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.
Over the past few months I've been experimenting with different ways of making marks on cloth. While I love the linear marks I have been producing with shibori and other techniques, I don't want to just keep repeating myself. So I've been shaking things up. I
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.
Hi Everyone, I’m thinking a lot about making marks at the moment. Marks on paper and cloth in this case, but I can’t help muse about the drive we humans have to make or leave our mark in the wider …
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Mark making. mixed media.
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…
Read Mark-making in Textile Art by Pavilion Books on Issuu and browse thousands of other publications on our platform. Start here!
In this project, we explored different methods and techniques for black and white mark-making. In my case, I tried various drawing media on white paper and experimented with both abstract shapes and patterns and more graphic ones. Further on, we analyzed the relationship between this type of illustration and certain words and the effect value can have on them.
Forty days of mark-making, round three. Although in fact I am on day 43, because I have several pages left in the sketchbook and want to fill it. This time I have focused on ways of changing the surface. Rounds one and two were dominated by dr
Read Mark-making in Textile Art by Pavilion Books on Issuu and browse thousands of other publications on our platform. Start here!
With Drawn to Stitch, learn creative uses of line in embroidery and textile art. Line is an essential component of all textile and surface art. When used
Somewhere in the hidden places of China, women were creating “Ge Ba”––ephemeral textile “paintings” of extraordinary beauty.
When I was told about a 4 day workshop at Bunya last year I had not heard of the visiting Canadian artist who would be leading this workshop. I picked up the message from the host that it was a not-to-be-missed event and gladly paid a deposit then preceded to get distracted with things till the call out came this year and I found online links. Nothing however could have prepared me for the 4 days of teaching I have just experienced at the home and garden of gracious host Roz who brought the wonderful Dorothy Caldwell to Brisbane to present her 'Human Marks' workshop. I've assembled the following photos as a snapshot of the 4 days... but I will post more at the studio blog soon as I wish to link to Dorothy's work and also her friend from South Australia, India Flint, who was here as well and will be doing a workshop this week at Bunya plus a book talk at the Brisbane City Library on Friday evening at 5.30pm and a showing of her work next day at Bunya. The first day was filled with lively mark-making processes... some centred around the garden. I was delighted to meet with various one's Ive met online or in person before as well as a number of new faces. The large works above were done in the garden with brushes on long sticks... free gestural works. The one just above was by Tracy whom I took awhile to realise was a blogger I had been on contact with at Soewn Earth. I'd only known her as T from Tasmania...and this person at the workshop was Tracey from Western Australia... so I was seriously surprised to recognise her as T, find she had moved to WA and that of course I was already familiar with her wonderful work! Dorothy Caldwell I used this leaf for one of my tasks... loved the unusual shape. Stitching was a big feature of the workshop and one I loved given it is all too rare I get to use a needle and thread these days despite having grown up surrounded by fabrics and threads. making pages... tables full of book making materials afternoon on the third day... a quiet but contented lot! the first book I put together last day... pages ready for the next book. This is a collection of pages from a number of the group. Dorothy gave us presentations each day on the elements that make up her practice and the inspirations for our tasks. Work above by the inspiring Imbi Davidson whom I've written about before... it was great to catch up again... above is her process for assembling her book. I'll be sure to post on her upcoming exhibition in a couple of months time. I sat next to the inspiring Sandra... lover of all things textile, flamboyant, quirky etc good conversations flowed. Will be linking when S gets her blog up...! Note green sequins in her hand... looking forward to seeing much more from this talented woman! Small books that were our first effort so much inspiration from Dorothy and everyone in the group... 14 people in all! Kellie was so inspired by India's class some years back that she is now studying full time... this was her table above ...so much good stuff going on! below: pages from books... The last 6 images are from Imbi's book... I wrote this post here on a painterly session with Imbi last year! Dorothy Caldwell at the end of the 4 day workshop. Shall pop back in with more links as promised... If ever you get the opportunity for a workshop with Dorothy its an utterly unique opportunity for engaging in multi-dimensional thinking... I really loved that there was such depth in her approach... incredibly warm, human and encouraging yet stretching nevertheless to consider many fresh ways of working. Her capacity to offer input was so subtle and yet significant... much to think on indeed. I am sure many who also attended have been musing today on what came form this hugely enriching 4 days. I'm also extremely grateful to Roz and family for the gift of excellent hospitality and organisation.... and I;m ever so glad to take away many rich memories and conversations to cherish! Now back to painting Dna images for a few days... the fascinating thing was that I worked so much in black and white at the workshop... not unlike the graphic work of the previous week! Hope your week is wonderful... deadline here so its a busy time for sure! If I am not managing to visit you will know that I am madly painting for the 18th of May!
