John and I had a fun day in the studio recently. We both wanted to do a bit of experimental mark-making, to explore new ideas. John is looking for inspiration for his printmaking and I thought it would be interesting to play with marks and compositions which could be the starting points of new drawings or which might possible translate into textiles. We gathered lots of tools and then made a few new ones, looking for anything which would make an unusual mark if dipped in paint: We decided to stick to black and white, so we could concentrate on marks and tone. I mixed up a tub of black acrylic and got out some Platignum Calligraphers Black Ink too (a good non-waterproof ink, as it separates into pretty colours when wet, rather than just going grey). I found an oil bar and some liquin too, which is great for smearing not just oil bars but also oil pastels. Plus a Derwent Inktense block and grater (tiny gratings can be scattered onto wet paper or sprayed with water for speckled effects). We both put on latex gloves and set-to on a big piece of cartridge paper each. It was such fun - no pressure to make something which 'works', just pure experimentation. This was my first sheet: I am particularly interested in randomness, so many of the new tools we made were designed to make the marks more hard to control. To add to the random element, we both cut up our sheets into equal pieces, using pre-decided measurements, not aesthetic judgement to create the sections: I like the way it changes things when you isolate a section. The emphasis on the various elements changes, because of the enforced edges, and you start to get interesting things happening with composition. On my 2nd sheet, I started with some large marks in a grey emulsion, to create a new element of contrast. I made a new tool too - a piece of corrugated card to print with. You can see the marks top right: I cut this one into squares. As the paper's dimensions didn't divide exactly into squares, this allowed me a slight element of judgement, as I could move the composition of any square a centimetre or two to the left or right. I then selected the best 6 squares from the 9 created. These are my favourites. It's surprising how well they work just as they are, but you can also see how they could be taken into print or textiles. It would be fun trying to find ways to reinterpret the marks and tones in the different medium. I can highly recommend this as a very enjoyable way of exploring new techniques and getting new inspiration. The randomness is important though, as a way of forcing you not to be too controlling and letting unexpected things happen. John did some experiments using blotting paper, which he tore into strips. Even the offcuts were interesting, which I saved as we were clearing up. The beautiful blue is the Platignum ink: Even my offcuts were quite interesting: Have a go. Even before we got drawing, it was good fun making the tools from odds and ends we found around the studio, taping them to bits of stick and then finding out what marks they made.
If you are stuck with how to add tone to your artwork, pay reference to the mark making sheet attached. There are a number of ways to add tone – you don’t always have to use the side o…
There’s a lot around the house that students can experiment with and incorporate into art projects. Here are some of our favorites. Paint materials • Drawing tools • 3D • Collage Paint materials Flower PetalsMost colored flower petals can be rubbed into paper to make lovely patches of color. TurmericMix turmeric with a bit of water and […]
Utilizing handmade brushes and tools, Thomas explores mark-making and motion through graphic swaths of ink that he splashes, moves, and pulls across the paper's surface.
Mark making is a fundamental part of creating a painting or any piece of artwork. Discover what mark making means and how artists use it in their art.
There’s a lot around the house that students can experiment with and incorporate into art projects. Here are some of our favorites. Paint materials • Drawing tools • 3D • Collage Paint materials Flower PetalsMost colored flower petals can be rubbed into paper to make lovely patches of color. TurmericMix turmeric with a bit of water and […]
Sometimes, just sometimes, it feels good to just really let go and play. And I mean really let go. At the moment I am creating with...
Explore Kyra Bermejo - 1055245129's 20 photos on Flickr!
