M3 Chapters 1-2 - Research for Spirals And Design Work

Back to colour for Module 3. My research and initial design work for the first two chapters are together on my working pages.

 

I chose yellow and violet for my colours, I noticed lots of yellow leaves while I was in the garden taking photographs. I coloured some pages in my sketch book using Brusho - I've coloured more pages as I have dyed fabric etc. with any left over dyes.

 

For this module I tried to think of other ways to colour paper. I made a sample page to start.

 

 

I used Markal sticks, Jacquard Lumiere, oil pastels, crayons, Gleam and Pearlex. I then tried to use the techniques to colour some paper. This is a selection, I also coloured a lot of tissue, abaca paper and some larger sheets as well.

 

 

I was particularly pleased with this one, I used a photocopied old map for the background, Markal sticks and Pearlex.

Whenever I hear the word spiral I immediately think of the work and writings of Friedensreich Hunderwasser. So I started by looking at some of his work.

 

Hunderwasser had some interesting thoughts about spirals. I tried to draw some spirals thinking about how he viewed them in life, and I cut some spiral shapes. I particularly like the 'square' spiral and decided to cut one of my drawings up and rearranging the pieces to make a new design (top left).

 

Next I went out to take some photographs in my garden and indoors. I focused on natural spirals. I had a lot so picked out the ones I found most interesting and moved onto drawing, and making 2D shapes.  I found the twisted tissue paper was great for making simple shapes and held together well. I enjoyed looking at positive and negative shapes and thinking how I can cut the spiral up to rearrange it, or overlap several.

 

I then wanted to look at some man made spirals and looked at some of Antonio Gaudi's architecture which I have seen when I have visited Barcelona.

 

 

I made some 3D shapes from cardboard. I struggled a bit with this, thinking about how to cut and roll the shapes. However, it was a worthwhile exercise in that it is helpful when making 3D objects to have practised how to form shapes.

 

 



 

I mono printed several papers - here is a selection - using a Gelli plate. Some were more successful than others.

 I'm not particularly keen on computer drawing, although I made a couple, but I did go to town with spirograph! It's possible these designs could be used on fabric by using a fabric pen.