“How do you make a watch?” It’s not unusual for me to get requested that straightforward but perplexing query. After greater than three a long time of constructing material collage quilts, and fairly just a few portraits—human and different species—I’ve taken varied approaches and I’m nonetheless making an attempt out new ones. So I normally need to pause with that eye query, take into consideration the context and precise topic, and assemble my reply.
Over the a long time my work has advanced as I received extra expertise in material collage. Principally what I study for myself doesn’t have an effect on the fundamentals of my approach or the best way I train, however different occasions a variation sticks with me.
And generally I really feel it can be crucial sufficient to cross on to my college students.
So, “How do you make a watch?” I’ve received two primary approaches for you, and each are coated on this up to date weblog publish—working “from the surface in” and dealing “prime down from the underside up.” It’s good to have every variation of the approach in your material collage toolbox so you should utilize whichever makes essentially the most sense for the attention you’re engaged on.
These in-progress sequence images of one in every of my mother’s eyes are good examples as an example my latest strategy to eye-making: by surrounding the opening of the attention—like the doorway to a cave—first. Working “from the surface in,” I exploit the stunning curves and contours I discover within the prints of my materials, letting these prints and colour values do a lot of the work for me in setting up the lids and brows, then the within iris and pupil.
The images and movies, under, are excerpted from my Facial Options eWorkshop, and are one other instance of looking for the patterns and values in your materials to assist kind all the space across the eye.
The video excerpt above, accommodates an intro to the Facial Options eWorkshop, adopted by a slide present masking the development of the pattern portrait’s left eye. The video under, is of the real-time stay demonstration setting up the opposite eye.
I additionally use this latest eye-making strategy—working “from the surface in”—for non-human topics, equivalent to the attention (element above) of a leopard, which I’m at the moment engaged on stay (September-October 2024) in my newest Fly on the Wall: Susan Carlson Studio Watch—African Leopard Half 2.
A watch-making video excerpt from the Fly on the Wall Leopard collection Half 1, is out there to view under, and provides a solution to the query, “How do you make an animal eye?”
On the very starting of this publish I wrote: I’ve received two approaches for making a watch—working “from the surface in” and dealing “prime down from the underside up.” My authentic “Eye for an Eye” publish (following under) taught a really particular approach for creating eyes which I’ve been instructing for a really very long time. This specific “prime down from the underside up” strategy finally ends up making a “unit” that’s simply manipulated—fairly versital for varied subject material and works nice for tremendous particulars usually present in eyes—although it will probably simply as simply apply to mouths, or canine noses, or hen beaks, even rusty hubcaps on an previous tire!
Beneath, retreat pupil Leigh McMorrow, explains how she approached her truck’s hubcap with the “prime down from the underside up” strategy, as you’d a watch, whereas attending a 2019 Maine Retreat.
Eye for an Eye: Up to date with Video
Initially posted Might 21, 2016—first up to date July 1, 2017
My authentic publish fairly completely defined my methodology for creating eyes and different extremely detailed options. Nonetheless, there’s all the time room for enchancment, and generally there’s no substitute for truly seeing one thing finished. So, this week I’ve up to date my “Eye for an Eye” publish with a video of the entire course of.
In each the textual content under and within the video, I consult with working “prime down from the underside up.” Beginning with the smallest a part of the element—within the case of a watch, the pupil (or pupil and iris mixture)—prevents the bigger particulars from being coated up, permitting me to proceed to chop to the strains of my design. If I began with, say, the attention socket and lower one huge piece, it will cowl all the main points—folds at fringe of eyes, canthus, whites, iris and pupil—that I have to make the attention seem like the design I’ve so rigorously drawn. In a portrait, it might make the distinction between reaching a real likeness and creating a picture that solely approximates my topic.
The aim of this fashion of working is to keep away from the usage of templates. Templates sluggish me down—I choose to work with extra immediacy. Taking the time to hint the drawing I’ve already made and lower out items of paper, quantity them, pin them to material, and lower round them doesn’t sound like my thought of enjoyable. Simply as importantly, this fashion of working, as you will notice within the video, permits me to create a lot finer element than utilizing a template. Think about making an attempt so as to add a skinny line of spotlight or shadow across the fringe of a watch by chopping it out to the precise form and measurement! Discuss irritating. This fashion I by no means need to take care of all these itty-bitty items, the place one good cough might ship all all of it fluttering to the ground.
I feel the video will clear up any lingering questions you may need about this specific strategy to particulars. It could even provide the confidence to throw away the template paper—or at the very least depart it within the drawer.
Think about you’re in one in every of my five-day courses. You’ve chosen an bold mission: a material collage portrait of an necessary individual in your life.
However that is day two of the category. You’ve realized some stuff:
You will have the beginning of a cheek, perhaps a chin. Or maybe you started with the hair. And even the clothes.
You haven’t but received to the scary components. The eyes. The nostril and ears and mouth. The components that can actually establish the individual your portraying. These options are simply ready so that you can lay scissors to material.