As a child, like most children I drew constantly, mostly from my imagination. My father ran a shop and I would be placed on a high stool in the corner with a pile of newsprint and crayons. My mother worked as a secretary for my uncle, an architect in Holborn. During the holidays I would […]
2020 Topic 5: Mark Making Hi everyone, Keren here with a topic that's nearly as intriguing as it is simple. From the moment we first held a crayon or paintbrush, we have been making marks. As children we were instinctive and free and as we develop, it seems that mark making becomes more complex and we hesitate often, trying to make the 'perfectly correct' line, dot or dash. When we think about it at its simplest level, it's certainly something that we can all attempt. I suspect that freedom to make marks with spontaneity rather than over-thought might make for more joyous pieces of art. From early cave-drawings to sprawling graffiti, mark making is not devoid of expression or emotion. Boiled down to its essence, a singular mark may not tell much ( although some artists would beg to differ), but the mark has been described as the 'language' of the artist (Lynette Ubel) and can distinguish a piece of art as belonging to us. When I consider mark makers from the PaperArtsy family, my thoughts immediately wander to Seth Apter, who is well known for his marks and delicious layering of paint and colour. This photo is actually of one particular stage in the process but you can see the marks so clearly, I thought it was a great introductory visual. Those of you who know the PaperArtsy family of designers well, will know that many of the designers give a solid nod to mark-making among their stamp designs. PaperArtsy Blog One of the first decisions you'll have to make involves how you're going to create the marks. There are many ways of crafting your own 'brushes'. Here's a few handmade ones. Art Propelled You could create this tool using an item normally purposed for cleaning.. Elizabeth Schowachert Art Or this collection of 'brushes' Paintdrops Keep Falling Once your implement is chosen. What substrate do you use? Are you making marks using quicker movement or some intentional gauging? Rapid short strokes or long gentle swathes of ink? I love this piece by Jacqui Fehl. There is real life in her strokes. So many examples of mark making are often in black and white, so this vivacious piece is a treat. Jacqui Fehl Instinctive mark making can produce freer responses. This artist closed her eyes and using one hand to feel for the edge of the paper, moved her body slowly down the wall, allowing the motion to guide her marks. Jane Grisewood Moving back to implements, I thought this technique of using a leftover mascara wand is a good option for the environment. We'll be stockpiling all sorts of objects now! Rae Missigman Calligraphers make careful marks, often bound by rigid proportional rules. This example shows a freer side to letter creating and using pen and ink can produce angular marks. Barbara Close Often the marks will be the focus of the piece, but this clever design uses marks to define areas and bring shading. Look closely! Inna Heller It's easy to think of marks as short collections of lines or dots. Mark making can involve fluid motions that result in spectacular dynamic pieces. Anna Sheffield Heading back to the PaperArtsy blog, Emma Godfrey has lots of stamps with mark making in mind. This piece of hers combines lots of different mark making techniques. PaperArtsy Blog Combining different concentrations of colour and direction makes for exciting marks. I love this piece. I Am Japanese This art journal is a great example of different types of marks. The splatters, brush marks, pen work, random painted edges and more. Saadia Nawaz Changing medium completely, there's a technique in ceramics called Sgrafito that involves scraping lines into clay. This artist has also built up part of the clay after making the marks. Eunice Botes More gauging, but this time into lino. Such beautiful lines and great contrast. Viola Dardar Mark making on fabric can come in different forms. This piece shows making marks through spraying over elements (washers), and using different fibres and stitches. Varying the width and type of fibres results in beautiful soft marks. Cheryl Lennox If we can use any substrate, what about the human body? Etching marks into skin with ink is the essence of tattooing. Not all tattoos could be described as beautiful marks but this example is an unique style. chenje.newtattoo We can't forget about gel plates in this mark making topic. Gel plates afford so many ways to make our mark. Whether it's through stencils, texture transfer, marking the paint, adding objects or stamping, this is a versatile technique. Lynn Bailey This next piece shows a gel plate print using really effective scratching into the plate. Jane Davies This next example is one of my favourites. A lively stitched piece using so many marks to build up texture. It reminded me of book binding stitching too. Stuart Shils I hope there is plenty here to get you making marks along with us. They can be simple or complex, tentative or confident, but the main thing is to explore how you express yourself in ink, paint, pottery, fabric or more! If you want to create along with us, please share on our social feeds so we can see what you get up to. The best places are Instagram @paperartsy or post in PaperArtsy People Group on Facebook. Make sure you tag us in your contributions, we love to see what you get up to in your creative world!
