Chapter 3 Texture and Relief in Paper

In this chapter various different textured surfaces were selected related to our local beach.
I looked through photographs previously taken, copied and manipulated them using the Drawing Package on this PC or Paint.NET.
Some of the photographs are slightly different from the manipulated images in earlier chapters. 
The selected images include: 

1. Ripples in sand
2. Ripples around a rock
3. Pebbles on the beach
4. Shell in with pebbles
5. Groyne – a. barnacles on wood; b. Seaweed
6. Tracks in the sand – paw prints or vehicle tracks
7. Steps accessing the beach

The samples below are in order as worked. 
Using different white papers suited to the image, scrunched, torn, folded, rolled, gathered, layered and stuck down with PVA glue.  Some were placed on black background to highlight the contrast of the black & white photographs, others on white backgrounds to pick up on shadows, and some on both black and white to see how they differed.  Techniques and comments are written on each A4 sheet and each is accompanied by a copy of the manipulated image for comparison.
Insert 7 Steps accessing the beach

Insert 6 Paw prints

Insert 1 Rippled sand

Insert 2 Ripples around a rock

Insert 4 Shell in with pebbles

Insert 5a Barnacles on wood

Insert 5b Seaweed on the groyne

Insert 3 Pebbles on the sand

In some ways the techniques used became more complicated or took longer as I worked on each sample.
I tried to match the original as best as possible.  I didn’t think of using alternative attaching techniques other than glue, but would try others especially when manipulating fabric.
It was fascinating trying out different methods.  I’m quite pleased with the papers selected and image made.
It was particularly difficult getting the shapes in 4, but there was lots of texture, using an awl to make holes.  I enjoyed making both textured surfaces for the groyne. 
H&S rules need to be kept when using the awl and craft knife.
It would be interesting trying different papers other than white on another occasion, possibly related to a seaside environment.   

Module 5 Chapter 2 Paper Relief Investigations

Having collected a range of different papers, did various investigations to see how they tore, ripped, scrunched, folded, gathered or pleated to give different textures.
Investigation 1: Tore strips off the paper, folding and creasing samples
Investigation 2: Rip, fold and scrunch nine papers each to fit into 1/9th of a piece of A4 card
Investigation 3: Manipulating white tissue paper
Investigation 1: Tore strips off the paper, folding and creasing samples

• Selected several papers in white or neutral colours with varying thicknesses
• Divided A4 sheet of black paper into 4
• Used PVA glue on a plastic surface
• Spread glue using an old credit card
• Labelled each with a white felt tip pen

Having selected a number of papers, tore a piece roughly the size of the quartered A4 sheet.
Tore one strip with the grain, tore one piece with the grain, remaining piece creased in pleats as best as possible.
For each black quarter, PVA glue was spread across the top for the pleated sample, in the middle for the torn piece against the grain, across the bottom for the piece torn with the grain.
Each were labelled with the type of paper and whether the strip was against or with the grain.
Insert all samples in sequence

The easiest to tear and pleat were those thinner papers.  It was interesting seeing the background paper showing throw where the paper was a single sheet stuck down.  The more difficult, those that were thicker especially the corrugated card.  This I expected to easily fold with the dips but it proved difficult to stick down, the pleats choosing to fold where they wanted rather as I chose! 
Paper tore much easier with the grain.  When tearing against the grain there were often interesting edges indicating different layers to the paper.
Investigation 2: Rip, fold and scrunch nine papers to fit into 1/9th of a piece of A4 card

• Selected 9 papers of different thickness from those used in the first investigation, tearing them into A4 size
• Divided an A4 card into 9 sections
• Used PVA to stick down the scrunched and folded papers, spreading the glue with an old credit card
• The sections were labelled on the back of the card

In clockwise order there is kitchen paper, greaseproof paper, brown wrapping paper, white tissue paper, white cake box card, newspaper, crepe paper, waxed food packaging, Khadi paper (hand made)
Insert photo of papers on the A4 card

Comments
Kitchen paper easily scrunched into the space and like the additional texture on the paper
Greaseproof paper crunched reasonably easily into the space and like the cracked creased effect
Brown wrapping paper, had to scrunch and manipulate a lot undoing and re-crunching before it was soft enough to fit in the space
White tissue very easily scrunched into the space, with some of the background showing through between the folds
Cake box card proved very difficult and gave up.  I rather liked the veined effect, with some texture along each.  Cut a piece 1/9th of A4 and stuck it down!
Newspaper easily manipulated with different folds and dips
Waxed food packaging took a lot of manipulating.  Highly textured with sharp creases
Khadi paper in the centre also needed a great deal of squashing and manipulating to fit the space.  Highly textured but wit a soft effect almost like suede.
Investigation 3: Manipulating white tissue paper
For this investigation black and white was used to completely contrast

• Selected white tissue paper for the next series of samples paper generally the same size as the black paper
• Divided A4 sheet of black paper into 4
• Used PVA glue on a plastic surface
• Spread glue using an old credit card
• Used some different tools to cut the tissue, pinching shears, hole punch
• Hand stitched gathered paper using Madeira white quilting and stitch thread (larger strips of tissue)
• Machine stitched gathered paper using same thread

