Inspiration: Spirographs
Back in the days before Nintendo and Playstation, kids entertained themselves for hours with wonderful toys like the Spirograph. At one point in the late 60’s this was the hottest toy on any kid’s Christmas list. Skip forward a couple of generations and a whole bunch of creative people are again finding inspiration in the humble Spirograph.
Check out some of these lovely Spirograph inspired designs:
Artist Greig Anderson has created this poster set, inspired by childhood memories of Spirograph.
Jewellery designer Miette creates these beautiful spirograph inspired necklaces
Richard Sarson makes these intricate drawings using a compass and ink
... and they’re so tasty you can eat your dinner off them …
Here’s some inspiration from our own talented RedBubblers:
Spirograph by Julie Bernabe
Everyday is Like Sunday by Ashleigh Barron
Spirograph by Mandy Moore
Spirograph by Marco Recuero
If you’d like to explore this further, you might be interested in these links:
- John Bowers: A lesson from Spirograph
- A Gallery of vintage Spirograph toys
- Basic technique for creating Spirographs in Illustrator
(should work in Gimp and Photoshop too) - How to Create Vector Spirograph Designs
- Create a full spectrum Spirograph in Illustrator
- Online Spirograph generator
If you don’t have time to create a work of your own, perhaps you can help us by having a hunt around for some more inspiration or by linking to your favourite examples of Spirograph inspired artwork.
Jan Piller
I used to love spirograph!!! I had the most funky wheels than anybody else in the neighbourhood! This brings back memories! Now I’m gonna have to find a spirogrpah on ebay – can you still get them?
community replied
Looks like they’re quite common on ebay! I think prices may have gone up a little since they first came out ;)
Lorraine Creagh
Oh dear, this is fantastic. Spirograph was my favourite toy…if you can call it that. I Still have it around the house after nearly 40 years. Thanks Nat for all those great links.
DeviousLili
I was a decade late for the Spirograph craze. By the time I was old enough to appreciate one, we were playing with Cabbage Patch dolls and listening to our AM-FM walkmans and wearing legwarmers.
community replied
Yes … but did you have one of these?
DeviousLili
Sure did! Haha! My son has one, now. I got him one of the originals. Replicas generally suck.
Sylvia Gonzales
Gone are the days!! Memories… Like the corners of my mind ..hmm hmm hmm…LOL Awesome! Thank you for that Blast from the Past!! Those designs were great!!
coppertrees
Great links, I also played with one of thoes Spiros. Many hours of fun…
Jeannette Sheehy
I LOVED my spirograph with all the different coloured pens. Thanks for the memories. :)
MoxieNox
What a way to bring back those precious memories! I remember getting one of those Spiros for Xmas.. Great topic for the inspiration to go around. I’ll defintely give this a shot, but…
umm.. I tried the link to look for the tutorial to make Spiros in Photoshop, but the link took me to the page for Illustrator tutorial. eeek! lol. I couldn’t find that eclipse button in photoshop…
community replied
Oops – sorry MoxieNox. It’s been a long day! You should be able to do the same in Photoshop using the rotate tool but I’ll have a hunt about for a Photoshop tutorial too …
Ingz
I had a box just like this one! lovely memories Nat…thank you xxxx
robpixaday
WONDERFUL WONDERFUL post!!!!!
Lots of good memories and SUPER new ideas!
I’m trying to figure out INKSCAPE right now (EEEEEK!!!) and will take a ittle GIMP “Spirograph” break to relax!
thanks again!
Joanne Bradley
This is so cool and yes indeed brings back memories of a lot of fun! Really like the grown up versions in jewelry and china!
Lynsye Medalia
I want to play with a spirograph and an etch-a-sketch sooooooo badly now!! :)
Faizan Qureshi
Oh my, I remember that as a child! I used to love drawing with it.
MsKimberly
Oh, I used to love these…and I think I would love them even more now! May have to head to ebay!
