Machining Work for an "Artist"...Is It Possible?

I do the 'artist' thing all the time, and it works well for me. But then I'm left-handed and think in pictures. YMMV. ;)

I can't be bothered with taking the time to make drawings, because to be honest, I don't need them. If you do, fine. But don't bash someone who does things differently than you do.
 
I think the whole point of this is that someone else is controlling your hands. I don't know anyone who is comfortable doing that no matter the labels you may want to use. I really don't think that it gets any simpler than that. And when you think about, I do not know of any artists that use someone else's hands. A painter learns to paint, a sculptor learns to sculpt, and a potter learns to mold clay.

Now, with the items that can be made by machining, drawings can and should be made if you are to convey your information to another individual to make them. Like wise with drawings to be made, there is a process for that. Sketches and models need to be made to convey the concepts to you so that you can make working drawings. Those ideas can then be refined and the drawings changed. But to have someone controlling you to control the machines is very frustrating and uncomfortable. And like I said, I don't know of anyone with the demeanor to allow that situation to exist for very long, again labels aside. Interesting discussion everyone.

I guess I have not seen any bashing going on in this thread. Someone will need to specifically point it out to the staff. It just looks like another healthy discussion here.
 
An 'artist' or 'tinkerer' (as I like to think of myself) does not delegate. How would anyone else know exactly what I want, when I myself am not sure? :)

EDIT: I wasn't accusing anyone of bashing a member here. I was thinking of the OPs dislike of the methods his friend/artist uses, and 'bash' was not the word I should have used. Sorry. Disagree would have been more appropriate.
 
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RandyM said:
And when you think about, I do not know of any artists that use someone else's hands. A painter learns to paint, a sculptor learns to sculpt, and a potter learns to mold clay.
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Yes and no. It depends on your definition of "artist". What about, for example, an architect? Many would argue that Frank Lloyd Wright was an "artist", I would, but he didn't build his buildings himself. Enzo Ferarri has been described as an artist whose medium is not paint and canvas, but automobiles. And do the sculptors who put giant welded steel sculptures in parks do all the fabrication themselves? Often, the act of creation is concurrent with the fabrication, but it doesn't always have to be that way.
 
wrmiller said:
I do the 'artist' thing all the time, and it works well for me. But then I'm left-handed and think in pictures. YMMV.

I can't be bothered with taking the time to make drawings, because to be honest, I don't need them. If you do, fine. But don't bash someone who does things differently than you do.
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Me too;)
 
FanMan said:
Yes and no. It depends on your definition of "artist". What about, for example, an architect? Many would argue that Frank Lloyd Wright was an "artist", I would, but he didn't build his buildings himself. Enzo Ferarri has been described as an artist whose medium is not paint and canvas, but automobiles. And do the sculptors who put giant welded steel sculptures in parks do all the fabrication themselves? Often, the act of creation is concurrent with the fabrication, but it doesn't always have to be that way.
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Again, you are focusing on labels and definitions. I feel this discussion is beyond that at this point. And well, I did say I didn't know any, which means that I haven't met the ones that don't mind. I am also a little disappointed you chose just one small line from my entire post to put it out of context. The rest of my post explains exactly your point.

Also, your examples are at a whole different level and situation than what this thread is discussing. Industry has these types of situations defined with procedures and processes to make them work. I think we can easily get carried away increasing the scope of this discussion. I don't think that is what the OP intended though.
 
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FanMan said:
What about, for example, an architect? Many would argue that Frank Lloyd Wright was an "artist", I would, but he didn't build his buildings himself. Enzo Ferarri has been described as an artist whose medium is not paint and canvas, but automobiles. And do the sculptors who put giant welded steel sculptures in parks do all the fabrication themselves?
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I am not sure which side of the discussion you are backing......with all your examples I am certain that if not full drawings, then _at least_ sketches were made to convey the concept to the builders. The artists vision has to be communicated to the builder.
-brino

BTW: What a great, friendly, self-moderated discussion. I am enjoying it.
I see many of these characteristics in myself and others that I do work for.
 
I visualize what I want to build, I work out the steps to build it, I find the material that will accomodate the shape (s) I'm building and I translate those thought to the material, does that make me an artist, or an artisan. Shoot, I always thought of myself as more of a philosopher.
 
Labels are useless when describing those of us collectively involved in this hobby. We are the "Breakfast Club" of those who work with their hands. Each one of us is an "artist & laborer", a "teacher & student", a "craftsman & intellectual", a "perfectionist & a hack" and a "leader & follower".
 
:encourage: Ironside.

Did we scare off the OP?
 
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