Saturday 21 August 2010

Sketchbook Project VIII

In the last sketckbook post I suggested that you could also stencil directly onto the white page.

Which is what I've done here using Markals and a toothbrush again.

I then added a wash of water based colour which gives a more subtle shadowy effect than when you stencil onto a ready coloured page.

And if you use different colours, it looks different again.

The point here is don't just try each technique once and think that's it... try it it with different colours, different media, different images etc. As always it is about exploring and playing to see how far you can take each idea. By starting with one of your initial drawings and developing it in this way you are exploring design ideas such as shape, colour and line, which in turn will help develop your design ideas when translating them into textiles. This in turn will make your finished work much stronger... trust me!


An example of this type of playing occured when I wondered what would happen if I stencilled onto this piece of recycled wrapping paper (I never throw wrapping away!)

I chose a stencil colour to blend with the glitzy foiling on the paper and then stuck it down in my sketchbook.

Then I washed over the whole image with toning colours.

I love the way the resulting image shimmers and shines, catching the light... like a precious piece of Indian textile. I'm not sure where I will take this idea but I have visions of shimmering brocades!


I'll be back tomorrow with some stitching that has resulted from this exploration of the poppy seedhead shapes. (I'm not sure why it still says Saturday at the top of this post... I've changed the post options three times now but it keeps reverting back!)

18 comments:

  1. Gina, I'm really loving your sketchbook posts - I need all the help I can get in that area and you have such good ideas and such lovely results! I wish someone would put together a little booklet or something for people like me who need this kind of inspiration - there are so many textiles and mixed media books out there and some talk about keeping a sketchbook but not like this! Well done and thank you!!

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  2. I've only recently found your blog and am really enjoying your sketchbook project posts. I've tried quite a few, maybe one day I'll be brave enough to share them! Many thanks
    Su

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  3. Gina I just love this especially the page with the wrapping paper. Looking forward to seeing the stitching that this inspires! :)
    Vivienne x

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  4. I'm loving this thread in your blog, it is truly inspirational, thank you so much Gina.

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  5. Wow -- that's quite a wrapping paper transformation Gina -- very, very cool!

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  6. Those blues and purples are delicious Gina ....i never throw ANYTHING away ...........x

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  7. This looks so exciting, I can't wait to get home and look on a real computer. I can't believe the 1st of September is next week. Please Miss can I have some more time?

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  8. This is a really beautiful effect! Lucky me, I've got a piece of this gorgeous paper to play with :) Thank you so much for all these ideas. I promise to get started on them soon.

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  9. This is a stunning effect! I just need to encourage people to buy me fabulous gifts so I can play with the wrapping!

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  10. That's lovely- I think it's my favourite so far!

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  11. wow -such lovely sketchbook experimenting. I love working with old papers and have a whole bag dedicated to them which is growing by the moment!

    Look forward to the stitching :)

    Amelia.x

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  12. I love the images anyway, but most of all when they make it neatly into your sketchbook - simply stunning.

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  13. Wonderful sketchbook work. My favourite must be the lime green and mauve one.

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  14. I love what you've done with the foil wrapping paper. Was it a coloured ink wash you used?

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  15. How brilliantly inventive, I've been working on some sketches with your ideas in mind and used a sparkly piece of tissue paper, I think I'll have to paint over it now and see what happens, thanks so much for sharing your ideas.

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  16. I love these colors together and to me it looks like you have created a batik.
    Analisa

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