On this 'Live Project' page I'll be showing you the entire working process of creating
a layout page from the first inklings of an idea, maybe the starting point is a 'found object',
through the gathering of materials, design layout options and choice of design,
to creating the finished page. I'll also share my thought processes with you
and explain why I make certain choices. I hope you enjoy watching the work in progress -
it will be updated regularly as I work through each stage and do the photography.
If you would like to comment or question at any time then do contact me HERE
THURSDAY 11th MARCH 2010
Welcome to the first 'live project'. The starting point for this layout is the predominantly yellow
and white seed bead necklace and lovely though it is I'll never wear it, it's just part of my
beadwork collection, so I'd really like to incorporate it into a page. To go with it I've found some pieces
of chinese paper that I bought in the Chinese Quarter in Birmingham, England ages ago, they use this paper
to burn in ceremonies so it's a pretty poor quality paper really, has a piece of silver foil almost randomly
stuck on it and it's then overpainted with a loose brushstroke of orange ink... such freedom - beautiful!
The other paper I've chosen is saved from my guilding supplies, they are orange tissue paper separators
and would normally be discarded - but I'm a hoarder, and not only that but it's a part of something paid
for so why ditch it? The two sticks are red and orange sealing wax which I like using to create finishing touches,
and you can make special themed seals.
I'm not sure where this is going yet, all the choices so far are to do with a yellow, orange, red colorway
- but there are also some tiny little blue beads in the points of the necklace, and blue being the contrasting
color might mean that my designs will need a bit more blue. Let's see where it goes.
I'll be updating again soon with images and thoughts on the designs. See you soon, Shirley.
TUESDAY 16th MARCH 2010
Hi again - well it took me a bit longer than I'd hoped to get back to you, things to do always - brilliant!
Now this was an interesting experience for me... drawing with you guys looking over my shoulder, my drawing went
all tight and I didn't want to show you the first drawings, but I decided that it would be a good thing to show
you that everyone struggles sometimes and not to be put off. You can also tell by the writings that I had you all
in my head and so I wasn't really working freely, too self-conscious!
The larger drawings are freer and use color and also are not confined by little boxes, so I was able to spin out if
I wanted to making the designs larger, witness the radiating sun rays edged with blue dots.
I looked on the 'net to find images of sun symbols and read some interesting distractions about other elements being
associated with the sun like: bronze, gold, ruby, diamond, topaz; and in cosmic power terms symbolizing life, power,
strength, energy, force, clarity, self... food for thought! Some creatures are also connected with the sun, the spider
being one such, and I thought how similar to a web this pendant is!
I also started to think about what the sun does, (or perhaps more correctly what the Earth does in relation to the Sun),
rising and setting each day... more ideas could come from this in terms of my layout.
Did you know that the Thesaurus also has quotes? That's where I got the quotes from Elliot and Shakespeare.
The last pencil drawing is the freest of all, proving that we need to do lot's of rough drawings to keep our hands free.
If you have the book, The Raw Scrapbook, then refer to the section on drawing. If not, then draw lightly at first, try
holding your pencil not like a pen but like a stick, and just make light gestures, mere suggestions of what you have in
front of you physically and in your mind's eye, then increase the power of your line when you see something that you like.
Also jot down words and phrases that seem appropriate.
In the next session you'll see the chosen design either complete or at a certain stage, I'm not in a hurry because I want
to make a sun symbol too for the sealing wax.
Speak again soon - Shirley
WEDNESDAY 17th MARCH 2010
Do you remember those games where you have to 'spot the difference'?...
I chose the layout that I wanted to work with, the last loose pencil drawing. I wanted to create an open, airy simple
layout, with fresh clean lines - must be spring, so take a look at the design layouts and see how they have built up.
The first was very 'thin', I had given myself a very meager palette so I've added a cutout from a magazine that reflected
the energy of the sun necklace, the colors are warm greys mostly, I decided it would be good to look for other magazine
pages in this colorway to darken it. I have a huge stash of World of Interiors magazines which I bought over from England
to France, it did seem a bit barmy at the time but I just couldn't bare to part with them, now they are proving to be invaluable!
Then you can see layers gradually building up, enriching the image. You can probably see that I'm using torn edges, which
I prefer as they have a softer appearance, more organic, as opposed to a cut edge which is machine like and cold, not at
all appropriate for a sun image. I'm sure more things will change before I decide that it is ready to stick down.
Also I'd like to knock the brightness back, create a richer appearance by using either a pale stained varnish or maybe
a very thin color wash.
The blue in the bottom corner is interesting and contrasts very well with the red dot which symbolises my sealing wax -
but it does rather steal emphasis from the sun, and so may be tucked away elsewhere to be used in some other project.
Thinking about it NOW, 'on the hoof' so to speak, perhaps I'll lose that altogether and look for a large planet earth instead.
Well, I'm sure you all have your own ideas about what you would do under the circumstances and quite right too, you can
mail them to me if you wish, I would be interested to hear, or SEE (contact me HERE), if you'd like to create a page along similar lines.
Thanks for reading, speak again soon!
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