Welcome to our now weekly #institchescreative2020 blog. We are still planning to alternate paper and stitch, so this week is a quick paper-based project. Meanwhile exciting things are happening behind the scenes in the studio: we’ve been dyeing threads and, as Hazel mentioned last week, learning how to set up an online shop so we can bring them  direct to you in your sewing room. 

​Negative space drawing
I realise this sounds technical, and indeed this exercise is often done by serious artists wanting to learn how to make better drawings, but today we are just going to use it as a different way of drawing. You may remember that I told you about our brains’ shorthand back in April when we were drawing without looking: 

​Well, this is another exercise in looking. This time we are trying to shut the analytical side of our brain up by confusing it. We are not attempting to draw an object that the left side of the brain can classify and describe, so it cannot take over and stop us from seeing what is really there. Instead we are trying to draw the spaces around that object, and if we want, with practice that can make us better at drawing complex things accurately.
Or we can just ignore all that, have fun and have a go at drawing voided shapes to fill with detail or pattern later.

I have a thing about spirals; I’ve been collecting spiral images for as long as I can remember, many of them in a sketchbook dating back to 2002, but for far longer than that: ammonites, periwinkles, new ferns, wrought iron gates, staircases, fractals....

Courses and workshops at InStitches are all about building up people’s confidence in their abilities and one of the things that many people are often really underconfident about is the D-word!

People can’t draw: or at least that’s what they think.

But actually, we can all draw. We can all make marks on paper (did you have a go at the mark-making challenge in #institchescreative2020 week one?). As children we made marks on paper without thinking about what they looked like or whether they were realistic, and without listening to that inner critic. When did we lose that? 

Last week Hazel was concentrating on one stitch and pushing the possibilities of it. So here in the paper blog this week we are going to do the same thing – but with a mark. This is one of the creative warmups we use with students on our year-long courses; these are a great kick-start if you want to do something creative but don’t know where to start or are out of ideas. Once you get doing something, anything, you’ll find the ideas start to flow. You might even decide to start a daily practice… (more on this next week).

Last week when I was up in London I popped into a large well known art shop with the intention of buying a few bits and pieces as a treat for Terry and I to use in the Studio. There was so much choice and I felt overwhelmed; In the end I left empty handed.

​With so much choice these days it's good to sometimes go back to basics and keep it simple and this week in the Studio we did just that!

As you can see - I gave the Inspiration to Stitch students a selection of mark making tools - all three of them: half a wooden tongue depressor, half a lolly stich and half a cosmetic bud plus 3 inks - Quink writing ink, a drawing ink and Indian Ink; in any colour they wanted - as long as it was black.

At first the mark making was safe

I’ve been on Auntie duty this week and my three nieces are all dedicated creative play girls – paper and pencils, cutting and crafting and glitter - lots of it, everywhere. And now, care of the 12 year old, this summer will feature slime production on an epic scale– don’t ask, just Google it!

But have you ever watched young children when given a selection of paper and coloured pencils/ empty boxes and glue/ scissors and a bag of fabric scraps - there’s no hanging back! They’re straight in and off into their own creative world, making up drawn stories, building the next generation of intergalactic space craft or crafting clothes for teddy. To them they are just having fun, seeing what they can do, enjoying themselves: there’s no ‘I can’t draw’, ‘I’m no good at…’ or ‘I don’t do art’.

Why should the little people have all the fun? Our mission is to create courses for people who love stitched textiles, design and sketchbooks: we want to inspire you to a more creative life! However we know that not everyone can come on one of our year long courses and we also know sometimes it can be difficult to get started – you know the story: everyone wants a piece of your time, there’s nowhere to call your own creative space, you can’t summon up the energy.

So, how can we help? Well, we thought we’d share some of our simple creative warm-ups with you: see if we can tickle those creative juices, point you in the right direction or at least delay the ironing mountain for 10 more minutes. Go on, join in – you never know where it might take you!

Drawing without looking

We both love this warm-up and use it frequently with our students. It’s a great way to improve your observation skills.

For this you will need a large sheet of paper – about A3 size, a couple of pens, one thin-nibbed and one thick (we like Sharpie markers, but remember they can go through the paper!), a few things to draw – keep them simple everyday items eg, banana, mug, pen, your hand etc.

Without looking at your pen or your paper, use your eyes to “trace” the edges of the object, while, at the same time, using your pen to draw the outline in a steady, continuous line.

Don't look at your paper, and don't lift your pen!

Go slowly...

Your drawing probably won’t look anything like the object. That’s okay! However you’ll find that if you repeat the exercise several times (no need for a new piece of paper, turn your page around, over or upside down!) you’ll find your accuracy improves – you may even recognise the object you’ve drawn!

If you give it a go do write us a comment and let us know how you got on!

Hazel & Terry