2016 Topic 17: Making Marks Heather Hansen Well hello everyone, Darcy here with our latest topic. This one is a very broad subject, and the title alone may baffle you, but I shall attempt to clarify and give you lots of inspiration in this post. Mark making is a term used when we want to describe lines and patterns, also textures ,if they overlap. Marks can be made with any tool, any medium and on any surface. these marks can be dots, dashes, spirals, scribbles, even scratches. They can be definite and controlled or they can be loose and wild, either way marks are expressive and can convey many emotions. Sometimes these marks can represent something real, and therefore must conform to various rules regarding shape and proportion etc. Other pieces of art are totally abstract and fully intuitive. Frank Auerbach Before we start, let's see who won the Topic 16 : Beads,Charms,Dangles Challenge... Winner of Beads, Charms and Dangles is Bryan from GeezerCrafter Email Darcy to claim your prize. [email protected] So let's dive in, what is mark making, and what is the point? It is a way to open the mind to alternative ways of making art. Not everything has to be a finely tuned and thought out image. Look at the way that children create, they scribble for all their worth and they are so proud of what they create. Only as adults do we become overly concerned with how others see our creations. Children communicate through drawing before they can speak, it makes their thoughts visible. As well as developing fine motor skills. Wouldn't it be good if we could allow ourselves that freedom to be so expressive: to let our fingers take control and enable the character of a piece to develop. Stephen Lursen In the modern era we have all kinds of pencils and paintbrushes, but often just holding these can induce panic and worry over making even the first mark on a page. These tools are somehow deemed to be the tools of professionals, they cause us to freeze up and questions our abilities. Therefore mark making exercises encourage us to use different tools. Ones that give us more freedom. Try using twigs instead of pencils, or leaves,feathers,berries,flowers. Use your fingers.. use mud instead of paint. Draw on the path with chalk or squished berries. Go to the beach and draw in the sand. Try blind mark making, close your eyes: first explore the surface with your hands, is it smooth, is it rough, how does it make you feel. What can you hear or smell, is the sun warming your face or do you feel a breeze. All these things come to us more clearly when we close our eyes and shut off that visual sense. Now translate how you feel to the surface, make your marks accordingly. Express yourself, your emotions. Focus on the marks and noting else, don't try to create, just make marks. Lesley McInally There are so many tools you can use or make , let's look at some that you might have fun playing with. Of course you can still use pencils, but why just use one? South Wales Uni This has to be one of my favourite photos for this topic, any of you with children or grandchildren must try this out. I am tempted to rummage in the attic for old toys. Clare If you are lucky enough to have trees or bushes nearby, now is the time to start collecting fallen twigs. As we move into Autumn there will all sorts of twigs, leaves, seed pods that you can utilise, as well as feathers grasses and even your own hair. next time you have a haircut remember to save the trimmings. Catherine White This is a cool and very simple tool, a shoelace wrapped around a paintbrush or stick/skewer. You can do the same with elastic bands or string/yarn. Just look at the fabulous splats made by this dried flower head. , this one made me squeal a little, I love it. There are so many items just laying around that you could use, why not fill a bag or small box with found 'mark making tools' I have one, and the contents are varied; sticks, skewers, bits of fabric, mesh, pen lids, glue stick lids, bits of plastic, mesh bag from oranges, screws and natural sponges. So now we know how to loosen up, and we have our home made tools.. or whatever you choose to use, where do we make these marks ? As I said earlier you can go outside, make use of natures canvas, or you can grab a journal and turn that into your mark making place. Elisabeth Couloigner Within art there are of course general marks, but also texture can be created with marks, the most obvious one is hatching and cross hatching. There is also the technique of pointillism, where small dots of colour are used to create an image. Dots are one of the most basic marks, why not have a go at making something just using dots! I found this fun photo, a different approach to making dots, as this piece requires holes to be made into the substrate. As the holes are made from the back the paper is forced upwards, creating not just the hole/dot but also texture. Amparo Sard How else can these marks be translated into art? how are the thousands of mark