Drawing With Thread & Pins: A Unique Artistry

I’ve heard of drawing with all kinds of different materials before, but never with thread. It’s hard to believe that as thin as thread is, it could be converted into the elaborate pictures you see below. When I saw these, I thought the artist, Debbie Smyth, drew the illustrations with a pencil or something first and then came back and worked over them with thread; however, that is not what is going on here.

When you view the video below, you’ll see that she starts with the thread itself, and weaves her magic. On Debbie’s blog, she refers to this process as pinning and threading since she also hammers nails (or pins) into the art to create the edges and shapes. According to her bio, she makes these by “stretching a network of threads between accurately plotted pins.” Loose threads imply movement, and each piece is intended to tell a story about everyday life.

This reminds me a little of these traditional books with hyperlinks, which are also created with thread. I can’t even imagine the patience an artist would have to have in order to complete one of these. I wonder if she imagines what it will look like before she starts, or if she watches it unfold as she weaves her thread. You can learn more about Debbie at debbie-smyth.

Via: [Illusion Scene360]