... am preparing visual aids for an upcoming workshop
re:
felting technique and design.Here is a preliminary describing my starting point for developing a felted image.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHuFGDUnD6GLTSJDCs4nraLfJGbANtmLR6fyHm3fn6D-jv8ONw6D9jgyk3FbL8_70BBEi1lsfz5YUFZOHAaslzK6MVbASMv_-FEwNrQb3x1q3nK3pcYhXLydF7jr0g42IGKr83nQ/s400/sketch+-+initial.jpg)
First step:
develop a theme on which to base the design.
In this case "Nature has it's day".
With this thought I have decided to make a crow king for a day. Here he sits atop an enormously large apple. The apple was chosen to represent something natural, yet again the epitome of cultivation. The crow is suggested as a hardy and intelligent bird that , due to it's brains and bravado, is unfortunately plagued by .... us.
The design is then fleshed out. For this project I have chosen to use a tightly woven 100% wool cloth as my backing. This will give me the option of wet finishing the image.
My designs are drawn free hand with a sharpie.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAS3vdJ7HnmPd4sidVGlpFHTgcConw1T8E0e1aRTHYC0DXy-QJuoqMfApL7zHGMM1tvtyoPVFevPU20aK7iXkIogyahBpqbrAtPh8nbJvpxiwYimVWSloS8eRMZJJ1mvF_nNzT5w/s400/laying+down+a+foundation.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNODt1ON2oQaKfNLPFjhuKQu9e9Jq9NUMfiel_k1tedakvGMpkC3KHA8We0yB6s23ClwrrRPsW3Su6Y3_Tm8OhrVS3km8-4fV04_E-p9s8URAm_NFiYaNnD2Y-6aPpPJQ7-3OKwQ/s400/beginnings+detail.jpg)
The
foundation fibres are needle felted into place.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXgEbJgtJL9uNKlzhoRVVGwakTzr_RoCw1ejipmu799wdbSjHs4nt-1UVkThlqFVI2dixyQ7jQC64lu2mu_DWg89oAiS4uSvCBve1RUtd6FbZJrZF75N1XX8z3pct54sYAQGyelA/s400/undertones.jpg)
The foundation is laid using
undertones that will provide depth when built upon.
This is, by far, not the only method of developing a felted image however it is a thought process and follow through that works well for me.