Spirograph designs Archives - SpiroGraphicArt https://spirographicart.com/category/spirograph-designs/ Tips, reviews, how-to information about Spirograph and similar drawing tools Mon, 24 Jun 2019 23:41:12 +0000 en hourly 1 https://spirographicart.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/cropped-site-logo-32x32.png Spirograph designs Archives - SpiroGraphicArt https://spirographicart.com/category/spirograph-designs/ 32 32 121898542 1967 Spirograph Refill Kit Patterns https://spirographicart.com/2019/06/24/1967-spirograph-refill-kit-patterns/ https://spirographicart.com/2019/06/24/1967-spirograph-refill-kit-patterns/#comments Mon, 24 Jun 2019 23:41:12 +0000 https://spirographicart.com/?p=2790 The 1967 Spirograph Refill Kit had a bunch of new Spirograph patterns with instructions, plus some mystery patterns with no pictures!

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Thanks to Thomas Alan Blalock from my SpirographicArt Facebook Page for sharing these pictures from the 1967 Spirograph Refill Kit. I didn’t even know that Refill Kits were a thing. Obviously they were a way to keep people interested in trying new patterns.

So, here are a bunch of different Spirograph patterns with instructions, plus some mystery patterns with no pictures! Follow the instructions and see them unfold.

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Vintage Spirograph Booklet from 1968 https://spirographicart.com/2018/11/20/vintage-spirograph-booklet-from-1968/ https://spirographicart.com/2018/11/20/vintage-spirograph-booklet-from-1968/#comments Tue, 20 Nov 2018 03:28:07 +0000 https://spirographicart.com/?p=2354 If you’re a Spirograph geek like me, you’ll love this. It’s a booklet from a 1968 Denys Fisher Spirograph set put out in the UK. Ron Peters from the Netherlands kindly photographed every page so we can all learn from Continue reading →

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Vintage Spirograph boxIf you’re a Spirograph geek like me, you’ll love this. It’s a booklet from a 1968 Denys Fisher Spirograph set put out in the UK. Ron Peters from the Netherlands kindly photographed every page so we can all learn from it.

My favorite thing about this book is how it teaches you some basic principles about making Spirograph designs, then encourages you to improvise. Maybe, as it says, you can create a design that no one else has ever seen.

The writing style is relatively literary, compared to the minimalist writing found today. The booklet walks you through the different things you can do with one ring and one wheel, and takes you to the most difficult designs using two racks.

Vintage Spirograph box coverThe older sets had one particular property that got lost sometime in sets made in the 1980s and later. The alignment mark was halfway up one side of the tooth. If you turned a wheel over and drew the same pattern again, it wouldn’t line up exactly. But this could be used to make a denser pattern. This feature is described in the booklet, and some designs are shown that use this technique.

This set also came with some sheets of paper that were divided in squares for drawing your nicest designs. The rings had lines that aligned with the squares, as you can see in the diagrams in the booklet. You could easily use them to make patterns with both rings, aligning them carefully with the squared paper.

Denys Fisher, by the way, was the inventor of Spirograph, and vintage UK sets carried his name. Sets made in the US and Canada did not, nor do the modern sets made by Kahootz Toys.

Thanks Ron, from all of us, for sending these photos and your observations!

Click on an image to see the slideshow of all the pages in the booklet.

Cover of 1968 Spirograph booklet

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Vintage Spirograph Swing Marker Mystery https://spirographicart.com/2018/08/13/vintage-spirograph-swing-marker-mystery/ https://spirographicart.com/2018/08/13/vintage-spirograph-swing-marker-mystery/#comments Mon, 13 Aug 2018 01:44:12 +0000 https://spirographicart.com/?p=2279 Maybe you can help Ron Peters, who wrote from the Netherlands, with a mystery: EDIT: Aug. 13: See the bottom of this post for an update! I (re-)discovered spirograph the 25th of June this year when I bought the starter Continue reading →

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Maybe you can help Ron Peters, who wrote from the Netherlands, with a mystery:

EDIT: Aug. 13: See the bottom of this post for an update!

I (re-)discovered spirograph the 25th of June this year when I bought the starter pack with one ring and six wheels. The set was exactly the price of a pack of cigarettes in the Netherlands. I gave up smoking that day, successfully, and am very much involved in spirograph.

I have meanwhile gathered a collection of spirograph sets with the money I would have otherwise spend on smoking. Amongst them one from 1972 with a swing arm. Regretfully without the instructions, and I am very curious on how to use that piece. I have to admit I can not figure it out myself.

My question would be if you can help me out, or otherwise ask the visitors of spirographicart to clarify the “mystery”.

Swing Marker in tray

The mystery piece, labelled “SWING MARKER”

Note that the mystery piece has no teeth!

The only clue I see is on the cover of the box. It says ‘New “swinging action” designs!’ next to an unusual pattern:

Obviously this is a piece that didn’t make it to the next edition of Spirograph. If anyone has a booklet for this set, or can imagine how to use the toothless mystery “swing marker” piece to produce the design above, please let us know in the comments!

