Developing the Motif as a Sketch

Here's my current tile project being developed using the new method.

Original ink drawing

I start with a section of an ink drawing as before. The segment is imported into Sketchbook and I start working it up into a usable model for the tile. The original drawing forms the base layer and subsequent layers are added on top of it, letting me preserve aspects of the sketch intact while altering others freely. Also, layers can be temporarily hidden and merged. You can really experiment and work with the image at a lot of levels with these tools. 

At one point I feel like I need to adjust the design and rotate the underlying photo. You can see the tilted photo under the sketch in the next illustration. I have adjusted the opacity of the photo so that I can just barely see it under the sketch. When I feel like there's enough information in the sketch to move on to the real world, I save a cleaned up version to my photo library. From there it is available across all my devices and I can refer to it as I'm working in whatever way is handy. Drawing apps don't always share well, but hopefully that will be something the developers work on in the future! So, for now: photo library!

Digital sketch layered over photo

Digital sketch cleaned up

Pattern drawn freehand from sketch 

This drawing is going to become a flat tile. For that I plan to use a pattern, so the next step is to draw the image out on newsprint. I like to do this freehand and I don't worry if it departs from the sketch. The sketch is just the basic idea and it evolves as it moves into each phase of the tile-making process. 

Some areas are shaded with pencil to begin establishing spacial relationships, and to indicate which pieces will be dimensional. These are to be cut out of a second slab, numbered and applied on top of the base slab.

At this stage I also adjust the cutting lines, seen here in red. In the digital sketch, they were made on a separate layer. The tile will be cut into parts so that it can be reassembled during mounting. During each stage the cutting pattern changes to accommodate variations in the design.

Clay slabs cut and assembled 

From the pattern I cut and assemble the main design of the tile. Once I'm satisfied with the structure of the composition I begin to use the sketch once again as a source for adding the details and textures that will make the drawing come to life and work with the glaze to give me the finished work of art!

(Note: this project is in process so I will continue to post pictures as it progresses.)