Insert all samples in sequence

White contrasted more sharply when creased or folded as stuck down, with the black standing out where glued flat sheet areas
Often interesting tonal changes across each sample
Liked using the glue to shape ripples when tissue attached to black paper, creases gave wonderful veined effects.
Different ripple effects with tearing paper, cutting paper, rolling and layering torn strips
Hole punched paper contrasted well with 1” cut and rolled pebbly texture and 1cm squares cut, scattered and overlapped one another
Hand stitched gathering produced extra textured surfaces as pleats, with some variation between those with close stitching against those with longer stitches.  Circles of paper gathered along one edge were quite fiddly but provide yet another texture like the barnacles on the groynes in Chapter 1.  Need to make sure one end is held in place as pull the thread to gather the paper.
Machine stitched:  Used running stitch 6 setting for length.  The first set were closer rows to the second set.  Used double layer of tissue which allowed the paper to stitch and feed through smoothly.  Single sheets caused difficulties.    It helped turning the stitch at one end of a double row to hold in place pulling with the top thread to gather.  (Does not work so well trying to pull both threads). In each sample the threads indicate how the gathered tissue was placed on the paper, in the direction of the stitching or across.  It was quite difficult making smaller pieces of gathered paper.
Additional samples
While investigating the different papers also came across different materials already textured which might be useful to use in textured work.
Insert A4 sheet with different labelled samples

Its amazing how there are so many ways of manipulating paper to form different textured surfaces.  At the back of mind I was also considering those that might be of use when producing a seashore landscape.

Module 5 Tactile textures Chapter 1 Texture in Landscape

Having done a topic web around the subject of ‘Texture in Landscape’ I chose to explore a local beach on the north Wales coast: Old Colwyn.
Colwyn Bay has recently seen interesting developments and improvements to the promenade and beach, with sand having been dredged in from sand banks out at sea, the building of a new water sports centre and plans to renovate and develop its Victorian pier.  I chose Old Colwyn part of the beach yet unaffected by the changes, which has a lot more variation on the sands with pebbles, rock pools, ripples in the sand and old groynes, rusted railings and interesting steps to access the beach.
I have also researched on the Internet and in books other beaches around the British coastline, but chose to stay local.
In this chapter:

1. Colour photographs showing the landscape
2. Close up photographs in colour then manipulated on the computer showing

• rock pools
• animal tracks
• vehicle tracks
• ripples in the sand
• weathered groynes
• pebbles
• access steps

1.  Colour photographs showing the landscape
I took a number of pictures but limited the views for the blog
Insert west view of the beach

 Insert east view of the beach

 Insert north view out to sea with its wind farm

2.  Close up photographs in colour then manipulated on the computer
Using the Text package, Drawing package and Paint.NET I enjoyed trying out different manipulations.  There was usually at least six variations as I converted to black/white or grayscale, cropped and got closer versions of the texture, elongated the picture, inverted or rotated some, set mosaic and poster art examples.  I printed copies of these but because text saved images cannot be easily moved to the blog and scans can be unclear, I have selected just one picture alongside the original to high light a technique using Paint.NET package.  Unfortunately I cannot find how to crop using this package so sadly examples shown here are not cropped.  The last example I particularly like as the picture is in sepia and feel this may be useful inspiration for further monochrome work.
Sample 1 View of a rock pool in original colour, then converted to gray scale and flipped horizontally.  The tonal variation in grey scale seemed more effective than black and white in this.  Originally using text I printed off six different images
Insert rock pool and manipulated image

 

Sample 2 View of dog foot prints in the sand in original colour, converted to black & white.  I thought the tonal contrast was interesting almost pickiing out individual grains of sand!  In text version I printed off six different images the tonal contrast was more effective
There were also boot prints alongside ( No bare footprints because of the weather!) – not shown here
Insert Dog prints and black/white image

 

Sample 3 View of vehicle tracks in the sand, converted to black & white, cropped, in mosaic style.  Really like the textured pattern.  The mosaic effect is almost like individual stitches or weave of a fabric. In text I printed off twelve different images, unfortunately the mosaic facility is not available on Paint.NET
Insert Vehicle track

Sample 4 and 5 Views of ripples in the sand, the sun giving interesting long shadows.  Sample 4 shows two pictures next to each other (not here but hopefully get the idea), the second flipped vertically, and Sample 5, a close up original photo converted to black & white with ink effect. In text versions I printed off six different images. 
Insert two illustrations ripples and two manipulated images.  Couldn't get the next two to go alongside one another

 

Sample 6 Views of the well weathered groynes, full of different texture of the barnacles, wood grain, bolts, seaweeds and sand trapped from the wind, wet and dry areas. The altered image was converted to black & white, pencil effect and polarised effect.  In text I printed off eight different images including highlighting grain in wood instead of the barnacles.
Insert two groyne photos and barnacle image

 

 

Sample 7 Also of the groynes, went on to use Drawing package, converted to black & white and rotated (not shown here). Have a printed text copy.
   
                                                          

Sample 8 Shows just one of many pictures taken of the pebbles.  I also collected six small pebbles with their varying sizes, worn to different degrees, sharp edged to smooth rounded examples, showing different texture, patterns and colours.  Mixed in with them were shells, small grains of sand, worn glass, bits of seaweed, and sadly some rubbish. I think it would be interesting to crack open some pebbles to see the pattern, colour and texture changes. I printed off three different images, using Drawing package and here is Paint.NET image where I used black & white, inverted , rotated through 90 degrees and used ink effect   

Insert Pebbles photo and rotated example

Sample 9 shows a view of the steps providing access to the beach.  It was not until I got to this point that I used Paint.NET.  It was so much better for manipulating the photographs and it was also possible to save jpeg images of the changed illustrations.  I particularly liked this technique and the sepia images.
I took a close up photo of 2 or 3 steps then rotated them, inverted and changed to sepia.  It is interesting not only seeing the change in the steps but also the background, beyond the steps.
Insert general view of the steps (looking east wards) and manipulated image of close up photo of the steps

 

To date I like most of the images chosen, each have their different textures and are reflecting different aspects of the beach landscape, they are set in different locations on the beach.  I would like to work further with sepia images but still using black and white in some of the future work, unless recommended otherwise.  I am not especially drawn to working with rust but fabrics and threads with brown and natural tones.