Part one Surface Distortion Project 2 Tearing and cutting Exercise 1

Exercise 1 Cutting central space

Using A4 paper I cut strips into the centre.  This could then be bent to make the negative spaces as wide as they would go by pushing the ends towards each other.  This made quite a substantial piece and when connected together at the edges reminded me of paper lanterns.

I then twisted alternate strips inwards.  These stayed in place reasonably well and I think gave a more interesting form to the sample. 

I next used corrugated card and cut strips into the centre every 2cms leaving an edge either side of 3cms.  As I expected this made quite a sturdy piece.  However it was difficult to manipulate into different shapes so I thought not successful for this reason.

I then tried using a piece of brow paper from a paper bag that I had painted on one side.I cut strips half a centimetre apart leaving 3cms at each edge.  This produced a very flimsy piece.  It was much easier to manipulate than the card and the A4 paper.  However it was much more fragile.  I think this was due to the size of the strips I had made.  I did like the the almost rough but delicate effect that I got when fastening the edges together and pushing down on the paper.  The strips formed in different directions and I liked the look because of the different shapes that formed in the negative spaces. 

I wondered what would happen if I used a fabric.  I chose to use a metallic effect mesh fabric.  This of course was very flimsy at the outset and I did not have much hope of the piece standing firm on its own.  This was right but because of the finish on the mesh it could be manipulated and squashed nicely into interesting shapes.  I decided to stitch some thread along each strip weaving it between the holes in the mesh.  I thought this may put more substance into the piece.  It did but very little.  What I did like about this piece was the lovely shadows that occurred as I was photographing it.  I decided to lay it onto my sketchbook and trace along the lines in pencil.  I had seen how to do this shadow drawing described by Donne Swift in the book Stitch Stories by Cas Holmes. I thought it worked well and I was able to see how textures could be built up in this way.

I continued by cutting into plastic.  The plastic was a plastic insert for a file.  Although it was easy to cut into it was very difficult to manipulate.  I cut a piece that had two and a half centimetre strips one centimetre from each edge.  This made a piece that could be twisted into different directions but was not was not substantial enough to keep the twisted form and kept ending up into a flat piece. I think this was unsuccessful for a few reasons - the property of the material, the width of the strips being too wide with to small an edge.  It was able to stand freely when I taped the edges together and again when photographed made a nice shadow because of the light filtering through the plastic and the small gaps.

I made a smaller piece in the same plastic that was 10cms in length.  I cut strips 1cm wide 2cms from each end.  This showed the same properties as the larger piece although because the strips were thinner I was able to twist some of them inward and these held when the piece was taped together at the edges to made a cylinder.  When I photographed this I liked the shadows that were formed where the light was filtering through it rather than the actual structure itself.  I think the reason for the plastic pieces not being as successful as previous is the nature of the material.  It was more unyielding than the paper and fabric.

I decided to go back to fabric and chose a piece of felt.  The felt was very soft and easy to cut.  I cut strips 2cms in width leaving 3cms at either end.  It was as I expected a very flimsy piece but one that could be manipulated very well.  I could twist it and particularly liked it when it was placed on a surface then pushed down from the top and the strips pushed outwards.  I think I liked it because it kept its form, looked substantial although it was very soft to handle.

I drew the samples in my sketchbook and this helped me see the negative spaces in them.  I did like the shadows that were made when I photographed them and did more shadow drawing.

 Paper

 Paper alternate strips pushed inwards

 Corrugated card

 Corrugated card

 Painted brown paper

 Mesh fabric

 Mesh fabric with thread running through

 Interesting shadows from mesh fabric

 Plastic

 Plastic

 Plastic twisted interesting shadow

Felt

 Felt

Felt

References

Holmes, C. (2015). Stitch Stories. Pavilion Books.

Vyzoviti, S. (2006). Supersurfaces. Corte Madera, Calif.: Gingko Press.

Greenlees, K. (2005). Creating sketchbooks for embroiderers and textile artists. London: Batsford.

Part 1 Surface Distortion Project 1 Folding and Crumpling Exercise 5

Exercise 5 Basic crumpling technique


For this exercise I used an A3 size heavy weight tissue paper. I followed the instructions at the beginning of the exercise regarding the repeated crumping and part opening of the tissue.  I really liked the way the paper began to give and became very soft and pliable.

I created a single rib and was surprised at how the paper kept the shape.  I then made a series of ribs along the length of the paper.  This gave it an interesting texture because of the soft valleys and mountains formed by the ribs along with the creasing from the crumpling earlier.

I then made ribs from a central point.  This again gave an interesting structure and kept its shape well although made from tissue paper.  I think that the crumpling at the beginning of the exercise seemed to give structure to the paper although overall it has a very soft delicate feel.

