Chapter Four - Cut and Fold Paper 

Coloured Designs

I really enjoyed this exercise and felt I could have gone on forever.  I find it really therapeutic cutting out and arranging paper shapes as it is fascinating to explore the variety of designs and combinations that can be created with just a handful of paper cut outs.  However, in the interests of moving on to fabric and thread, I decided to stop after four sheets as I feel I am spending too much time on each chapter.

Unfortunately, I forgot to number each design before scanning the sheets in. As these sheets are A3 I needed to scan them at work, but it was only after I brought my sketchbook home I released I had omitted the numbers.  As an alternative, I have listed the position of the designs on each sheet so they can be easily identified. 

I have also described and referenced the individual layers of each design as follows:

• Background
• Middle - numbered according to the original sheet it appeared on.  (S) = Symmetrical  (A) = Asymmetrical
• Top numbered as above

I prefer to work this way - detailing what I have done on my blog rather than handwriting the information on my sketchbook pages.

Sheet A

Top left: 

Background - lime green inked paper.

Middle - negative shapes left after cutting out No 2 (S) in dark red inked paper.

Top - No 1 (S) diamond cut out of the middle to break up the shape in red/white painted paper.

Top centre:

Background - green inked background lines drawn with a candle to create a resist.

Middle - negative shapes left after cutting out shape No 1 (S) - bright red water colour paper, dyed with Procion.

Top - No 9 (S) in lime green inked paper.

Top right: 

Background - light red painted paper.

Middle - No 25 (S) in green/red inked paper.

Top - No 7 (S) in dark green/red vellum.

Bottom left:

Background - mint green inked paper.

Middle - No 17 (S) in green marbled paper.

Top - No 7 (S) in red paper painted with Procion.

Bottom centre:

Background - green/red painted paper.

Middle - No 12 (S) in red/white sponged paper.

Top - No 6 (S) in red/green painted papers.

Bottom right: 

Background - green painted paper - not much of it is visible. 

Middle - No 2 (S) in lime green inked paper - centre square cut out.

Top - No 17 (S) in red painted newspaper.

My favourite two designs from this sheet are top right - I like the movement of the curvy lines and bottom centre - I find the mottled effect of the white/red sponged paper adds extra dimension to the design.

Sheet B

Top left:

Background - lime green inked paper.

Middle - No 9 but with wider lines in dark green marbled paper.

Top - No 12 (S) in red inked newsprint.

Top centre:

Background - red inked paper.

Middle - No 19 (S) in mint green inked paper.

Top - No 11 (S) - in green/red painted paper. 

Top right:

Background - pink paper - acrylic medium used as a resist. 

Middle - No 12 (S) in red painted paper.

Top - No 19 (S) in mint green inked paper.

Bottom left: 

Background - dark red painted paper.

Middle - No 23 (S) in red painted newspaper.

Top - No 19 (S) but cut wrongly (happy accident) in red/white painted paper.

Bottom centre:

Background - lime green inked paper.

Middle - No 25 (S) in red/green painted paper.

Top - No 11 (S) shape turned round in green marbled paper.

Bottom right:

Background - mint green inked paper.

Middle - No 20 (S) in red/green painted paper,

Top - No 12 but with diagonal lines only in red/white painted paper.

My favourite two designs from this sheet are top centre - a simple design but I think it looks nicely balanced and top right which is almost a more complex form of top centre. Both designs would work well in fabric and stitch.

Sheet C

Top left:

Background - red painted paper.

Middle - No 11 (S) in dark green marbled paper.

Top - No 16 (S) in pale green/white painted paper.

Top centre:

Background - mint green inked paper.

Middle - can't figure which design this is so can only imagine I have cut something the wrong way in dark green marbled paper. 

Top - No 8 (S) turned around in dark red painted paper.

Top right:

Background - red/green painted paper.

Middle - No 16 (S) offset to create asymmetry.

Top - No 11 (S) turned around and offset as above.

Bottom left:

Background - red/green painted paper.

Middle - No 11 (S) with larger hole in the centre in dark green inked paper.

Top - No 22 (S) in lime green inked paper.

Bottom centre:

Background - bright red painted paper.

Middle - offcuts from No 1 (S) in the corners in bright red painted paper.

Top - No 20 (S) in red/green painted papers.

Bottom right:

Background - lime green inked paper.

Middle - No 19 (S) offset and turned around to create asymmetry.

Top - No 1 (S) offset as above.

My favourite two designs from this sheet are top left - I can't really explain why but I do like the top shape and the colour scheme.  I am also pleased with bottom left - much more complex and gives the impression of more layers than there actually are.  I like the way the lattice design seems to float on the surface pushing the other layers into the distance.

  

Sheet D

Top left:

Background - pink/green painted paper.

Middle - offcuts from No 1 (S) offset to create asymmetry.

Top - No 1 (S) but cut thinner, halved then offset as above.

Top centre:

Background - mint green inked background.

Middle - No 2 (A) in green/red painted paper.

Top - No 1B (A) negative shape in dark red painted paper.

Top right: 

Background - mint green inked background.

Middle 1 - No 1B (A) negative shape in dark pink painted paper.

Middle 2 - No 1 (A) in light pink painted paper.

Top - No 1B (A) positive shape in dark red painted paper.

Bottom left:

Background - lime green inked paper.

Middle - offcuts from No 1 (S) offset to create asymmetry in bright red painted paper. 

Top - No 7 (S) in dark green painted paper offset as above.

Bottom centre: 

Background - lime green inked paper - not much visible.

Middle 1 - No 3 (A) centre not cut out in pink/white painted paper.

Middle 2 - No 1A positive shape in mint green inked paper.

Top - No 7 (A) in dark red inked paper.

Bottom right: 

Background - pale green/white painted paper.

Middle 1 - No 1 (A) in mint green inked paper.

Middle 2 - No 2 (A) in light green painted newspaper.

Middle 3 - No 1A (A) in dark pink painted paper.

Top - No 1B (A) but 2 lines left solid in light green painted paper.

My favourite two designs from this sheet are bottom centre and top right - both designs have lots of movement that remind me of windmill sails.  I feel they would both translate well into fabric and thread.

Although I can see that asymmetrical designs create more tension and movement, overall I prefer the symmetrical designs.  This may be because I like the sense of order and balance that is created by the symmetrical shapes or a symmetrical arrangement.  However, I would concede that the designs are more static and tend to be a bit predictable.