Here are the box cover and the rest of the set.

Apparently Spirograph can help you give up smoking! Congratulations, Ron!

EDIT August 13:

After looking at a photo referenced from a comment below, I had a “Eureka” moment about how it works.  You don’t need a swing marker, folks, unless you want reproducible results and recipes to follow.  I’m more of a slap-dash experimenter, myself.

It’s all about drawing a pattern while the ring is attached with only one pin (can’t do this with putty) and swinging between stops you’ve set with other pins. Bizarre, yes.

I’ll make a video when I get a chance (not for a couple of days at least). Meanwhile, I’ll share a picture of my initial experiments:

First try swinging spirograph.

Some totally different designs can be obtained.

Note that I’m using a corkboard here as a working surface to stick the pins in, as I described in one of my very first posts on this blog, before the new Spirograph or Wild Gears came out. I can imagine the pivot pin will wiggle itself out in time, probably more quickly if you’re using a corrugated cardboard backing.

Video coming in a few days. Meanwhile, give it a try!

 

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Designs with Two Racks: Instructions & Videos https://spirographicart.com/2017/01/16/designs-two-racks-instructions-videos/ https://spirographicart.com/2017/01/16/designs-two-racks-instructions-videos/#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2017 15:12:04 +0000 https://spirographicart.com/?p=1892 Ready for a Spirograph challenge? I didn’t get into the two-rack designs as a kid. Maybe I tried it once and found it too difficult; I don’t remember. But a request for some videos about them prompted me to sit Continue reading →

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Two rack setup with pins

Two rack setup with pins

Ready for a Spirograph challenge?

I didn’t get into the two-rack designs as a kid. Maybe I tried it once and found it too difficult; I don’t remember. But a request for some videos about them prompted me to sit down and give it a try.

The result is four videos (below), each one dealing with a different design.

Page 7 of the old Kenner Super Spirograph manual

I followed the instructions in my old Super Spirograph manual (image right). I have prepared PDFs of this page that you can download and print. Choose 8.5 x 11 (North America) or A4 (elsewhere).

The first video shows me first attaching the racks with “Spiro putty” (poster putty). Normally I prefer the putty, but I decided to use pins in this case as they make it easier to position the racks correctly. Note that I’m using a corkboard with the pins.

Not all the new sets (by Kahootz Toys) come with two racks. The Deluxe set has only one; the Tin set has one; the Die-cast set has none. However, the new Super Spirograph has two racks, as do the old Kenner Spirograph and Super Spirograph. See a detailed chart of what’s included in some of the sets here.

These designs are more complex and require a lot of concentration. However, I am now quite curious about experimenting with this method and creating some new designs!

If you try this technique yourself, feel free to share your experience in the comments below.

I’ve put my four videos in a playlist so you can watch them all together.

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Spirograph Video by Mahesh Pendam https://spirographicart.com/2017/01/06/spirograph-video-mahesh-pendam/ https://spirographicart.com/2017/01/06/spirograph-video-mahesh-pendam/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2017 18:23:29 +0000 https://spirographicart.com/?p=1880 Here’s a video I found on YouTube by Mahesh Pendam, an artist in India. He does amazing photo-realistic art and portraiture, so Spirograph must just be a sideline. If you’re new to Spirograph and are trying to figure out how Continue reading →

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Here’s a video I found on YouTube by Mahesh Pendam, an artist in India. He does amazing photo-realistic art and portraiture, so Spirograph must just be a sideline.

If you’re new to Spirograph and are trying to figure out how to make it work, or you just like watching patterns unfold, you’ll enjoy this video. It has been speeded up, so don’t expect your own efforts to go so quickly. Take your time!

Here are links to Mahesh Pendam’s website and Facebook Page, so you can show some Spirograph love.

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More Drawing with Spirograph Die-cast Collector’s Set https://spirographicart.com/2016/12/11/drawing-spirograph-die-cast-collectors-set/ https://spirographicart.com/2016/12/11/drawing-spirograph-die-cast-collectors-set/#comments Sun, 11 Dec 2016 22:52:39 +0000 https://spirographicart.com/?p=1328 While making the video about the unboxing of the Spirograph Die-cast Collector’s Set, I had some extra footage which I’ve compiled into another video. Two of the patterns are included in the instructions with the set. For the third, I Continue reading →

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While making the video about the unboxing of the Spirograph Die-cast Collector’s Set, I had some extra footage which I’ve compiled into another video.

Two of the patterns are included in the instructions with the set.

For the third, I took out my felt pens and drew on the outside of the ring, then added an inside pattern to match. Added some music, and here you go.

Parts of the video are speeded up.

