The amazing capabilities of computer graphics programs such as Photoshop Elements now make it possible to explore the design potential of quilling in a ‘virtual’ manner on-screen.  I have developed a set of five ‘virtual quilled elements’ - tight circle, 'bunny ear', marquise, teardrop and eye shapes - which have been scanned and specially processed at high resolution for digital use.  These elements can easily be resized, coloured, rotated and moved about on screen, allowing quillers and digital artists to fill in outline drawings and assemble ‘quilled motifs’ using digital imaging software, just like the examples illustrated above.


IF YOU ARE A QUILLER WHO CAN ALSO USE PHOTOSHOP, THE CREATIVE POSSIBILITIES OF DIGITAL QUILLING CAN NOW BE YOURS TO EXPLORE!


The complete set of shape elements illustrated above is available for sale for £4.00
 (4 UK Pounds), payable by PayPal.


Simply import them into Photoshop, and YOU can create quilled designs on-screen!


To place an order or find out more, simply send an e-mail to: 
quilliancemail@gmail.com 
... or leave me a comment, if you prefer.

A little bit of history ...
With its origins in 16th century Europe, quilling (or the art of paper filigree), is about as far removed from the digital age as you can get.  Yet I’m delighted to see that the beauty of this centuries-old art seems to be capturing the imagination of today’s digital artists.  In fact, ever since I started writing articles about quilling for the on-line crafting magazine, Papers and Pixels, several digital scrapbookers and designers have contacted me wanting to find out more.

This got me actively thinking about the best way in which to bridge the seemingly huge divide between manipulating digital images on a computer screen and physically rolling strips of paper to create filigree art.  I wanted to find a way of helping the digital artists explore and appreciate the exciting design potential of quilling, in terms that they could readily understand.

I decided to return to the same principles that I apply in my hands-on quilling demonstrations.  As I see it, when you start quilling, there are two main aspects that need to be mastered: how to make coils, and - equally important - how to use them as the basis for designs.  With this in mind, I like to begin by handing out ready-made coils that participants in my demos can pull and press in different ways in order to gain understanding of how they can be used.  For example, I get them to form coils into teardrop, ‘bunny ear’ and marquise shapes, and then show them how these can be assembled together to make butterflies and flowers.

I find that once people have explored the design potential of quilled shapes in this way, it makes the subsequent hands-on process of learning to roll and shape coils a whole lot easier, because the end-result objectives are clearly understood.  So that’s the approach I have taken to help the digital artists, by developing a new hybrid concept of ‘digital quilling’ for them to try.

Introducing digital quilling
Thanks to the amazing capabilities of computer programs such as Photoshop Elements, I have worked out a way to explore the design potential of quilling in a ‘virtual’ manner on-screen.  I have developed a set of five ‘virtual quilled elements’ - tight circle, eye, teardrop, bunny ear and marquise shapes - which have been scanned and specially processed at high resolution for digital use.  These elements can easily be resized, coloured, rotated and moved about on screen, making it possible to fill in outline drawings and assemble experimental ‘quilled motifs’ using digital imaging software.

Of course, this method of ‘digital quilling’ is never going to be anything like as versatile or satisfying as learning the real thing - its limitations are far too great!  The shapes that I originally created to make my digital ‘elements’ had to be made using closely wound, crimped coils that I could scan and extract for digital use without any background showing through.  By contrast, in real quilling, the true beauty of paper coils often manifests in the vortex-like patterns that are created when the coils are allowed to open out and ‘relax’ before shaping them as needed.  After much experimentation, I have found that the intricate detail of such coils is very difficult to extract digitally.  The same goes for huskings and open scroll work, and so digital methods like this are never going to produce anything more than pale imitations of ‘real quilling’.

Nevertheless, for people who normally choose to express their creativity using digital techniques, I think this new method could be a great way to start getting acquainted with the fascinating potential of this ancient art.  I also believe that some experienced quillers may find it useful as an aid to developing quilling patterns.  Only time will tell!


Digital quilling is great for:
* Developing patterns for quilled designs
* Creating printed backgrounds on which to mount real quilling
* Creating multiple layered effects for printing (no need to pay extra postage when mailing layered cards!)
*Printing out 'quilled' designs in bulk (e.g. for producing packs of Christmas cards).

Footnote
I hope that this idea will be positively received, both in the digital art and traditional quilling communities.  My aim is most definitely NOT to try and replace established quilling techniques - something that would, in any case, be impossible to achieve!  Instead, I’m just hoping that this new concept of ‘digital quilling’ may capture the imaginations of any digital artists who choose to try it, inspiring them to move away from the computer screen for a while and start learning to quill ‘for real’!


To find out more or place an order, please e-mail me at quilliancemail@gmail.com, or leave me a comment below.