I trained as a Fashion Designer. I never kept a journal,I had an ideas book and that consisted of sleeve heads, collars, hem lines, colour combos and textiles. All the components that I would need for designing clothes.
Being a fashion designer you are so aware of clean lines, precision cuts, measurements, pattern cutting and decimal points. The detail is everything and in that you can become very strict with lines, fluidity never really existed for me except if I was creating something with drape.
So, this whole process of just letting yourself go, (that is in art, HE! HE!), only really became apparent when I switched from fashion to graphic design, where I could play with creating little critters.
So the whole creating characters etc, has been the creative life I have lead now for over 12 years, but I suddenly realized, like some great epiphany that you need days where you are just playing with paper and paints. It takes you outside your comfort zone, it's scary, there are no rules, just see how it goes....
So, sit comfortably and let's begin.....
Blank page, getting over it!
Being a fashion designer you are so aware of clean lines, precision cuts, measurements, pattern cutting and decimal points. The detail is everything and in that you can become very strict with lines, fluidity never really existed for me except if I was creating something with drape.
So, this whole process of just letting yourself go, (that is in art, HE! HE!), only really became apparent when I switched from fashion to graphic design, where I could play with creating little critters.
So the whole creating characters etc, has been the creative life I have lead now for over 12 years, but I suddenly realized, like some great epiphany that you need days where you are just playing with paper and paints. It takes you outside your comfort zone, it's scary, there are no rules, just see how it goes....
So, sit comfortably and let's begin.....
Blank page, getting over it!
I have no idea where or what I am going to end up with but ripping different papers is where I start.
Using Winsor and Newton Artists' Acrylic Matt medium I just start applying a thin layer in sections of the page and stick the bits of random paper down wherever I feel. Covering the surface with more Matt medium.
A hairdryer in the studio becomes an essential item to dry the layers quicker.
I don't like so much of the text showing through, so decide to cover in bits of tissue paper, again using the matt medium.
It needs some prettiness to it.....
Using K and Company scrap paper I found a very pretty neutral type of design by the fabulous Brenda Walton, and add patches of that.
At this point am I just making a mess?
Perseverance is key!...
Whatever it turns out like, I am enjoying the whole process of thinking it through!
Using Liquitex matte gel and a stenciling brush, I just brush the gel over certain sections so as to keep the brush-strokes and bring out the hairdryer again....
Out comes Winsor and Newton titanium white, yellow ochre and burnt umber. I don't have a sheet of glass, so I just use an old lid, and brayer.
Just added smudgy rolls in the ares that I felt needed it.
I used a distressed pad of peeled paint to certain bits like the corners. Getting my hands dirty with moving the paint around a little.
Still needs a little something, using Golden's Acrylic Glazing liquid and green gold, I get the stencil brush out again and just kind of touch up areas...
OK, I'm at the stage it needs some kind of image, but what??
I've been drawing quite a lot of foxes recently for the collection for Cinnamon Joe, so it seems appropriate.....
I actually decided I wanted the image bigger, so I scanned the image into my computer, enlarged it slightly and printed it out.
OK, the layered textured surface is not opaque, so I have to do a reverse drawing to get the image onto the background.
Get out the trusty charcoal!!
On the reverse of the image I created the charcoal outline.
I actually quite like the roughness of this charcoal image!
Anyway, onwards and upwards.....
Tape the background onto a board using pretty washi tape I bought on my last trip to Tokyo!!
Now the image with the charcoal on the underneath needs to be taped down, scribbled image facing up...
I held a large brush over the image and used it to lean on so that I didn't smudge the background and with a ball point pen I drew out the scene.
I really like the grainy lines that charcoal leave behind, but again let's keep going and see where we end up....
Using Golden's Zinc white and a little water I start painting in the white bits, dry them and then another layer...
I am happy to stop at 3 layers of white...
Now for the foxy reds!!
And finally the rest!!!
Last but not least it needs the fine detail, so with a ball point black pen I add bits here and there and TA! DAH!!!
Hey Foxy!
So looking forward to next week's Doodle Day! Don't know what I will be creating but it doesn't really matter.
