Circles Sketchbook
For Christmas, my sister gave me two online courses. I have been working on the first course, Designing with Circles 1 with Gail Harker. This is a self-paced course that includes loads of information and lots of videos and concentrates on working in a sketchbook. I am trying to get back into the habit again so I thought it would be fun.
These are the pages that I have created thus far. I have really been enjoying working in my sketchbook. I’ve been working in the evenings while we’re watching television. It’s amazing how many ideas generate from the simple circle.
21 thoughts on “Circles Sketchbook”
What a thougtful gift. It is surprising how much you’ve achieved in such a short time just by thinking in circles. Some of these sketches look like completed works – are they just staying in your book or will you translate some onto fabric/paper to hang?
Yes, she usually asks what I want and so she gets me just what I want 🙂 I am sure that some of the work will be expanded into fabric/felt etc. as I go along. I am really enjoying the circles theme as it can take you in so many surprising directions. You can play with color etc. because you already know you’re “just doing circles”.
These are beautiful Ruth, I do hope you expand on some of them into larger pieces, can’t wait to see the results if you do. It looks like you have been exploring lots of different media as well. What did you use as the resist for the white spirals on the brown (watercolour?) background?
Thanks Teri – I do plan on expanding these ideas. The course encourages you to try different media to see the variety of effects. The brighter colored ones with white components were done with soy wax as a resist and acrylic inks. Some of them I then worked into with colored pencils.
Ruth, Your work is beautiful and complicated, and I would also like to know what kind of media you used. The nine black and white circles look like pen and ink, but I also see watercolors, maybe some printing? I had the pleasure of taking a short course in master embroidery taught by Richard Box at Gail Harker’s studio in LaConner, Washington. Very special place!
Thanks! The black and white circles are a “zen tangle” type of work with black pens. I did use a bit of watercolor but most of it is acrylic ink. It’s like water color but seems to me to give a stronger color on the page. I would love to take a class from Richard Box. Of course, I would love to take almost any class at Gail’s. It is a wonderful place to learn.
We are totally unaware of the circles surrounding us.You’ve made some beutiful sketches. I’m sure I would enjoy such course too.
It is interesting to start looking for circles. They are everywhere. The universal symbol. Anyone can take the class as you just download everything, It is inexpensive for the amount of information that you get.
Beautiful work Ruth. It’s amazing what different effects you can get from one simple circle. Thinking in circles helps expand your vision and creativity. So simple, yet elegant.
Thanks Marilyn. It is amazing to see what you can do with just one shape. I think it allows you to free up your creativity because you already know what the “motif” will be and so you can concentrate on other areas of the design such as color, value and placement.
Beautiful Ruth, and what a wonderful gift. I especially like the rhythmic line drawings. 🙂
Thanks Judith – it was a wonderful gift. The line drawings were really fun.
Beautiful and inspiring!
Thanks!
These are gorgeous, Ruth, all works of art
Thanks Zed – I’m having fun 🙂
Nice Work Ruth. Your sketch books are always wonderful. It’s a great idea to pick a simple shape and then see what you can do with it.
Thanks Ann – yes, the simple shape idea is wonderful as you don’t have to think too hard about it but can just play.
Sorry, this question is going to be slightly off topic, but I haven’t encountered acrylic inks before, can you used them on textiles as you can acrylic paint?
Looking forward to seeing the directions you take with this work.
No problem Teri – the acrylic inks should work fine on fabric. I’m sure you’d need to heat set them. Here is a link from Dick Blick that shows what they are – this is the kind I used.
http://www.dickblick.com/products/daler-rowney-fw-acrylic-water-resistant-artists-ink/