Sketching a Fist
To kick off the “Stitch the Sketch” series, in this episode, I sketch a simple hand that’s curled into a fist.
Here are images of the front and back of the completed work.
And below is the video showing how I go about stitching “Sketching a Fist” that you see in the images above.
VIDEO
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Tips, Techniques, and Tools
Varying Distance Between Stitch Lines for Effective Shading
- To simulate the look of a pencil sketch on fabric, use a light-colored fabric (white or ivory will work) and dark colored thread
- If you’re not comfortable showing off the stitches on the back of your work, match the color of your backing fabric with the color of your bobbin thread.
- Shading involves moving your work back and forth in the area you want to shade
- Shading different values with thread sketching:
- For dark value shading – stitch lines close to each other
- For light value shading – stitch lines at a distance from each other – show more space between stitch lines
I’d love to hear your comments and answer your questions.
Warmest Regards,
Watch all the Thread Sketching Videos and Learn the Thread Sketching Tips & Techniques.
What a great video and your sparkling personality really shows through!!
Aww Beth, that means so much to me. Thank you, thank you.
Nice job Clara! What did you sketch the first sketch on the fabric with? Does it remain as part of the drawing?
Thanks Janis. I used a pencil to trace the sketch onto fabric because this is just a sample. However for serious work, you can trace your design on water soluble stabilizer, lay the stabilize on top of your work and stitch through. You’ll then soak your work in water to wash the stabilizer away. Alternatively, you can use an air erasable pen.
Really nice and well depicted. Can’t wait for the rest of the series!
Thanks Aretha. I can’t figure out what to thread sketch next, lol. But I’ll surely work on something for another video next week.
I am curious about the machine you are using and what layers you use in your thread painting. Beautiful work.
Diane, I use a Juki 2010 Q and my tools and supplies are listed in the “Tips and Tools” section of the blog post below. Scroll down to the bottom of the post to read all about what I use. I use 4 layers – top, batting, stabilizer and backing. http://claranartey.com/stitch-the-sketch-3-english-breakfast/
I hope that helps. Feel free to ask follow up questions.
Best,
Clara.