Module 1 Chapter 8 (page 13)

Collections of lines

Taking a Line for a Walk

This was fun to stitch and it was interesting to try to create the same kinds of lines in the original drawing - the cartwheel shapes were the most challenging to complete.

Taking a Line for a Dance

 

This sample was more interesting to stitch, as I think that the shapes I drew were more interesting. Stitching lacks the same kind of spontaneity that can be achieved with a pen or pencil and curved lines can become quite 'jerky' if you lose concentration!

Mark Making

This sample was created with different parts of a paintbrush and black ink. I quite like the effect created by the dry brush where the hairs has separated into two 'prongs'.

 

This sample was created with black ink and a toothpick. I didn't like the different effects I achieved at first, but looking back at it a few days later could see some potential for lines to stitch, as the toothpick made quite fine lines on the page.

These thicker lines were created with a natural sponge and black ink, used by dragging the sponge across the page and by dabbing the paper. I can't draw much inspiration for stitching from this at the moment - maybe the lines are just too thick?

 

This sample was created with a foam 'wedge' artists' brush. I don't really like any of the thicker lines, but some interesting effects have been created by using the side and end of the brush and dabbing at the paper. These might become interesting patterns to stitch in the future...

 

I used a cotton reel for this sample, which resulted in some interesting patterns when the end was used. I particularly like the effect of overlapping the prints.

The above effects were created with a lolly stick and a pipette - I tried to recreate some of the taking a line for a walk/dance shapes from earlier in the chapter to see how they would differ. Using ink and a pipette meant that some of the lines were thicker or narrower, depending on how much ink escaped from the end of the pipette!

The final sample was created by using a twig that I found in my garden. Using a natural material gave a more dynamic feel to the lines, as the twig wasn't a uniform shape or width, like some of the other instruments used.

Mark Making

The crayon made lots of different types of marks on the page - thinner ones by using the tip and thicker, softer ones by using the side. Being soft, I was able to make quite 'fluid' lines with the crayon that flowed across the page.

I used a soft 6B graphite pencil and a carbon pencil to create the marks in the above picture. The 6B pencil created quite soft, gentle lines, but the carbon pencil was quite 'scratchy' and I was able to achieve more 'spiky' marks, as well as softer, curved lines.

I used charcoal to create the lines in the first picture above. The marks are quite thick and dark, but I was able to achieve different effects by using the edge of the charcoal stick or the sharper edge.
The second set of lines were created by using an 8B pencil. I was able to create thicker, softer lines or thinner ones by using either the side of the lead or the tip.



The lines in the pictures above were created by using black pens. For the first sketch, I used a very fine tipped artists' pen and was able to create very fine lines that would transfer easily into stitching. I quite like the 'scribble' in the lower left hand corner as it is quite dynamic and energetic. I also liked the effects created by the brush felt tip pen. These marks were thicker, but I was able to create different effects by using varying pressures and different parts of the nib. The brush felt tip also felt comfortable to use and I think there is quite a lot of potential for ideas to stitch in this sketch.

I tried stitching some of the marks I had made with the toothpick, sponge brush and felt tip. I used zig zag stitch to create some of the thicker lines, both with the feed dogs up and down on the machine. I preferred the effect created by using free machine embroidery, as this gave a more free 'artistic' feel. Ialso went over some of the stitching two or three times, as this gave the stitched marks more energy and impact. Although I preferred the thinner lines when drawing, I found that I enjoyed stitching the thicker lines more when sewing!

Lines with Emotion

Stitched Lines with Emotion

This is my sample of lines with emotion, using my drawings above as a design. Some of the lines were easier to stitch than others (the  curved or more simple designs). For others, I had to make an interpretation of the original sketch,as the lines were too complicated to follow exactly. I don't think that this really made a difference to the final effect, as long as the emotion I wanted to convey was still present. I think that 'anger' and 'anxiety' were the most effective samples. I sewed over the lines in  'anxiety' a few times, and this gave the stitching a stronger, more effective result.

My least favourite was 'excited' as it was difficult to recreate the sponinaety and flow of the original sketch.