The paper was moulded over a flower shaped paint pallet.  This made a very good surface creating lots of undulating edges and dips.

I then crumpled the paper again and folded it over at intervals over a cone that held knitting ribbon.  This gave more height to the surface but not as firm a structure and collapsed in places. 

I then rolled the paper at intervals over a roll of thread and created sausage shaped ridges over the length of the tissue.  This was a good surface texture but not as interesting as the surface created with the paint pallet.

Next a pin cushion was used to mold the tissue over at interevals.  This made a very successful series of rounded shapes but again I felt not as interesting or exciting as the one I created using the paint pallet.

During the exercise I drew the results into my sketchbook using different media.
I found it difficult at first to draw the crumpled tissue because of the many edges, lines and shadows created by the crumpling.  I remembered then that I could break the drawing down into mark making and not get bogged down with trying to replicate the paper exactly.  This made me free up in my drawing and I really liked to use the soft tipped fibre pen.  I feel this helped me to get the essence of the lines of the paper and some shadow.

I also found that using different papers for collage helped me to create the texture I wanted to show from the crumpled tissue and then the added wash of ink to add some shadowing. 

I enjoyed this exercise.  I think because I like texture and can see that this can be created by working and re-working a material t get different effects.

 Single rib

 Multiple ribs

 Ribs from central area

 Molded over paint pallet

 Molded over paint pallet

 Molded over cone

 Molded over thread

 Moulded ove

 Molded over pin cushion

Part 1 Surface Distortion Project 1 Folding and Crumpling Exercise 1

Exercise 1 Linear accordian pleats

I began this exercise using plain white A4 printer paper.  This worked well the folds feeling sturdy and crisp.  Once folded the paper kept the shape well.  I did a number of samples using printer paper changing the width of the folds.  The paper kept its shape well no matter what size the folds were.  I liked the interesting way the shadows changed along the folded valleys in the paper showing up more particularly when the folds had been made wider.

I folded gift wrapping paper.  Although holding its shape well the paper was not as substantial as the printer paper and I would describe it as 'floppy'.  

I then folded heavy duty vilene.  Although this was more difficult to fold than the printer paper the folded edges were crisp and stayed in shape.  The vilene was very sturdy and would not collapse when handled roughly as the paper would.

I felt I wanted to work with some colour so folded tissue paper, painted kitchen roll, painted tea bag paper, painted bondaweb applied to card, foil and a photograph that was of a very textured surface printed onto photographic paper.

The tissue paper and kitchen roll kept the sharp edges of the folds but had no substance.  They were very flimsy but nicely soft to hold.

The card with painted bondaweb applied to was very substantial and would lend itself to being manipulated into a cylinder.  The painted bondaweb gave an interesting texture to the valleys of the folds.

The foil was interesting because I found it easy to fold and manipulate.  It seems to have each of the qualities I found from the paper and the card.  Quite substantial but easier to manipulate than the card.

The photograph was also substantial and although difficult to fold kept its shape well.

I folded white cartridge paper with accordian pleats and manipulated it into a cylinder.  This held the structure well and was easy to fold and create the cylinder.

Again I wanted to work with some colour so bonded strips of coloured muslin to fusible heavy duty vilene.  I then folded the piece into accordian pleats and manipulated this into a cylinder shape.  I tied the open edge with the strips of muslin that had been left free at the end of the vilene.  The folds held well but are softer and not as crisp as they are on the cartridge paper.  I like this effect and like the muslin tied at the edge as it adds more softness to the piece.

I used printer paper to fold shaped paper.  I like the effect the shadow had on the folded mountains as the folds became smaller when folded towards to thinner end of the paper.

The shadows became more apparent to me as I studied the pieces to draw in my sketchbook.  

Printer paper

Printer paper

Gift wrapping paper

 Heavy duty vilene

 Tissue paper

Kitchen roll

 Card applied painted bondaweb

 Photograph

 Painted tea bag paper

 Painted card

 Foil

Tissue paper

Cartridge paper

 Cartridge paper

Cartridge paper

 Fusible vilene applied muslin

 Printer paper

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYVKU1AFao4


References

Miura-Ori Origami Tessellation Tutorial. (2015). [image] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYVKU1AFao4 [Accessed 17 Sep. 2015].

Independent Lens Between the Folds. (2015). [image] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gynsE184d0 [Accessed 25 Sep. 2015].

Documental. (2015). [image] Available at: Independent Lens Between the Folds. (2015). [image] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gynsE184d0 [Accessed 25 Sep. 2015]. [Accessed 25 Sep. 2015].