A coil of twisted rope

A study of loosely coiled three-strand rope with both frayed ends visible on textured paper. Lay out three overlapping loops as one continuous rope path.

A way into the drawing

1. Establish the construction

   Lay out three overlapping loops as one continuous rope path.

2. Resolve the main structure

   Give the rope a consistent thickness and expose both cut ends.

3. Develop the detail

   Wrap the three-strand twist around the changing curves and add cut fiber tufts.

4. Control the values

   Deepen contact shadows between loops while reserving strand highlights.

A small thing to tryTrace the entire rope path before choosing which overlaps to darken.