Diploma Module 1 Chapter 3 - Texture and Surface Relief Study...continued

Extending the idea in Image 58, I made ridges in a sheet of white paper using a crimping machine. As the paper passed through the machine I also made some folds in it.  Using tracing paper I cut out gulls from the crimped paper using the design in Image 54, ensuring the crimp lines were always aligned with a line through the head and tail. These gulls were stuck onto black card.  As I manipulated the paper, because it was crimped, it stretched and so didn't fit as snuggly as before.  This meant some parts of the gulls were raised from the paper - to good effect, as it gave the design a feeling of movement (Image 65). Note the image was lit from the side to highlight the contours.

Now meet Godfrey-Long-Legs (for obvious reasons), my gull made at a paverpol sculpture workshop http://www.paverpol-uk.co.uk/ (Image 66).

When the body of the gull was completed, I coated distressed strips of scrim with paverpol and laid these on the body to give the texture of feathers (Image 66A).

Hoping to replicate this idea, and also the folds produced by crimping, using Mod Roc (from Seawhites) I sewed four rows of running stitch and pulled these up to gather the material.  This was gently soaked in water and left to dry.  (Note: When you stitch, loose Plaster of Paris drops from the Mod Roc.  Cover your surface as it is very messy.  You might also want to wear rubber gloves.   Also try to avoid inhaling the powder.)  Image 67 shows the result...not very promising.

Image 68 - gull cut from corrugated paper covered with gesso.  The crimps are more pronounced than those produced by the paper crimped using the machine.

Image 69 - gull silhouette made from climbing plant wire.  Good shadows!

Image 70 - gull in the style of a Day 3 contour sketch (Image 71) from a Ten Day Drawing Course (I'm not sure if I interpreted the instructions correctly but I liked the result I obtained.)  After bending the climbing plant wire in this continuous design I wove more wire through it.  I liked the result and felt it was on route to abstraction.  Also good shadows.

Image 72 - plaited climbing plant wire to represent feathers.  More good shadows!