making sketchbooks across the world even remotely useful? You might think them pointless scribbles, but in fact many designers use mark making as a very important resource when designing fabric for example. Not only does the act of mark making loosen up the creative juices the results of mark making can themselves be developed in many art forms. Look at these mark making experiments, all torn up into strips and arranged with other marks. This could easily be developed into fabric. Or you could use it as it is, perhaps glue to a canvas, what do you see in the marks? I think a landscape piece could evolve from these. Here you can see that marks have been cleaned up, filtered, simplified and turned into fabric. Laura Slater Mark making does not need to be restricted to working on paper or canvas, use any substrate, chisel your marks into wood, sculpt into clay or take your needle and thread to fabric. Pottery can be a fabulous substrate for mark making. Pracilla Mouritzen You can of course bring mark making into journalling and cardmaking. How? well either by making the marks yourself or utilising the many background stamps and stencils that are available. The start of this journal page is a perfect example of a really nice composition of mark making. Gorgeous colour blending really shows off the bolder marks, but look beyond the black marks, there are other marks within the layers. Dorine Sengers This card too uses mark making to fantastic effect underneath the focal images. Now I am not encouraging you to dip your hair into paint, but there are other fun ideas in this video. Perhaps encourage your children or grandchildren to make the marks, let them do the messy bit and then you use the paper in your project? that would be a fun collaboration. How else can you discover your own unique marks? The easiest way is to write your signature over and over, starting out normal and considered and letting your hand loosen up till the letters evolve. Cover the whole page, keep going until you can no longer recognise the letters. This is your totally unique set of marks. You can also make art with your fingerprints, remember no two sets of prints are alike, this would be your mark and nobody elses. I just love this collection of marks, you could easily replicate this in a patchwork way by taking small squares of your mark making and arranging them onto a canvas. Sophie Munn The emphasis over the next 2 weeks is to experiment, get messy and have fun. Let go of the worry that you must make something perfect, and in doing so you just might make the best thing ever. Don't forget to follow Darcy and Leandra's Pinterest boards if this topic pushes your buttons, you will see plenty more examples to whet your appetite there! I am really looking forward to seeing what you create over the next 2 weeks! Darcy Topic 17: Making Marks PaperArtsy Blog Challenge We'd love you to share your ideas and link up your creative response to our current blog topic. Take a minute to read the challenge guidelines below. All links go in the draw to win a voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store. The Making Marks link will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, Sept 18th, winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00. 1. The challenge is a for you to show how you are inspired by the current blog topic. Your entry should contain: - a mention of which post inspired you and why, and - a link in your blog post to that original post on the PA blog. The whole concept of this challenge is 'play along with us'. You are encouraged to put your own twist on ideas you see on our blog, do your own thing - whatever grabs you! 2. The link you put on our linky page must lead directly to the specific post on your blog where you have explored the technique/ idea mentioned in point 1 above. Don't link to the home page of your blog. 3. We prefer your challenge blog post is created exclusive to our challenge, but if our topic fits perfectly with another challenge, then you may link to both if appropriate. 4. You are most welcome to use stamps/ products/ substrates you have to hand from a variety of companies, we do not expect you to exclusively use PA products - it's lovely when you do though! 6. You can enter as many times as you like. We don't want to restrict your creativity! NB. Link closes at 17:00 Sunday Sept 18th (London Time) 7. The winner of the random draw will receive a £50 credit voucher to be redeemed on the PaperArtsy Website. The credit voucher includes VAT and postage. We request that one of your purchases is an A5 rubber stamp. You can add any other items to your basket, but the final total should not exceed £50. 8. Each fortnight on Sunday, the winner will be announced at 19:00 (London time). In the same post, the link for the next fortnight will be posted. 9. It's your responsibility to claim your prize coupon from Darcy. email: [email protected] Good Luck! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!
