Starting in Left Gear – Sketching a Thorny Palm
Remember when I went on a Photo Safari with my fiber art friends? One of our assignments was to photograph something with contrasts. I thought the sharp thorns and round berries of this palm fit the bill perfectly.
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I really enjoyed my last palm quilt, and decided this photo would be a good inspiration source for another one. So, I started sketching.
Being left brained, my first sketch always tends to look almost exactly like the subject. I have to get that out of the way first. I say that I always start out in “left gear.” I crack myself up.
After that very exact sketch, I’m able to loosen up a little and consider other options. Like a cropped and stylized version of stalks and thorns.
Much better! I really liked this composition and began to consider berry options. Once again, I had to get the realistic version out of my head first. Even though they were tiny and boring.
But, then I got more creative.
Who says berries need to be attached? I realized I could just imply that.
I was pretty happy with these plump and scattered fruits. Not sure about the 3D aspect, though. I liked the look, but since I’d be working fairly small, I was afraid it might be difficult to represent.
On to fabric selection.
Ellen Lindner
P.S. If you want to have your own photo safari, you’ll find some hints and prompts here.
P.P.S. What gear to do you start in?
