Collage cup & saucer

      Teacup & saucer, created from collaged vintage maps and various patterned papers

 

When I posted recently about my collection of envelopes, it reminded me about this little collage teacup & saucer I created a while ago.

The background is a photocopied sketch of one of my teacups and saucers, and I then used vintage map pages and various patterned papers to create collage details of the cup and saucer pattern.

I deliberatly left most of the saucer plain except for one flower and a couple of leaves, otherwise it would have become too busy if everything was collaged.  I also put a patterned background in behind some of the teacup and saucer to help it stand out from the white page.

I like the collage effect and it made a nice change from painting! 

Fruity sketches

 

Strawberries painted with inks and watercolours, with the inside of a bank envelope and map pages to also create a collaged strawberry!    

More map pages to create collaged apples along with the letraset transfers.

I've been playing around with some 'experimental' sketches and combining watercolour, inks and collage elements into the sketching process.  It's been really fun to let go and not think too much about what I'm drawing, but just to let my hand do the talking so to speak! 

None of these sketches were mapped out first or roughly sketched in pencil - I simply dived straight in with paintbrush and paints, and started quickly drawing what I saw in front of me.  I was trying not to spend too much time drawing or perfecting the fruity props, but to just quickly layer inks and watercolours and keep things simple.

For the collage elements I used a mix of old map pages, the insides of envelopes and any scrap patterened papers or fabrics that suited the subject matter.  I also bought some letraset letter transfers, and used these to add the names of the fruit - I like the combination of 'formal' and structured lettering against the washy fluid sketches.

Happy sketching!

Coffee pot sketches & collages

I've been experimenting some more with my ink pen, sketching my tea and coffee pots and also adding in some collage backgrounds and details.

Here I've added some collaged coloured paper to replicate the colourful pattern around the top of the old Studio Meakin coffee pot.

Normally my work is so colourful when painting with watercolours, so I quite like the monotone black and white contrast acheived with the black ink pen.  Working with the ink pen also forces me to simplify what I'm drawing, as I can't add all of the shadows and subtle details that I can with paint.

I've also liked using torn newspaper print as a background to draw onto as it reinforces the simple black and white palette, and helps to add some detail and surface interest - whilst keeping the drawn images to a minimum.

Off to put the kettle on now!....