Building Patterns with Your Mark

 *Knit 1. Pearl 2. Knit 1. Pearl 2. Yarn Over, Knit 1, Repeat from *

I use to Knit.  I loved the beautiful colours of the yarns.  I loved their texture.  I loved the patterns I could create with just a few different stitches. 

Unfortunately, Knitting didn’t love me. . . .

MUSHROOM VILLAGE - Coloured Inks

My mom paid the price. I would find myself in the yarn store.  Yes, in those days we had several in our neighbourhood.  They were lovely places to visit.  All those beautiful colours, fabulous mixes, flecks of sparkle.   And oooooh, they felt so nice. Soft, smooth.  Made you just  want to grab a few balls and go at it. 

And I did .. . . . .  Often . . . .

However, I just couldn't get them to work.  So little gifts would drift over to my mom from me, my projects started, but not finished.  I am usually very good at finishing a project but knitting did me in.  It wasn't all for not,  I learned lots from knitting, the Power of Building Patterns.  Each stitch/stroke/mark you make creates a pattern.  And that can be quite pleasing to the eye.  

Detail: Mushroom Village - note the layers of line work building to a 3 Dimensional piece of the stump.  The straight lines form the local colour while the curvy lines give the sense of volume and lumps and bumps of the surface. 

Your work is full of patterns. . .

Some patterns are obvious as in my ink work but others are not as obvious, like your brush stroke, your movement of colour in your work, your choice of subject placement, your placement of values. . .  All create patterns to catch and move the eye around and create interesting eye candy. 

Detail: Mushroom Village - note the difference in the flow of the marks.  The moss and bark has marks flowing down and out like the shape of the stump.  The mushroom marks sculpture the shape of the caps as they flow over them.  

Patterns work alone and in groups. . .

The Mushroom Apartment is a new project for me, working with coloured ink pens.  (See last post “Using Tonal Values in Ink” to see the first part on this project).  When you look at the picture as a whole, you can see how the patterns of colour group to form my ‘mushroom apartments’.

As a whole the patterns of mark provide colour to my piece.  They also provide movement, depth, and a sense of realism.  I feel there is also a sense of lightness about the work and almost a gritty earthy feel to it.  You may see and feel different things.  BTY if you wish to share your thoughts, I would love to hear them.

As you work, determine your pattern and stick with it.  Here you can see my black ink, sets the shape and the darkest values.  The green straight lines flow in short chunks down the stump to give local colour.  The wavy green scribblely lines add the bounce and volume I need to create the moss.  

Every Mark counts. . . .

I don’t mean to scare you but every Mark is important.  On closer inspection you can see the individual marks within the picture.  On their own, they may seem and feel rather innocuous.  Not significance on their own.  Like your individual brush strokes or my knitted stitches.  But as you move out you can understand how each mark merges with the one next to it to make a pattern.  Therefore it is important to think before you mark/paint.  It reminds me of Robert Genn and his 37 Club. Completing a picture with just 37 strokes, makes for very purposeful and thoughtful marks.  

Your Mark is you . . .

Whether you draw or paint, you each hold the brush/pen differently.  You move differently, you press differently, your Mark is your Style.  You can see in my piece I am a straight line kind’da crosshatching type person.  In fact I often only draw my lines in chunks, making them close together or further apart, to make it darker or lighter.  This is part of the pattern of my work and makes it very recognizable from other pen work.  In my case I use my wavy strokes to emphasize the movement of the tree bark and the ups and downs of the blanket of moss covering it while my chunks of straight lines give the local colour. 

The Secret to good  Marks is . . .

I know, you are saying, my strokes are not always good.  True, some strokes look better than others.  Some are placed better than others.  Individually those marks can beat you up when your Inner Critic starts talking.  However, what makes Marks/Strokes work well is you have your pattern and follow it.   Consistently.  Swirly brush strokes look lovely when that is the pattern but one or two alone look lost and troubled.  

I want to thank Karina for setting this new task.  I have found it interesting but challenging.  Next post has one more ink project, this time the focus: setting up your Pattern.  Karina and I took the Challenge of our limited palett one step further. See you next week. 

Special Opportunities Coming After Christmas for Artists:

Marketing Workshop - Let's Get Your Art Out There!! Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019 10-3pm with Wendy Mould, AFCA.  

Need a focus for your Marketing Strategy?  Unsure where to start, where to head next?  Marketing takes so much of your time away from the Studio, learn where to focus your energy and ways to maximize your time.  At the end of the day you will have plans and be ready for Action.  Cost $84 Working with Wildlife Artist Wendy Mould, AFCA bridges the gap between the Entrepreneur and the Artist in the Marketing World. Contact Wendy to Register. 

 2 Day Workshop Dene Croft SFCA -  Fri, February 15 & Sat, February 16, 2019, 9:30-3:30pm  Putting Life into Your Landscapes and Flowers.  S. Langley $175  1 Spot Left  Contact Wendy to Register. 

Just in Time for Christmas - My Dog & Cat Lover Christmas Cards  Instant Download Cards so you can Print and Give, right away.  Etsy - WendyMouldsArt

Max was very happy to see My Dog/Puppy Cards, of course he was my Inspiration!  Esty Store - $12 for the 3 Pack. 

Excited to share my Cat/Kitten Cards as instant digital downloads at my Esty Store - $12 for the 3 Pack.  

Artists reading this post also find the following valuable:

3 Ways to Turn Drawing Despair into Action here

Drawing a Seagull Part 1 and Part 2 Starting here
Playing with a Very Limited Palette here

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Have a great Artful Day,

Wendy