What do you think of when you hear the term Dynamic embroidery?

For me, it’s work that’s filled with energy and spirit.  It’s vital, lively and vigorous.

It can be strong, powerful and potent, pushing boundaries that can exude a sense of magnetism and flamboyance.

How can you achieve this?

By making use of one of the most fundamental principles of design – that of contrast.

Contrast creates visual interest, emphasis and clarity in a design that can guide the viewer’s eye, separate information, and make certain parts of the design stand out from everything else.

It can make your work pop, sparkle and sizzle, creating the difference between nice and wow.

Contrast isn’t just a design principle; it’s the heartbeat of dynamic embroidery,  emphasising clashing colours or a play on texture – even a dramatic shift in scale that can make people stop in their tracks.

So join me as I explore what contrast brings to the table and how modern embroidery artists are working with it.

What are some of the tips and examples of the use of contrast in dynamic modern embroidery?

Well, stay with me and find out.

Grab your needle and thread, some beautiful fabric, and a hoop if that’s how you like to work, and let’s dive into the world of opposites. Because once you start working with contrast, you’ll never look back.

Contrast can create drama, balance and storytelling in both modern and traditional embroidery.  It’s what can make your embroidery sing, creating that visual spark or that clash of texture, creating tension and harmony in every stitch.

When I first began working with machine embroidery, my idea of contrast was simply to add black and white.  Thankfully, I’ve learned a lot since those days.

But before we begin this adventure, I need to define what contrast is.

Simply, contrast is the state of being strikingly different from something else.  It’s the arrangement of opposite elements such as light and dark, rough and smooth or large and small – and we humans find that fascinating.

From Ancient Greece to modern art, contrast has been used as a fundamental tool to create visual interest, depth and emotional impact.

Ancient sculptors used contrasts of textures to represent both smooth skin and opposing rough textures.  Early Renaissance artists created a sense of depth and volume by exploring linear perspectives and the use of light and shadow.

Renaissance and Baroque artists, including Da Vinci, Caravaggio and Rembrandt, created drama and intensity by employing a dramatic use of light and shadow.

Impressionist, Van Gogh used opposites of colour to create vibrant and intense effects, while Munch worked with colour and distortion in his work to achieve a sense of strong emotion.

Cubist and Surrealist artists challenged traditional notions by using contrasts of form and perspective, and the Abstract Expressionist Rothko explored emotion and colour through his bold contrasts and large-scale, impactful work.  Op Art artists made use of contrasting patterns and optical illusions in their fabulous work.

Now, contemporary artists continue to draw on the use of contrast in a variety of ways from this vast heritage of knowledge and shared experience.

So why do we need contrast in our work?  Is it essential?

Yes, it is essential because it enhances visual interest.  Used well, it creates depth, dimension and can guide the viewer’s eye around the work. Suddenly, the work becomes more engaging and more dynamic – and that’s what we’re working towards, right?

It can enhance a focal point and help establish hierarchy in a composition.

Clever artists can also use it to evoke different moods and emotions in the viewer by using contrasts of colour, texture, value, line and shape.

And it’s this visual variety we look for; in fact, we need to create strong, emotive visual art.

The crucial question we should be asking ourselves is whether we are using contrast effectively in our work.

What are the types of contrast that we can create and use in our embroidered artworks?

Let’s begin with colour because that’s usually the first thing I notice about a piece of work, and that’s what will entice me to walk over and take a closer look.

So with colour, we’re looking at the use of complementary colours, or the opposites on the colour wheel, because when they’re worked closely together, they make each other appear more vibrant and dynamic.  Let’s not forget that colour sets the mood, so think of that when choosing colour schemes to suit a set theme.

But we also have contrasts of temperature to work with, from those warming tones to the cooler ones that, when worked together in a design, can create a thing of great beauty, because they stand out and make us take notice.

The work of Danielle Clough, also known as Fiancé Knowles, comes to mind immediately.  Her work is vibrant, upbeat and dynamic, utilising colour to its utmost potential.

