Drawing Tuesday - crumpled paper (or fabric)

It's always helpful to do a little "research" on the topic, and fortunately I found a short video which showed a drawing taking shape. I tried to follow that method. In an intense hour, I looked and looked and looked - and shaded, shaded, shaded. Every change in one area needed adjustment across the entire item. I wanted to bring out the highlights and the areas of reflected light and make the drawing bold, but always felt it was already too bold!

Done - on a sketchbook page crinkled by a watercolour on the other side

An earlier version

I was sitting near a window as the sun sometimes went behind clouds. As the light changed, different types of shadow came and went, giving yet more aspects to pay attention to.

From Jackie - This was absorbing  and challenging especially since the paper kept blowing about on the garden table

From Sue B - my 2 hour sketch of crumpled paper using HB and 4B…a good exercise for really looking at shadows and angles!

From Judith - Yesterday painted the fabric then wondered about paper and squares. Not sure if it makes the drawing easier or not!

From Sue S -  my study of a crumpled napkin. Those stripes gave me quite a challenge! Perhaps a plain white would’ve been easier!! 

From  Carol - Much respect to those of you who have included text and pattern in your crumpled fabric/paper – I was not so brave but enjoyed the folds.

From Richard - Only found time for one quick pencil sketch today. So lucky that my sketches look better when photographed!

From Janet B - After my first two crumpled pieces kept moving in the wind and eventually blew away, I resorted to a pencil case paperweight. 

From Joyce -  I really enjoyed getting absorbed in such a simple(?) subject, nothing else to distract.

From Janet K - From the archives. A still life exercise at Morley College. Ah, the days when we went to painting and drawing classes.

From Hazel - Here's my drawing of crumpled paper using biro and watercolour. Some beautiful, reflected shadows and light. Very hard to capture the subtlety of it. Enjoyed trying though! 

From Ann - Crumpled fabric over a chair from a few weeks ago. An enjoyable theme!

From Gill - Made a study with a graphite stick then another with ink and a brush (after I finished eating the sponge fingers from this packaging)

Woodblock Wednesday - end of term

In the last class of term I returned to what I started working on at the start of term -

 Enhancements of the grey layer ... rather messy in my haste (not a good idea)....

The plan is to use these to make a small version of the Japanese multi-section book that we made in the Monday evening printing+bookbinding course -

 ... and I have plenty of other possibilities for covers of larger versions -

 Lots activity elsewhere -

 including experimentation with the traditional method of transferring the key block via nori and printed paper, then rubbing off the layers of the paper -

At the end of the day, laying out the work - and passing round the strawberries that Val brought in -

 Closeups of prints by first-timers -

 ... and by the repeat offenders -

 This one is the start of a reduction woodblock - you can see the face starting to emerge -

 Cleanup....

Postscript - I hopped on the bus and went to John Purcell Papers, a warehouse near Brixton -

 and got samples of a few papers from their Japanese range -

When I feel brave, or have a suitable block, I'll try printing them -

Unfortunately the papers have to be bought in bulk (?25 sheets at a time?) and their sketchy website doesn't have a price list and definitely needs updating. 

More marbling

Day 3 of the course at City Lit started with a bit of inspiration - one of the students works with leather and had tried marbling it -

First, testing the spread of each of the three inks so as to use the one with the least flow (smallest spread) first -

  Demos of different techniques for different patterns throughout the day...

French curl (aka snail and nightingale's nest) -

 Using combs - start with a feather pattern...

 ... then hold the comb steady as you draw it -

 Spanish moire is best on thinner paper - the idea is that you wobble the paper as you lay it down -

 Our set-up (working in threes) -

Lots of papers hanging to dry -

 ... and being dried with a hairdryer, so that we could take them home with us -

This, made by Royston and shown as a detail, is the one I would have liked to take home -

 Instead I have these, A3 sized -

 ... and some skimming strips ... little landscapes ...

... surprising and inspirational -