Creative Rubbings

Press, 30 July 1980, Page 26

Creative Rubbings

An Idea for your Indoor Leisure

Creative rubbing or frottage' is a method of recording apattern in relief on a flat surface.

This art medium has immediate appeal to both children ana adults whether or not they consider themselves artistically gifted. Original designs ana pictures are achieved simply and quickly, using grey sugar (construction) paper for the originals (the collage) and the rubbings made in black wax crayons on detail paper. Almost limitless rubbings can be made from one original with no time lag waiting for each to dry. No special equipment is needed and there is no mess. Equipment and Materials: Scissors, paper, crayon and paste are the only equipment required. For making the original: Scissors Any pair of scissors will do,

but the ones with blades about 2 in. long seem ideal. Paper One piece of paper is used for the background and smaller pieces for sticking on to this background sheet to make the picture. Sugar (construction) paper, old school exercise paper, brown wrapping paper, magazine paper and note paper are all suitable. Brush A small inexpensive brush or paste applicator could be used. For making the rubbing: Wax Crayons Cobbler’s wax (heelball) or any make of wax crayon is suitable. The larger ones are easier to hold. Different crayons give very different rubbings in quality and in intensity of tone. Cobbler’s wax is a very hard wax which gives particularly even distribution of tone and is excellent for bringing out .

work done in thin paper on the original, or work using folding (w’hich the coarser waxes fail to reveal) but it gives a very grey rubbing with no strong tone contrast. Choose a wax which will give strong tone contrast. Avoid ones which are too greasy and give an uneven build-up of wax on the paper. Paper The paper on which the rubbing is made should be thin, strong and smooth. Detail paper, which is excellent, can oe obtained from any shop that supplies architect's and draughtsman’s materials. Method: ’ Firstly the cutting and sticking of the paper to make the design (the original). Take a piece of smooth paper with straight edges—this will be the background. Cut out a few shapes from another piece of paper. Paste the back of the cut shapes and stick them down. Pieces may

be tried out bj- just laying them on the background paper and experimenting with different pattern formations. When the original is dry. place a thin paper over the top and hold it very steady. Almost regardless of how small, it is advisable, to have one person holding the two pieces of paper firmly on the table while another makes the rubbing. The table should have a smooth hard surface. The technique of rubbing is not a mechanical process, but is as creative as making the original itself. A more satisfying result is obtained if certain parts are made stronger in tone by harder rubbing, and other parts understated by only lightly rubbing with the wax. A great deal of pleasure will be gained from creative rubbing and it will open many fields of artistic experience.-g