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Video: Drawing on the outside of the ring https://spirographicart.com/2016/11/06/video-drawing-outside-ring/ https://spirographicart.com/2016/11/06/video-drawing-outside-ring/#comments Sun, 06 Nov 2016 14:45:09 +0000 https://spirographicart.com/?p=1278 Have you ever drawn designs on the outside of a Spirograph ring? They’re called epitrochoids, as opposed to hypotrochoids which are drawn inside the rings. Epitrochoids have their points on the inside and big arching swoops on the outside. You Continue reading →

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Video screenshot with titleHave you ever drawn designs on the outside of a Spirograph ring? They’re called epitrochoids, as opposed to hypotrochoids which are drawn inside the rings. Epitrochoids have their points on the inside and big arching swoops on the outside. You can fill a letter-size paper if you use a large wheel, as I did in the video below.

How many points will you get? It depends on the same mathematical formula that determines the number of points of a hypotrochoid. You don’t have to do the math, though. Just use this Table of Spirograph Points in the reference section of this website.

Once you’ve drawn your epitrochoid, try drawing a design inside the ring to match it before you take the ring off the paper, as I did in the video.

Here’s another idea: use it as a picture frame or greeting card with a photo or message on the inside!

You can also draw an epitrochoid around another wheel, rather than a ring. Try it.

Drawing around a Spirograph rack, or around open shapes made with Super Spirograph parts, also creates epitrochoids, but that’s a subject for another video.

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New Basic How-To Spirograph Video! https://spirographicart.com/2016/11/02/how-to-spirograph-video/ https://spirographicart.com/2016/11/02/how-to-spirograph-video/#comments Wed, 02 Nov 2016 19:48:39 +0000 https://spirographicart.com/?p=1273 Get tips and tricks to drawing with Spirograph by watching this intro video made for beginners.

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I’ve had a lot of new subscribers to my YouTube channel in the past few months. So I thought I’d make a new introductory video on using Spirograph. I took the new Deluxe Set and went through the different parts of it, how to attach the spiro-putty, how to hold the pen, how to make the wheel go round, and talked as I drew three different designs.

I’ve kept the footage in normal time, not speeding it up, so you can hear me talk and see exactly what I’m doing. I’ve been spirographing for so long that it’s hard to put myself in the shoes of someone new to Spirograph, so perhaps a video is worth 1000 words – or 1000 subscribers, the number my YouTube channel reached on the day I posted the video.

Then I made three designs. The first two patterns are similar to ones in the instruction booklet, but with different colors.  The third design is one I made up on the spot. The video shows my thinking process in choosing what to do next – and when to stop.

This video is especially for people who are new to Spirograph. If you find it helpful or have questions, I’d appreciate hearing about it in the comments here or on the YouTube page.

Buy the Spirograph Deluxe Design Set here  (affiliate link to Amazon)

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Vintage Super Spirograph Booklet https://spirographicart.com/2016/06/19/vintage-super-spirograph-booklet/ https://spirographicart.com/2016/06/19/vintage-super-spirograph-booklet/#comments Sun, 19 Jun 2016 14:50:43 +0000 https://spirographicart.com/?p=1203 I followed a link from the Wikipedia article on Spirograph to this user manual for Super Spirograph. It’s in French, Dutch and German. Thanks to Stephanie Molina who posted it on Scribd. It’s 39 pages of vintage goodness, including many Continue reading →

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I followed a link from the Wikipedia article on Spirograph to this user manual for Super Spirograph. It’s in French, Dutch and German. Thanks to Stephanie Molina who posted it on Scribd.

It’s 39 pages of vintage goodness, including many patterns you can make with the non-super Spirograph. Plus it has ideas for taking them further into artistic creations of your own.

Many of the designs are familiar, but there are some that I don’t remember from any English-language manuals. Perhaps they were part of some of the earlier Denys Fisher versions out of England.

Even if you don’t read any of the languages, illustrations and the color-coded text can guide you in creating the designs yourself.

A particular charm is that the patterns are obviously hand-drawn, complete with misalignments and splotches.

Apparently Spirograph was distributed in Europe by Meccano France S.A., as shown by the trademark at the bottom of the document.

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Intro to the Bar Wheel https://spirographicart.com/2016/06/05/intro-bar-wheel/ https://spirographicart.com/2016/06/05/intro-bar-wheel/#comments Sun, 05 Jun 2016 17:29:15 +0000 https://spirographicart.com/?p=1195 The bar is the oddest “wheel” that comes with Spirograph sets. This video is just an introduction to it, demonstrating hole 1 in both rings. With ring 144/96, the bar produces a 12-pointed pattern. With ring 150/105 it makes 21 points. So using Continue reading →

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The bar is the oddest “wheel” that comes with Spirograph sets. This video is just an introduction to it, demonstrating hole 1 in both rings.

With ring 144/96, the bar produces a 12-pointed pattern. With ring 150/105 it makes 21 points. So using the Table of Spirograph Points, we see that it matches wheel 40. However, at it’s largest diameter it’s bigger than wheel 40.

If you’ve been avoiding the bar, I hope this video will encourage you to give it a try.

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