Sketchbook Prompt #16 - Combining Painting and Embroidery

Sketchbook Prompt #16 - Combining Painting and Embroidery

I often use Acryla Gouache in my many sketchbooks. I have always loved the matte look it has and how easily it flows on the page. I thought I would try the gouache on cloth, to create a base painting that I could then embroider on top. First I am going to give you a list of supplies you might need to get started. I believe you could try many things with this, but since I approached it one way that is how I am going to go about this tutorial.

Materials:

Holbein Acryla Gouache, I buy them per color I want and then mix to get even more colors. Since I have been painting for awhile I have a good collection. If I were just getting started I would probably purchase a kit.

Watercolor brushes I like to have a variety of sizes for different line quality.

Enamel butcher tray This is probably my favorite palette to use. It’s easy to mix and clean.

Embroidery Hoop kit - This is a kit I sell that comes with a hoop, linen + cotton blend fabric, embroidery floss, needle, water soluble pen. You can also find these supplies on Amazon.

Fabric, I recommend any type of smooth fabric. Kona cotton, Muslin, Linen +cotton blend.

Getting Started:

Stretch your fabric on the hoop first. Either sketch out an idea on paper or on your cloth. You can use your water soluble pen for this. After you have your idea, paint it directly on the cloth. Use water to make the paint more fluid. Think about how what you are lying down is a base and that the embroidery will add texture and depth to the painting. If you create too much detail here it will be hard to embroider that area.

I am interested in abstract florals, so I often think about them in a flatten form. Consider playing with shapes you are attracted to and paint those down. If this is your first time painting I would try this in your sketchbook first. You can even draw on top after to make fake stitches so you can see how that looks.

Once you let your painting dry, consider finding what colors seem like they would add contrast to the shapes you painted. If you have a dark color you painted consider uses a lighter contrasting color to add pop. When I stitch I don’t just stick to one area, I float around and be sure to use the same color in at least three different spots. Like a triangle of that color, so that the eye feels like it’s a finished piece and not just shapes that share the same composition.

I stitch intuitively, which means I employ play. I try different stitches, I think about small flowers that look like seeds and then I try the seed stitch. Or I make an outline of floral shape and then fill it in with satin stitch. The most important part of this stitching time is playing. I am trying to use this work as a release from the stress of life, we are in a Pandemic, but also create something wild and beautiful.

Feel free to email me or message me on Instagram if you have any questions! Happy Stitching.