Yulia Brodskaya:
I'm making… like a very simple heart shape. I usually start with darker colours for the outline of the heart. And then I'll be using lighter things towards the middle of the heart, like a gradient. I think it gives this paper-craft technique more visual depth. It's just visually more interesting.
Like I have pinks, reds, greens, and blues over there. It just helps to be organised, and it's easier to choose the colours when I know exactly where they are. When you have a thin piece of paper, it's a bit more difficult to shape it, but with thick card it's much more flexible and it holds its shape.
I'm using a cocktail straw. You could use a pencil or anything similar. And I just curl it a couple of times. There are special tools. For instance, you can use something like this. But when I started my first work, I needed something, and that's what happened to be in my house.
I use the droplet shape quite extensively. And I do use quite a few circles. I do use coils. I start by curling it in one direction and then I curl it in the opposite direction. Put them together. Cut. And then I will glue both ends together. This is what I call a drop shape. So this is another little shape. I call it a circle. I start in the same way. Then I do, basically, a coil. But then I roll it very, very tightly. So you get a little roll of paper.
It's very important to try different things because they're the only way that you can move forward. You can't use the same thing over and over again. If you do try something new, then your technique will evolve, your style will evolve, and you won't get bored!
Video summary
Yulia Brodskaya demonstrates some of the techniques she uses in her paper quilling by making a heart.
She starts with the outline in darker colours and then adds a lighter colour scheme towards the inside to create depth.
She demonstrates how she curls the paper round a straw, and then constructs a drop shapes and circles with tightly coloured paper.
Yulia recommends that students try out new techniques to evolve their style.
Teacher Notes
This clip could be used to introduce student to some of the different techniques that can be used to create really dynamic images with paper.
These clips will be relevant for teaching Art and Design at GCSE/KS4 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and National 4/5 or Higher in Scotland.
The topics discussed will support OCR, Edexcel, AQA, WJEC GCSE in England and Wales, CCEA GCSE in Northern Ireland and SQA National 4/5 and Higher in Scotland.
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