Next, let’s focus on texture contrast and that too entices us to look closer and applaud the skill of the maker.  So, from stitches that sit smoothly on the surface of the fabric, like Satin Stitch, to Knots like French Knots or Bullion Stitch, we have an immediate contrast of texture and dimension.

Stitches can also be worked over the top of each other in differing sizes, weights and textures of thread to create stunning visual texture that stimulates our senses.

But we can also vary the textures of the ground or backing fabrics, or add the textures and variety of mixed media, which makes for eye-catching work.

The artist I think of here is the English embroiderer, Jessica Grady.  Think colour, texture, dimension, scale and embroidery mixed harmoniously and creatively, often using recycled and repurposed materials.

Now we move on to scale, mixing large, bold shapes with small, delicate ones, and adding fine details that only a needle and thread can achieve.

Look at the work of Australian embroidery artist Aimee Estcourt, a master colourist and stitcher.  Her use of colour, line, shape, and texture is so inspiring, but what I love is her inclusion of a completely different stitch, often small areas of cross stitch, amongst long, straight stitches.  That contrast of intricacy and sometimes just stitch direction is delightful.

What I love working with is material contrast – that of thread, beads, natural, metallic, matte, fuzzy, or synthetic.  You have to be courageous to pull it off, but it’s well worth the effort. Again, I would cite Jessica Grady here.  Her work is as innovative as it is imaginative.

And if we think outside the square just a little more, we can also play with conceptual contrasts – combining the old with the new, or traditional motifs with contemporary themes.  There’s a whole world to think about just there.

Australian embroidery artist Carol Cooke explores traditional techniques, then throws away the rule book to compose her art using inventiveness, imagination, ingenuity and improvisation to create unexpected results.

As I’ve mentioned previously, contrast enables us to create dynamic embroidery art – art that is as relevant in contemporary art spaces as it is in domestic spaces.

Contrast helps us express bold ideas and emotions while encouraging artistic experimentation and the freedom to create.  Most importantly, though, contrast empowers play and visual storytelling using our unique personal voice and style.

Embrace contrast and watch your embroidery thrive.  Engage in a dialogue between tradition and innovation, restraint and exuberance – and see where it takes you, something to think about when you want to venture into something new and different.

So what tips would I offer to add contrast to your work, right here, right now?

• begin with a limited colour palette, then add in something completely different in colour, shape and size
• include contrasts of value – lights and darks
• use your materials thoughtfully, but always include opposites
• analyse your work from time to time and assess what’s working and what’s not
• know the story you want to tell and utilise the power of contrast to help you do that
• be willing to embrace mistakes and continue on

Carl Jung said, ‘The greater the contrast, the greater the potential.  Great energy only comes from a correspondingly great tension of opposites.’

And it’s that visual tension and angst that takes us out of our comfort zone into a world that can be truly spectacular.

Use it strategically to make your designs visually appealing and impactful. Just remember to be judicious, as too much contrast can be distracting.

So to recap, begin by using contrasts of colour – blue and orange is one of my favourites, but also include contrasts of light and dark values too.  Just look back at traditional and contemporary examples of Blackwork embroidery that showcase the use of value changes.

Think of the texture of your ground fabric and the threads you’ll be working with, so look for opposing textures of fabric and threads or make use of raised stitches for that texture contrast.

And one of the simplest means of achieving the power of contrast is to change the size, shape and number of elements in your design.

It really can be that simple.

If you’re into monograms, outline letters in a contrasting colour or texture of thread.  Create shading and dimension in floral designs to offer a sense of realism and visual appeal.

Abstract designs can incorporate not only colour and stitch contrasts, but also think about stitch direction to make them more dynamic and appealing.

Contrast is power, and power is potential.  Are you willing to explore the world of contrast in your embroidery?

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different combinations of colours, fabrics, textures and threads, just choose what works best for you and what helps tell your story.

I hope this episode has awakened a sense of need for contrast – a need to include something radically different and opposite in your work.

Use that spark of an idea, or even a wild combination of colours and textures, but remember to create balance, drama and depth, not conflict.  That’s the magic we’re after.

If you want to transform your work from the ordinary into the extraordinary, try asking yourself these questions.

‘Where’s the tension?  Where’s the unexpected?’