Back to College

It is good to be back, but to a different studio - on the 4th floor rather than the basement (& the lift's not working - wheeze - it'll make me fitter!). Lots more light & some stunning views across the countryside - I'll take photos of the view next week - to one side, St. Ives, round to another side, St. Agnes beacon & further around to the Basset monument on Carn Brea.

This week's work however is all about TEXTURE - how to show texture on a flat surface, demonstrate it & really build effects.

first some samples - in monochrome black & white using pencil, pastel, paint, sand, wax, tissue, moulding paste, glue, scratching, rubbing, splattering ... marking paper & marking into other marks - layering one medium over another

This is the state of my desk:

At the top is my sketchbook with marks on tissue stuck in - this exercise lead onto the other bits lying around on my desk, especially this:

yup, a rusty, decayed looking piece of junk. It's actually part of a road sign where the steel beneath the plastic coating has rusted out so badly that it burst through the plastic. I collected a piece of the plastic, the inside is most interesting. Bits of green algae, rust spots & staining - loads of texture & colour.

So what have I got to do with this?

1. take a piece of bread and butter paper (bigger than A1 size) and tear out the outline of my decayed "object" to fit the paper.

2. using paint, tissue, sand, wax, pastel, pencil...modrock, whatever! - recreate the surface texture on the piece of paper.

Not scary at all then!

Here's some "practice" bits (c'wise from left)

modrock stuck to paper and painted with soft pastel, Koh-i-noor dyes

modrock stuck to paper and painted with soft pastel, Koh-i-noor dyes & oil pastel

sand stuck to paper with wax

I really like the way that the soft pastel blends into the modrock plaster with water & becomes quite a subtle layer of colour that can be built upon. The wax and sand is great, but will probably need to be used towards the end & in moderation.