Virginia N. Fred
Well I never had one as a kid but I remember my dad making them so I have decided to make one today here is the link to it My Version of Spirographs I guess it will work lol thanks so much for the inspiration
Nancy Stafford
that great… I use to have it too.. I loved . it would be great if they had them somewhere
if the do let me know.. it was one of the funiest toys. back in the sixties
robpixaday
OK, I tried them! YAY! Did one in GIMP, then changed it…
(I hope I did that link right)
robpixaday
Linda Ridpath
ahhh, etch-a-sketch…. what a pain they were!! :>))
Lois Romer
I also had a spiro graph they where fun, Does anyone remember those yellow plastic extenable thing that was used to copy a drawing or picture. you put a pencil in one end and the other end you traced around the item and it would copy to another piece of paper. to early in the motning for me to think but i am sure on of you fine bubblers will know what i mean.
Jon C
Yep I remember the `copier’ Lois, and from what I remember of it, invariably it would slip as you got to the final part of what you were copying Arrrggghhhh!!! Does any remember the other `must have’ toy around the same time as the Spirograph…the Rolf Harris Stylophone?
Lois Romer
Klackers where also popular when i was a kid, to hard balls on string that you clacked together.
Paul Louis Vil...
How cool! A friend and I were discussing something similar to this just the other day… The Harmonograph
Photomojo
I love this post, thank you so much for all the memories you generated!!! I had both the spirograph and the etch-a-scetch… Thanks for all the links!
Lori K.
Lois – I remember those Klackers! Played with them for hours and drove the family crazy with the noise! LOL.
Lori K.
I loved Spirograph! I had many “creations” and of course the folks thought everyone was special and hung my artwork somewhere in the house. Does any remember using the foil-like pieces instead of the plain paper? If this ole memory serves me correctly, it left more of an impression of a design than a colorful one.
Jon C
Also, some time later a similar idea to the spirograph developed for pieces of art using nails and thread. You created the basic design you wanted with the nails, then wound different coloured threads around the nails `cris crossing’ to fill in the design from what I can remember.
RandyLMonteith
For those of you with cameras try this – Take a small flashlight and hang it from the ceiling lock your shutter open , sometimes its called Bulb setting on some cameras, then focus on the point of light , lay the camera underneath, then give the flashlight a push so it starts to make circles and then it will settle into SpiroGraph like traces of light , try different coloured filters on your camera , different angles not just right underneath the flashlight
Have fun!
Randy
Lois Romer
Yes John i made several of those thread and nail pictures. How about the stuff made with copper, where you pushed the design into the copper so it stood out 3D. I also had a fashion design kit where you chose a head/body dress pants etc and put paper over the top and rub pencil accross and get the design.
tkrosevear
Was one of my fave toys, thanks so much for the links, nice flashback ;) xoxox
Samantha Bailey
Check this out from the Tate Modern online shop – http://www.tate.org.uk/shop/product.do?id=29654 – I picked one up when I saw them there in London a few years ago, it lives in the drawing set my nieces & nephews use when they visit – they love it!
Cheryl DeLong
I loved my spirograph set and my etch a sketch.
Sharon Perrett
OMG, instant memory christmas 1969, loved my spirograph, bought my daughter a younger childs version, was not as good.
Soxy Fleming
well I have a spirograph set in the cupboard! it is a bit tricky getting pens that work in the holes though….anyone got any suggestions? I used to spend hours on this thing as a kid and when I saw a set at a market I had to get it for Fleur. I’ll dig it out and pop a photograph of it here
Globalphotos
I had one of these, available now in Toy stores, fads always go in circles and this was a good one :-)) Was great fun!!
Elana Bailey
I loved my spirograph but I had one in the 70’s as a kid. I would spend hours and hours creating loads of pretty patterns. Many thanks for the wonderful memories. Cheers Elana.
Duncan Waldron
@community:
“Yes … but did you have one of these?“
Never mind that, did you have one of these?
Pip Gerard
Ooooh Spirograph!! I remember them!! I just adored them.
Thanks for bringing on the nostalgia. Happy times! :D
retepk
Fantastic. I used to have one back in the Sixties. I wonder whatever happened to it. The wonderful designs you could do with it, I think, stand the test of time.
Cheers.
MoxieNox
I found couple tutorials for Photoshop. It took me a bit a while to find the ‘rotate’ button, lol but I found it! Yay! I’m going to give it a shot this weekend. Thanks for the inspiration.
Spirograph photoshop tutorial on video
Spirograph Photoshop tutorial