Preparing bell decorations demands knowledge about structural characteristics of these instruments. Big format reliefs suit the best on the most flat Surface of bell because it allows to avoid unnatural deformations of relief on bended bell areas. The smaller reliefs with ornaments don’t limit us as much as big ones and we can place them in many other parts of bell without consequence of serious deformation. Still you should keep on mind that it is very thin border between reach ornamnetation and overloading bell with decors. That’s why I suggest to keep only essential artworks on bell and limit stuff which aren’t necesarry.
The size of bell relief also has meaning – the portrait needs to be done in different scale than silhouette depiction. The placement of ornament also shouldn’t be random – different bell areas need different solutions which must be specified before any works are done. The canons (part of bell using for hanging it directly to headstock) also has own rules in the area of decoration. Sculptures done on canons shouldn’t stand out of the surface much to avoid further problems in bell fixing. The arms of canons have their own specified thickness and it can’t be thinned to keep it stable.
The way of treating ornaments depends also on the size of instruments. For smallest bells the ornamentation won’t be as detailed as on huge instruments.
Usually bells placed on towers aren’t visible so to allow the audience to see their beauty it can be done copy of ornaments placed on bells and cast in alternative matherial like plaster, and then showed in glass-cases.