Another artists which I came across was Élisabeth Couloigner. She creates truly beautiful sketch books filled with intricate and stunning samples of her experiments with mark-making, Her use of mar…
With so much going on here.......later on that......I've little time to post.......however........prompted by India Flint's announcement of Dorothy's class in Brisbane at our friend Roz's beautiful setting.......I was reminded of two things........My amazing experience attending a workshop titled 'Human Marks' with Dorothy......and it's location........Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine. Soooooooooooooo..........as we all do have trouble editing these workshop photos, I'm going to give it a try.......and then divide it by two........the amazing content of Dorothy's class (and it was 2 weeks.....of that)....and the setting (next post)...... the amazingly beautiful Haystack.......... Here goes......... Our Classroom at Haystack Dorothy's 'Board' Perusing books for Inspiration Don't ask.........really don't........ My Sample Board ....just a start and one of MANY techniques Dorothy shares Workspace Portraits A gift for Dorothy..... From a really great gang o' mark makers..... Gosh we had fun!
Explore Lari Washburn's 2643 photos on Flickr!
Another artists which I came across was Élisabeth Couloigner. She creates truly beautiful sketch books filled with intricate and stunning samples of her experiments with mark-making, Her use of mar…
A happy couple of hours today spent drawing... A concertina sketchbook with a mixed media surface, using maps, emulsion, brown/graph/lined p...
imagine a shingle beach large round pebbles blue and grey the sea is rough today the tide is strong the waves roll in surf spraying the air salty and wild white and foamy the tide collects pebbles like you or I picks them up and flings them back repositioning smoothing life's lines for all time White household emulsion paint on white cotton to transfer an image. This is actually one that went wrong - but I still like it! You may see the mistake - I forgot to reverse the image at the copy stage before pressing my copy onto the paint so the text is reversed. I stuck it in my book anyway because the texture is nice. Later, you will see I used this print to play with photoshop and achieve some different looks I'm using a couple of pebbles to help keep the pages flat to photograph. The book is bulging with samples so it's hard to keep the pages open! This is a little fabric collage I made. The central panel is again transferred using white emulsion paint. I hand stitched round the pebbles in black which gave it a quilted look and feel. I stitched the central panel to silver/grey/black fabric with ripples. On top of that I added torn hand made paper which I painted grey and chiffon which I had previously distressed with heat with free machine stitch on top. I added small "pebble" beads top right and bottom left. The whole piece is very tactile and has nice textures Playing with Photoshop I zoomed in on the pebble column (top picture) and played with Photoshop. Here are some of the effects that can be achieved: Ocean ripple effect Turning the photo around from a column to a row of pebbles Accidentally blurring the photo - a complete accident but I like it! This is what prompted me to "play" The row of pebbles inverted Solarised Back with more pebbles soon Carolyn ♥
Discover the beautiful new Artists Collection by Vanessa Arbuthnott - modern rustic country cottage organic linen fabric designs
Mini Stitched Collages with StencilGirl® Stencils
Roanna Wells, Like The Wind
Catherine Kirsch has been sewing and creating with cloth for as long as she can remember, and discovered that she could create whole cloth as art.
