Magic of Black: Week 2 Dots Lines and Shapes
March 2, 2023
White gouache on black paper by Jo
This painting is entirely made up of tiny dots and dashes
This week we’ll explore making patterns of dots, lines and shapes to create texture or to make illustrative or imaginative drawings. If you are working with very small marks don’t attempt a large piece. The moth drawing above was only about five inches by 3 1/2 inches. If you decide on exploring shapes this can be as large or small as you like but for a large piece use large brushes or chunky materials to suit the scale.
Happy for you to experiment with seeing a scene in plan view. As in the drawing below.
Gouache by Jo
Note how the dots have been used to make patterns of eddies in the river. The scene is as if in plan view so the green circles are trees. The palest dots have been used to mark out the main areas.
The composition relies on the shapes; the arrangement of the large areas and the arrangement of the colours and tones of the dots. There is no attempt to create an illusion of three dimensions but there is a sense of movement.
Dots
Shapes, dots and lines have been used in very ancient rock art and also the more recent and intriguing dot paintings of aboriginal artists in Australia. I took inspiration from both rock art and dot paintings for the “Ring of Fire” drawing below. The dots are used in two main ways; firstly to fill shapes and secondly to form lines to mark out the main areas/motifs of the composition. They can also be arranged in lines making decorative patterns as in the haloes of the lightning spirits below which are filled with radiating lines of dots. Unlike the Meander drawing where the dots are placed close to each other over the whole work, in the drawing below the black paper between the dot motifs plays a much more significant role in the composition.
Gouache by Jo
This dot painting combines ancient cave painting motifs of lightning spirits with a dot technique. Gouache was used and applied with a small round brush held vertically to make each dot.
Note how the colours are used to produce pale and mid tones on the black paper.
Gouache by Jo
Note how the spaces between the dots play a significant role.
Patterns of lines
Similarly lines can be used to form patterns within a composition or as the basis for its structure separating one area from another. By altering the density of marks across a shape both lines and dots can also describe form as we saw from the scribbling marks in the previous post.
These can be free and organic or more geometric: experiment!
Another consideration is perspective and acuity. If you reduce the size of marks so that those at the bottom of the paper are large and gradually become smaller the further up the paper they occur they usually read as being more distant rather than smaller in size. Imagine a long shingle beach. The stones closest to you are seen as distinct individuals; further away they form an irregular pattern, further still they are seen as a texture but can no longer be sees as distinct entities; yet further away they will just be a colour in the distance.
Decide whether you would like the marks to speak for themselves or whether you would like to add thin veils of watercolour or pastel as in the image below.
Mixed media on black paper by Jo
White marks were made freely with a white paint pen then dilute washes of permanent white gouache added and also some black India Ink marks for the trees. Finally, coloured washes of green and yellow ochre watercolour were applied.
Shapes
Try working intuitively with shapes on black paper. You may work in white or colour. If you don’t have any gouache colours, just add some permanent white gouache to your watercolour mix to make it more opaque. If you already have some gouache paints you won’t have to add white unless you need a paler tint.
This tiny sampler 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches was painted with some Derwent Graphitint pans which proved to be very opaque.
For this week’s project you may like to work intuitively or be inspired by natural forms. You may also like to look at the following Pinterest Boards on pattern and rock art.
Rock Art
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/jhall1282/magic-of-black/rock-art/
Abstract Pattern
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/jhall1282/magic-of-black/abstract-pattern/
Patterns of Nature
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/jhall1282/magic-of-black/patterns-of-nature/
Materials you will need
Black paper; white gouache and brushes or white ink or paint pen, watercolour or gouache colours;
You could alternatively work in pastel pencils or pastel or mix the media.
Have some India Ink ready as it can be used to reinstate black as in the waterfall drawing.
1.Experiment with making patterns of dots, lines and shapes. Aim to work a small sample of each and using all three together.
Then do either 2 or 3
2.Make an abstract or near abstract composition of lines and/or dots and/or shapes. Some lines and dots may overlay areas of colour. Try to make the black support an important element in the work. The work may be very free and organic or more geometric. The rock art and abstract Pinterest boards may give some useful inspiration.
3.Make a finished drawing/painting inspired by natural forms or landscape. Think about what drawing marks will suit your subject and composition best. Use at least one of the techniques described. The marks and shapes may “speak for themselves” or you may like to add veils of colour with dilute watercolour or pastel to soften them.
Your paintings:
by Pam
by Pam
by Liz
by Liz
by Heather
by Heather
by Heather
by Mali
by Mali
In line and filled shapes
by Kate
by Kate