The Process

How a Constantino Laura Tapestry is made?

1. Starts with the drawing

Every tapestry begins as small sketch on paper. Constantino unleashes his imagination and ideas freely on his draft, iterating until he achieves his final version of a design. His favorite subjects include musicians, sea life, mountains, birds, the jungle, landscapes, animals, Andean mythology, and symbols.

"A point can be the beginning of a great design or work of art, the point runs like a child in a creek stream and goes around silhouettes, shapes, it gets stucks in some corners, then runs happily through the skies of our memories.

When I am facing a blank canvas everything imagined is broken into a thousand pieces. With the point it's the beginning of assembling the design as a puzzle, that finally I will see it materialized, visible.

And the point, now line, is in some corners like a black thread embroidering, looking for the shadows in its eternal dance with the light"

2. Defining the colors: pouring his soul onto the canvas

After finishing the drawing, now Constantino paints it with colored pencils, 

"When you already have the sketch, you will proceed to give it color that goes to an initial complementary idea, because the color has its own language and when the design and color team up with each other the result will be a great work.

In my creation, I use images that evoke states of the soul, which give color to objects, places, landscapes...because it's our look that gives color to the scenery.

The life and time are a festival of colors, a book in which every day we can paint something new, because we will not regret for doing it, but for not having done it"

3. Color interpretation: from colored pencils to the wool

In this step, now we have the challenge to translate the colors on the paper to the threads. It's worth noting that the colors in the tapestries aren't plain but complex color gradients, mix between hues with nuanced shadows and tones. Usually it's Constantino's wife: Sara who helps him in this task.

4. The Cartoon: setting the blueprint for the loom

The small drawing is then enlarged, drawn or printed at the actual size of the tapestry, to create the "cartoon". It is transferred onto the cotton warp threads on the loom and acts as the weaver's guide. It also marks the areas where particular textures and techniques should be used.

5. Weaving: the pinnacle of the process

Every Constantino Laura tapestry is handwoven on a floor loom by himself or his team of Master Weavers trained in his techniques.

"For me, the act of weaving is the magic of touch that sensitizes matter, it's the miracle that allows me to flourish inhospitable fields, populate them with magical birds, mythical steppes and uninhabited forests, paint new stars in the sky of shadowless walkers, to offer astonishment to the child that inhabits our being, is also to tie memories...that is knitting to me"

6. Cleaning and Stretching

When weaving is complete, the tapestry is removed from the loom for cleaning and stretching. During weaving, the back of the piece has long loose threads hanging, which are trimmed down before the tapestry is cleaned. Because the tension changes once the piece leaves the loom, stretching restores its elasticity and sets its final dimensions.