The significance of using bandages was now much clearer but there had to be ‘visible blood on the bandages’ for them to look realistic - both in their fabric type & final colouring. By matching ‘fresh’ blood & not dried blood, would also imply the event was happening in ‘real time’ as opposed to one of the past & as bandages are usually made from a woven cotton, any ‘dying’ of this natural fabric, would obtain a more precise shade. However, dyeing fabric is somewhat labour intensive when trying to obtain exact shades, so instead chose to use fabric paints as a better solution.
As well as creating textiles, I also make & repair clothes as well as furnishings - it also gives me time to think & consider ideas for other projects. Today I’m hand stitching some trouser hems & as luck would have it, prick my finger so suddenly think it’s the ideal opportunity to obtain a first-hand colour sample (result above on paper tissue) of my blood. Mentally moving rapidly from hand sewing to the Anger panel, a piece of cotton fabric (an old pressing cloth) is located to use as reference for a blood stain (a bandage is cotton too). Also, where fabric dyes are concerned (ultimately to make the blood colour), natural fabrics respond much better than synthetic ones to obtain a better range of colours & so can be more realistic. (At this early stage, the use of natural fabrics seem to be important too - most likely because of the “natural & raw” emotions to be involved.) After leaving this ‘pin pricked” bloody sample (see above) to dry for a couple of days, the next job was to start mixing the fabric paints.
It was easier & quicker to colour match & by trial & error, also found that when diluted to a more blood-like consistency, ‘soaked blood’ stains (see above) were better replicated as well as ‘blood spots’ when splattered. Mixing reds with differing amounts of black, purple, blue &/or brown created a range of different “blood colours” & when dry, compared them for realism against mine. Maintaining authenticity & using an old cotton sling (one of many pressing cloths used in dressmaking), lengths were cut into appx. 5cm wide strips. After several attempts with fabric positioning on a plastic sheet, the bandage strips were fairly quickly & individually daubed & splattered with “paint blood” & left to dry overnight.
