Chapter 3: Paper texture and relief

Firstly, an omission from my last post relating to the paper investigation in Chapter 2:

Paper investigation results:

• Copy paper is thin, tears easily, creases well, though is a little more difficult to crumple. Benefits from scrunching repeatedly to break down the fibres first.
• Newsprint is even thinner than copy paper, tears and creases easily and crumples easily (even easier after repeated scrunching).
• Lining paper - mine is a heavy weight which tears and pleats easily but needs extensive scrunching in order to crumple successfully. After this treatment it becomes quite soft and almost fabric-like.
• Card tears and creases easily but I could not persuade it to crumple successfully.
• Wrapping paper tore, creased and crumpled quite easily.
• Kitchen paper is very soft, tears easily but the pleats needed gluing in place to hold them. It crumples very easily but again required gluing to hold it in place.
• Rag paper tears with a lovely soft edge, pleats well but needs repeated scrunching to break down the fibres sufficiently to crumple well.
• Tissue paper tears, pleats and crumples very easily.
• Hand-made tissue - mine has definite fibres which are more evident when it is torn. It pleats and crumples easily though it is quite springy so needed glue to persuade the pleats to stay in place.
• Silk paper was difficult to tear though gave a lovely raggedy edge when torn. It needed glue to hold the pleats in place but crumpled well as it is beautifully soft - it also has a lovely sheen.
• Lokta tissue is again very soft but tears with a very soft edge, needs glue to hold the pleats and crumples well.
• tracing paper tears easily, holds pleats very well and crumples easily. I like its translucency, and especially the effect when glued.

Chapter 3: Texture and relief in paper
 I chose five textures from my tree bark images to interpret in paper:

 Fig. 3:1

I used strips of torn newsprint paper stitched together then torn across and crumpled to replicate this bark, which already looks like crumpled scraps of paper. 

Fig. 3:2

Winter tree branches depicted with scrunched tissue paper which has been glued down to form random pleats and gathers to echo the lines of the branches.

 

Fig.3:3

Kitchen paper glued down with PVA to form deep pleats and bumps to mimic the deep grooves and curving lines of this ancient tree's bark.

Fig. 3:4

The 'platelets' on this bark are replicated with pieces of lining paper torn and layered.

 

Fig. 3:5

Torn strips of newsprint and stitched (without thread) tracing paper have been curled with scissors and glued in place to mimic the curls of this tree bark.