Paint and drawing on calico.
paint on calico
For my first work, I wanted to keep it really simple and combine how I was drawing by blocking out the colours and I wanted to do this with paint onto calico. Although I really enjoy how this turned out and being able to see bold brush strokes, I wanted to try the same method out but add coloured pencil on top.
paint and coloured pencil on calico
I think layering paint and coloured pencil was really successful. I really enjoy how big, bold the brushstrokes are and then contrasting it by having coloured pencil. I also liked how there is a balance of colour pencil where I shaded it to create more depth and just simplistic lines indicated fabric folds.
Paint on calico.
![](https://visualarts.aut.ac.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/IMG_0078-1.jpg)
I wanted to rework this watercolour onto fabrics and see how it would come out. I think because I worked on a small scale, I was unable to successfully try out washing colourful paint onto the background to create the colours to harmoniously look brown- it looks to flat and one colour which I don’t really like, you can see the paint being soaked or smeared around the calico. So with this small scale painting, I think I should try again on a bigger scale.
Working on a bigger calico piece was far more successful as I was able to smear, pour and mix different colours onto the canvas while simultaneously making the background to appear as a brown colour. I really love how at first glance it’s brown, but then realise there’s multiple colours showing through, such as blues, reds and greens.
mixing/pouring colours with a paint brush and my hands
I painted straight onto the painted calico after it was dry, free-handing the painting. I did minimal brush strokes and used blocks of colours to depict the drawing. I’m really happy with how this turned out as usually I tend to want to work for as long as possible to create the most realistic image that I can. I love how simple but detailed the painting is, and if you stood far away it looks like real cars and not just simple lines and blocks of colours. I also really enjoy the imperfect lines of the parking lines as is adds the relaxed blocks of colours of the cars as well as contrasts the free flowing colours of the background.
![](https://visualarts.aut.ac.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/fullsizeoutput_271-782x1024.jpeg)
![](https://visualarts.aut.ac.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/5B55D64A-11B6-4D83-8B60-C39A4E21A027-819x1024.jpg)
Drawing and painting on paper and calico.
Because I enjoyed how less restricted I felt smearing and painting gesturally in the previous work, I wanted to lean more into it in this work. First I painted washes of colours on the background and loosely drew on top. Then adding another layer, I painted again loosley with thicker paint.
washes of paint washes of paint and loose drawing
Washes of paint, drawing and thicker paint layers on paper.
. I really loved how this turned out, being able to see each layer put down on the piece of paper and the build up of paint. I also like where I chose to stop adding to the work as I find it hard to restrict myself and knowing when to stop. before I begin to over work my paintings.
Because I really enjoyed this painting I wanted to try it on a bigger scale and onto calico.
I began by loosely drawing lines and a sketch onto the calico, and this put a light layer of paint on.
With thicker, paint, I layered on different colours of paint. Because I used calico, rather than paper, the paint started to bleed together and drip. Although I wanted the paint to be thick and layer upon each other, I don’t mind how the paint bled together
unfortunately, due to lockdown, I could not complete this work. But I really like how it was coming together and think it can still be seen as a ‘completed’ work as no work can ever be fully completed- it’s knowing when to stop working and let something be.