Module 2 - Chapter 3.

Activity 2.3.2: Writing with glue.

I did my glue writing on several different surfaces - copy paper, cereal packet, students' pocket, acetate, craft card, drawing paper and watercolour paper. I was surprised that the watercolour paper gave a disappointing result as it seemed to absorb the glue, and as the glue dried on most of the surfaces it seemed to disappear and I thought I had lost it all, but most of the papers I made my rubbings on seemed to pick something. I think my PVA might have been a bit thin for this task and a heavier one would have given sharper results.


The following photos are my rubbings before any colourwash has been applied. For this I used white tissue paper, a heavier recycled packaging tissue, metallic tissues in gold and silver, brown packaging and copy paper.

In this last pair of papers I got carried away with enthusiasm and began to colourwash the one on the right before I photographed them! I also seem to have lost one pair of samples as you will see that in the colourwashed ones to follow, I have 8 pairs of papers and there are only seven here. I can only think that I missed one pair out when I was photographing them.

Activity 2.3.3: Adding washes to wax rubbings.

No.1: These are both worked on white tissue. Luckily I placed each sheet on some waxed paper before adding the colour wash. I don't have a good track record with wet tissue and was terrified of it all disintegrating. I was patient enough to leave it to dry overnight and all was well. However, when making the rubbing of the left hand example I seem to have picked up every little bit of texture from my protective table cover! Lesson quickly learned and I placed each following sheet on a flat smooth surface. I worked with oil pastel for the left hand sample and wax crayon on the right - washed with ink.

No.2: White tissue again - wax crayon on left hand sample and oil pastel on the right. Again washed with ink. The one on the right has not photographed at all well and in reality is very subtle and rather nice.

No.3: Metallic gold tissue with oil pastel and two different inks. The one on the right gives a very subtle cover whereas the strong green on the left is very bright and glossy.

No.4: Recycled packaging paper with wax crayon on the left and oil pastel on the right. Both washed with Brusho.

No.5: Copy paper this time with wax crayon on the left and oil pastel on the right. I got much better results with oil pastel. Washed with ink.

No.6: Copy paper again - the sample on the left used paper that was already coloured and I just rubbed it with oil pastel. On the right I used oil pastel and and ink wash.

No.7: Brown packaging paper - oil pastel and ink wash on both.

No.8: Silver metallic tissue with oil pastel and ink wash. The one on the right is the one I went ahead and inkwashed before remembering to photograph it in it's just rubbed state.

I am a little disappointed with the colour reproduction on some of my papers - they are more interesting than I have managed to achieve with my photographs.

Extra Activity 1:

Glue writing on cereal packet 1.

Glue writing on cereal packet 2. The glue seems to have taken colour from the inks I used and not really resisted it.


Extra Activity 2: Wax rubbings on fabric.
No.1

I made the above rubbing with Markal stick on fine silk. You wouldn't think I ironed it first! I found it very difficult to hold the fabric still while rubbing and only later thought I should have stretched it in a frame to hold it taut.

Here it is after having been colourwashed with diluted silk paint. The writing looks much better with the added colour and I don't mind that it isn't clear enough to read.

N0 2.

This was rubbed with a copper coloured Markal stick on a not too fine muslin. Slightly easier to work on than the silk but it still moved about a lot.

The muslin sample colourwashed with diluted silk paints.

This completes my work for Chapter 3.