose from, both online and off. Start there, and when you’re comfortable, begin branching away from established designs. Before you know it, you’ll be well on your way to mastering the fine art of patterning!