Mark Making. What exactly is Mark Making? It’s basically the creation of any sort of marks made by any medium on some sort of canvas. These gestural marks purposefully create texture, lines and patterns. With such ‘simple’ marks, they do not fail to evoke emotions and thoughts from the viewer.
- A single mark creates a dot.
- An extended mark becomes a line.
- A cluster of marks become a shape.
- A series of repetitive marks become a pattern.
Quoted: https://www.thoughtco.com/how-does-mark-making-affect-your-paintings-2577630
I enjoy the fact that Mark Making can be done with literally any medium, from just a simple pen or even smoke, which isn’t exactly the norm when it comes to art. It makes the process, well in a way, liberating and free as there aren’t any ‘rules’ set in stone and you can just experiment away!
Techniques
Although Mark Making does not have a set way to do it, there are some intriguing techniques that artists have used for it. I did some digging around and found a few various techniques that I personally found interesting!
FUMAGE
Creating art with smoke! The art pieces feel so intangible, just like the medium used. Steven Spazuk is a prominent fumage artist, one of his more impressionable works to me is shown below. It’s something slightly abstract in nature, but you can still feel the emotions resonating in the piece.
http://1aike31wshtt3k0e9u2nxtwz.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/steven-spazuk-8.jpg
ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM
Putting it simply, it’s abstract art that focuses mainly on an expressive and spontaneous act, a.k.a Action Art. This includes actions like paint splashing, an iconic technique done frequently by significant abstract artist Jason Pollock. Emphasised gestures and actions that express ideologies and emotions.
https://rocksmag.com/blog/artist-profile-jackson-pollock/
BUBBLE POPPING ART
This isn’t a revolutionary art technique, instead it’s considered kiddy and simple! That’s fine but Mark Making means any medium is considered a-okay right? So why not a childish medium? This idea popped (pun not intended) in my head while I was washing dishes and remembered that I used to blow soap bubbles as a kid. Every time they popped, they create a tiny explosion that splashes. This threw me into research of how I could use it for mark making.
It’s also an inexpensive way to create nice spherical textures, which suits my broke needs. (Art student life is the poor life)
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/e5/36/b8/e536b8f9990272f57dc3319ac252c3e9–d-street-art-charlotte.jpg
With research done, I’m excited to try out Mark Making hands on in class! I’ve noted the things I’ve decided to bring and the ways I could play around with below for personal reference. Hopefully I’ll be able to achieve the expressions I’m aiming for while discovering new things.
try to make them not just 2D, 3D: touch, perspective