Sumptuous Surfaces - a sketch...

at last.

Its based on a view of the sea. Just as you round a bend you look right and you can see the sea between the houses. I have simplified the shapes and may do so again (I'll leave the sketch lying around tomorrow and take quick glances at it!)


The premise is a glimpse of the sea. Through the bushes, walls and houses you can see the water. Since this exercise is in monotone and is all about texture, I'll have to build a sense of perspective through stitch alone. I want to draw the viewers eye to the little rectangle of sea in the middle of the picture. This will be untouched whilst everything around it will be stitched.

That is the theory!

Some stitching ideas at the moment:-

• drawn thread work for the sky and path. I think these should be the same pattern and worked in the same direction to give some balance and not look too busy. I hadn't consider this treatment until I read the notes to lesson 2 and Sharon showed her Lizard piece.
• at the moment the buildings are worked as just lines, but this may not make the sea pop.
• the bushes will be worked in different highly textured threads and beads etc, hopefully giving a since of foreground and background.
• the walls may be padded....

After sketching and tracing with an 8B pencil I'm now drawn to my black and white threads. I think that monotone scheme will make a more pleasing picture.

Mmmmmmm.....

I need to be careful that it doesn't look cluttered and that I get the sight lines correct. I think once I get it drawn up a few more times and start laying down the outlines and first layer of stitches I'll have a better feel for it.

I feel abit unsure publishing this at this stage as I don't know how its going to turn out... oh the lack of control!