Collages and Rust Dyeing

On Monday I finished off some large collages based on my own photos of city lights. For this project I have been doing my 'sketchbook' work on coloured paper rather than in an actual sketchbook, as I feel this gives me more freedom to play around with colour and size. Also, seeing as this project is leading towards a textile outcome, I think it is good to work on coloured paper so that when the time comes for translating my designs into fabric I don't have to try and force colour back into my designs. Another bonus to working on coloured paper is that the colour palettes develop quite naturally without too much conscious thought and therefore don't feel forced.

My collages laid out to dry

For the collages I have used a combination of coloured paper, tissue paper, Indian ink and white acrylic paint. I have applied the ink with random objects such as glass jars and hair bands to create a variety of interesting marks, as a lot of this project is focused on my mark making. The acrylic was also not used in a conventional way; I filled an icing bag with the acrylic paint so I could draw thick lines that stay raised when they have dried. This way of painting lines is much cleaner and faster than using a paintbrush, and I feel it allows me to be more expressive.

A messy but colourful studio space!

Yesterday we unpacked our rust dyeing from the week before which was pretty exciting. I used a variety of plain and printed fabrics, including a piece of indigo dyed fabric I had done earlier this term. This technique involves placing fabric soaked in vinegar and water into a large bin bag then placing rusty items such as bolts, washers, spanners and metal sheets on top, then sealing the bag and leaving it for a week to allow the rust to fully stain and dye the fabric. I really love the effect this technique creates, it gives the fabric an aged paper-like quality, like looking at an old map.

Rust dyed fabric ready to be washed

Close up of printed and indigo dyed fabric