It begins with a sketch somewhere. I am known to not discriminate. I sketch wherever I can lay my hands on; there may be on a piece of paper, a napkin, a leave, whatever...
The sketch is then blown up at Kinkos and traced into fabric. I use cotton but have also used silk, one of the most strenuous fabric to work on.
Now, this is what I consider to be one of the most complex of the steps, the selection of the colors. I seldom use the basic color. I must confess, I never select them in advance, never sit to arrange them beforehand. It is just not me. The color combination comes in tandem as I move along. Sometimes, they are painted on so to harmonize, others are situated "as asked". You will see what I am referring to later. They are always mixed to create my own color. So, the motto, no one piece is the same because the colors can never be recreated. They could but a hue will be a tad altered somewhere.
I was drawn first to the leave, why I don't know. I just did since it is in the middle. The color was later replaced with a more suitable green.
I did not put much thought into these three colors. They harmonized so perfectly that everything else took off from there. They served as a base and the remainder of the colors were worked around them.
The face begins to take shape. Other colors are introduced.
Much of the face has been done but clearly, there is just something wrong with this picture. It is too heavy, dusky and not gracious at all.
Yes, his nose is no longer brown but placid. What a difference a nose makes?
Add the lining.
Tack and sew all the layers, there are at least three, together.
And voila. You got yourself a 64"x37" tapestry!
