All the problems with finding marquetry patterns? If you're anything like me, you probably got in through one of the marquetry inlay kits - one that is a bit like a picture by numbers, but with a few sheets of veneer, a knife and glue. They are a great introduction to art, but once you've finished your first, where do you go?
I soon found a good marquetry supplier quite locally and there are many others around the country. If you can not get marquetry veneers locally there are many mail order and online companies that will provide materials and marquetry alata.Jedna thing we could not find any intarsia patterns. I have no drawing skills to make their own, and I do not want to keep buying marquetry kits, so where can I find them? Keep in mind that I did not expect such things for free. If someone has gone to the trouble of production samples I am quite willing to pay for them.
1. Scrollsaw page
I looked at several scrollsaw sites without much success, because although you can use a scrollsaw cut marquetry, the type specimen offered does not match, because they are not "picture" style that most of us would be looking for. Then I discovered ScrollsawSegmentation.com whose work is much more like a marquetry pattern. They are also very reasonably priced. Although segmentation is quite different, using raised and painted or stained pieces, you can easily see how the design can be used to match the inlay. You can also download them directly to your computer so you do not have to wait impatiently for the mail!
2. Intarsia Pattern Sites
Many of the forms on Scrollsawsegmentation.com are actually modified intarsia plans from a site called IntarsiaDesigns.com which also offer instant downloads. Once again it is easy to see how these translate to marquetry and there are a number of different items to choose from.
3 Clip-Art site
There are many, many clip-art sites, and while I could not find a complete "image" that corresponds to what I wanted to do, you just need a little ingenuity to combine different elements into an image format. Maybe not the most naturalistic way to create marquetry patterns but good for caricature and cartoon type pieces, especially if your drawing skills, such as limited as mine!
4 Software Programs
my friend is a graphic artist who uses a software program called Adobe Photoshop which is absolutely brilliant for manipulating photos. I think it is very difficult to learn to use, but if you have a version pre-installed on your computer then why not give it a go. Another program that began life as something to stained glass making, but it is also very popular with intarsians and marquetarians of ConnectedLines.com. In his own words,
"Connected Pattern Maker is easy to learn and fun to use software program that allows you to create unique patterns of drawings from digital photographs, scanned images and clip art pictures." I have not used it myself, but it looks like just the trick.
5. Good old tracing paper!
In these days of computer and digital scanner that is easy to forget good old fashioned tracing paper. Just take a picture and trace the different areas of color. If you do not want to use tracing paper itself as a inlaid pattern can be upside down on a sheet of plain paper and rub his back, so that the pencil marks are transferred to a clean white sheet. It does take some practice to get good, but you can start with simple pictures and move on to more complex stuff as you get more confident. If you are looking for pictures to working with you more than you will ever need in books that you borrow from your local library or online, and if you have a scanner you can use your computer to be the size if needed. Just make sure you are not protected by copyright.
Well there you have it. Five Ways to marquetry patterns ranging from buying them for a few dollars to go back to your school days! I hope one of them will give you everything you need supplies while hopefully someone will actually start a dedicated web intarsia pattern. Now there's an idea ... If only I could get.