Exercise 2.4: Drawing with Tea Bags

As the title suggests, exercise 2.4 was about exploring new materials, specifically those that aren’t ‘meant’ to be used to create art with. I was asked to collect a range of alternative drawing materials – some that can be used in their natural state and some that can be combined with ink – and produce studies on how they can be used. I then had to choose one I thought had potential as a tool and draw an object or scene using it. The goal of the exercise was to test the boundaries of the material, to learn how it can be manipulated and what properties it exhibits.

I collected a range of items I wanted to explore further – some I had already set aside to test out without prior knowledge of this exercise, and some I found intentionally for this exercise. They consisted of:

• Corks
• Cotton wool
• Cotton earbuds
• Make-up sponges
• Kitchen towel
• A tampon
• Coffee grounds
• Three different types of teabag
• A selection of old make-up

I then set out experimenting with the materials and exploring their properties. I was quite reserved and intentional at this stage as I was conscious of the fact I’m running out of sketchbook space. I sort of regret this, as I don’t feel I fully explored each material. I used India inks (colours chosen at random) and tried to make the most of the space I had. I enjoyed the process, but I felt a little under pressure. Maybe I need to be working on bigger pages when experimenting – I’m not sure. The materials that required ink functioned exactly how I would have expected them to. I’ve never been super comfortable or good at using paintbrushes, so I didn’t feel too far from home using these. They felt no more clumsy or awkward than what I’m used to.

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When I moved onto the tools that produced their own colour, I felt a range of things. I did really enjoy using the make-up, but it’s designed to be easy to use in a manner similar to other art materials, so it didn’t feel too much like the tools were different. I did, however, mix some eye shadow with water to make a paint which I found very fun. Despite this not quite fitting the goal of the exercise, I discovered something I want to explore further. I felt similar when experimenting with the coffee grounds – whilst I could use them directly as a tool, it was more like I was using coffee as a kind of ink. I found working with the teabags difficult, not so much because of the physical tool, more because I couldn’t figure out a way to consistently get enough colour out of them. The fruit teabag was by far the easiest for this.

Interestingly, the fruit teabag dried a completely different colour to how it looked when wet. It was a rich pinkish-red when wet and has dried a cold, greyish-blue. I sort of wish I hadn’t known that and had tried to create a piece of art using the tea bag, only for it to dry so radically different. Now I know, I feel I’d be so conscious of it the whole time I was drawing. The green tea dried virtually invisible, which is a shame. I think the fruit tea was the most fun to play around with, though I could have used another spread to explore further.

It was hard to pick an object that I thought had potential, as I believe all of the items I tested have potential for different purposes, and I would consider using all of them in many different ways. I decided to choose a top three and went ahead with three drawings. I used black India ink as I wanted the tools to speak for themselves without any colour distracting from the process. I then searched for something to draw online and came across this scene of a table in front of a window and thought it was perfect. I had forgotten how much I love drawing interior spaces, and drawing the same space repeatedly has reinvigorated my desire to do it more.

The first item I chose was the cotton bud. I thought it would be a gentle ease into the drawings as it’s pretty familiar in that its usage is much like a pen or pencil. I began by outlining the key features of the scene, then I diluted the ink a little and added some detailing. On reflection, I think I should’ve done this the other way around, but it doesn’t exactly look bad. It was a funny experience – I kept instinctively wetting the cotton bud in order to get crisper lines, as that’s how I would achieve that when using a paintbrush. This, of course, made no difference to the lines. It only increased the amount of water in my ink.

Up next was the make-up sponges. I hadn’t realised when experimenting that these are actually slightly waterproof. They absorbed around half of the ink I applied, but the other half sat on top. This meant I was frequently adding more ink to the sponges and found that controlling where the ink landed on the page was pretty difficult. I repeated the process of plotting out the key features and adding detail with a lighter shade of ink. I like the shading and texture of this piece. I think these sponges are great for adding interest to a piece – though they’re not as great at drawing. 

For my final drawing, I had saved the most complicated tool to use – cotton wool. I attempted to roll some into a thin, matted point so I could be more direct with my markmaking, but this proved very difficult. This tool was my least favourite to work with as control and precision were practically impossible to achieve. The kinds of marks that can be made with it are fascinating, but like the sponges, they are more suited to texturing and adding detail than they are to clear-cut linework. 

The thing I enjoyed most about this exercise was actually rediscovering how much I love to draw interiors. I really enjoyed studying my reference and just drawing without thinking. I feel I probably could’ve pushed my experimentation a bit further, but I’m also feeling quite burned out with forced experiments right now. I think this is teaching me a lot about how I want to use my sketchbooks, and if anything, the thing I’m learning is that I want the freedom to use it in whatever way comes naturally to me in the moment. I like the idea of my sketchbooks being worlds separated from the actual projects I’m doing that I can just let go in.