So, I was trying to recreate this David Yurman bracelet, you know, the cable one? I thought it would be a fun little project to try and 3D model. Here’s how it went down.
Finding References
First things first, I needed pictures. Lots of them. I scoured the internet, looking at product shots, anything I could find really, just to get a good sense of the details. I wanted to see how the cable twists, how the end caps are shaped, everything.
The Modeling Process
I fired up my modeling software . This is where the real work started. I decided to go with a curve-based approach. Basically, I created a helix to mimic the overall cable shape. This was kinda tricky, getting the spacing and the twist just right took some fiddling. I spent a good hour just tweaking the helix parameters, going back and forth, making small adjustments.
Then I needed to create that signature cable texture. I could have sculpted it, but I opted for a different method. I modeled a single “strand” of the cable, then duplicated and rotated it around the helix. It was a bit tedious, but it gave me a lot of control over the final look. I’m not gonna lie, my computer started to chug a bit at this point, all those little strands, you know?
The End Caps
The end caps were a whole other challenge. I used some basic shapes, cylinders and spheres, and started to block them out. It was a lot of pushing and pulling vertices, trying to get that smooth, rounded shape that David Yurman pieces have. I kept going back to my reference images, zooming in, trying to capture every little detail. I probably remodeled them, like, five times before I was even remotely happy.
- first time: Too blocky
- Second time: Too Smoothy
- Third time: Too Small
- Forth time: Too Big
- Fifth time: Get it
Almost There…
After getting the basic shapes down, I added some smaller details, like the little grooves and ridges on the end caps. These were tiny, but they really helped to sell the look. I’m still not 100% satisfied, honestly. There’s always something you can tweak, something you can improve. But for a first attempt, I think it’s pretty *’s not perfect, but hey, it’s a learning process, right?
Anyway, that’s my little David Yurman modeling adventure. Now to figure out what I should try next.