The place do you begin? You don’t know?
That is in regards to the level at which I’ll cease the category and do a fast demo. In a fifteen-minute tutorial, I present my college students a method that permits them to create options equivalent to eyes with minute element and whereas sticking exactly to their designs. And all with out the usage of a template. That may take too lengthy.
I generally describe it as working top-down from the bottom-up.
High-Down, Backside-Up
Let’s take the instance I exploit at school. I’ve a design I made based mostly on a photograph of my niece, Maia.
I’m going to focus on her left eye.
The temptation is to start out with the most important a part of the attention perhaps even the eyelids, and add material on prime of that—constructing up. This temptation is particularly sturdy for these used to working with templates. This system I’m describing right here I consider is each faster and simpler.
Step One
As an alternative of beginning with the most important space of the attention, I begin with the smallest—the pupil. Really, it’s the iris, however I have a tendency to decide on a material that’s both all darkish (incorporating each pupil and iris) or has a darker space within the heart (suggesting a pupil).
Above is the completed iris/pupil. How did I do it? Comply with the steps within the slideshow under. Hovering over a slide reveals descriptive captions. Clicking on one will launch a slideshow with bigger photos.
I begin by choosing a darkish material. This time I selected one with some sparkle in it. I then used my pelican-bladed applique scissors to first roughly, then precisely trim the pupil to form.
Step One finished. Simple-peasy.
Step Two
Now I’m prepared to maneuver on to the “white” of the eye. Very hardly ever is the white of the attention white. A bit of variation of shading will make it look extra life like.
Based mostly on the unique {photograph}, I shaded the drawing to match, making a type of cheat sheet that can get coated up with each layer added. In accordance with the pencil shading, the inside nook of her eye must be darker.
I’m going to make use of the print within the material to create each the sunshine “white” of her eye, and that darker nook, with one lower of material. Try the slides under to see how I select that material and the way it went collectively. On this sequence I’ll work every nook of the attention individually.
I select the material by putting it beneath the iris, already lower to measurement. I place it so the print is positioned to greatest match the drawing.
Then, BEFORE I CUT, I glue the 2 items collectively, the iris onto the bigger piece of uncut material.
As soon as the two are secured collectively, I rigorously trim the material to match my drawn design and lower away a few of the further material from behind the iris that I don’t want.
That is what the again of the attention now appears to be like like. Sure, I used the BACK of the print for the white of the attention. Typically it’s the backs of materials that work higher for the specified impact.
Step Three
It usually appears to be like good so as to add a darkish line above the attention, like making use of eyeliner. In distinction, a lighter line under the attention provides some life. I’ll deal with each these within the subsequent step.
I’ll proceed to make use of the identical approach. First, I select a darkish material for the road above the attention. On this case, once more, I search for attention-grabbing patterns within the print that mimic or intensify the form of the characteristic I’m engaged on. I connect the beforehand glued iris with its white corners to this new material. Then lower down and trim the material to form.
Discover how tremendous I could make each the darkish and lightweight strains above and under the eye seem. All as a result of they peak out from BEHIND the attention. No tiny little slivers of material wanted and the attention unit is secure sufficient to choose up and transfer round.
The photograph under reveals what the again now appears to be like like. All you may see are the again sides of the final two materials I used. Sure, the layers begin build up. Don’t fear about it. The machine will quilt proper by means of all that in the long run. Except you’re a hand quilter, and you then’re by yourself.
Step 4 (extra of the identical, actually)
I hold working outward. Now you may start to see why I name it working top-down, bottom-up. On this step, I’ll add the higher eyelid and the crease beneath the eyebrow, enlarging the one transportable, secure eye unit.
Discover that after I tough lower the most recent material piece to form, I usually choose the unit up to be able to trim the material extra simply and get a smoother last lower. I’ll additionally trim away a few of the further material from the again, if I consider it.
And you then simply hold going so long as you’ve gotten these little shapes, strains, and creases to assemble. You might simply do the entire eye and socket as one unit.
Different Options
Now that you just’ve realized methods to make a watch, do you see how this specific layering sequence might be utilized to different facial options? How about lips?
And it’s not simply facial options. Any picture that has small detailed areas might be damaged down into components: the home windows and doorways of a constructing (with their trim, highlights, and shadows), animal particulars (noses, claws, paws), automotive or truck components (rear-view mirrors, tires, hubcap reflections), and many others. and many others.. However, again to eyes….
Home windows
Actual eyes have a ton of element. There’s highlights and shadows, colour, and shades of worth. There’s lots happening there. As there must be in such necessary facial options. And a material portrait shall be best when it additionally displays that complexity.
‘Trigger that’s what it comes all the way down to in the long run. What you’re making an attempt to perform. Your purpose. No matter whether or not it appears to be like “life like,” your portrait ought to really feel alive.
Eyes are the window to the soul. They’re additionally the window into your material collage portrait. Whether or not it’s an individual or an animal, getting the eyes (and different options) proper is particularly necessary.