Measuring and Mapping

During Feedback week we were given the task to look at recording our journeys through the galleries and museums we visited, whilst considering the two words; 'Measuring and Mapping'. Some of the things I looked at included, using a step-o-metre to keep track of my steps and how fast I walked, I recorded the amount of time I spent in each room and the mapped the route I took.

This drawing is of the first interesting thing I saw as I entered the museum of science and industry, I created a line drawing and I counted up to a total of 201 lines which symbolises the 3 hours and 21 minutes I spent inside the museum. I thought this was a clever way of creating a code behind why I drew this specific item in the way I did.





This drawing looks at close up abstract sections from a copper plate rubbing I created whilst in the museum, tracing the lines to create a bold black and white, un-textured line drawing.

Collage of motifs and patterns from one of the images I took at the museum of science and industry, looking at a fabric bale that was sent over 40 years ago. Looking at colours and pattern, overlapping and combining.

Group Analysis

On Friday we all grouped together, ensuring there was one person from each textiles world in each group, so we could talk about our own experiences. Talking to people from other worlds helped me because it allowed me to first of all see the work involved in the other textiles worlds, but it also gave me a chance to see the quality of the work that other students were producing.


Talking to one of the girls in my group who did embroidery (the world I will be going into) it allowed me see what to expected, and because she achieved a 1st it has given me something to aim towards, being able to see the quality and quantity of work required.


Another thing this group session helped me to identify was that personally I feel that I have made the best decision about which world I wanted to explore next, and based on the work of the other students I saw I think it will be and exciting area to explore.

Evaluation of Origins Unit

Throughout this unit, I have developed my work through the exploration of many different print techniques. The practical research I completed in the workshops has created a strong connection between my practise techniques and my final designs. Most of the development for my unit started with my initial drawings from the ‘chance cards’ drawing task, from which I developed my motifs that I have used throughout all of my designs. I have also used current designers to inspire my work, looking at the Manish Arora S/S 2014 collection having similar bold colours and busy patterns translate into my work.

By using this blog along with tasks such as laying out all of my work together and peer assements it has allowed me to see my work as it develops which let me see what my work is missing, and what areas were lacking. For example my first screen printed designs didn’t reflect my colour mood and by looking at them next to all of my other work it allowed me to pin point the problem to the fact that there was too much white in the backgrounds, which is a colour that isn’t present at all in my colour palatte study.

During this unit, I have discovered many new print techniques I had not previously known of before practising them in the print room, and so I think these are defiantly techniques which will translate into my future print work. I think whilst working on my digital designs (which are something I have not done previously) I discovered in myself that I enjoy working digitally. I also really enjoy the outcomes on silk. I find the whole technique and process to be something I could see myself doing more of in the future, possibly because I could see how it could develop further.

I think I have managed my time wisely, especially towards the closing weeks. Working in the print room on Wednesdays independent study days I feel has benefited my work greatly, giving me chance to develop the techniques we look at during the taught sessions.

Overall, I feel I have used lateral thinking whilst developing my work, creatively linking my contextual references with my development work. I have used both my blog and my sketchbook to display this and I have found it helpful using both.

 

 

Final designs

After creating some of my final samples today in the print room I decided it would be wroth while laying out all of my samples (digital, fabric, and hand designs) just to ensure that the same colour mood carries through-out. It has also given me the change to look at my work as a whole collection so that I can see what it is missing and what needs adding or taking away. This process will help me put together my final collection for assessment.

 

Overall I think my colour mood has carried through all of my designs, which was something I found fairly difficult because of my vast palate, however I think that in many of the pieces I have achieved just the right balance.

2nd Digital Designs

After we had one digital sample printed on fabric I was eager to test out more, and so I used some of my newer designs along with creating some more to print onto different fabrics.

 

These were the designs I had chose to be printed, I had 6 printed on cotton and 6 printed on light habotai silk , I watched the prints coming out of the printer and from start to finish I just found the entire digital print process fascinating.

cotton designs printing

silk designs printing

 

In regards to the outcomes of the prints I feel that personally I prefer the prints on silk, I just feel the quality and depth is much richer and produces a more professional outcome.

Hand Generated Designs

These are the designs I have created using hand techniques such as painting, collaging and drawing. I found this to be a very freeing way of creating designs as it gives you the chance to experiment using different media and techniques, testing to see what works together. Whilst the process is longer I think the final outcome can be very satisfying, but more importantly it gives the chance to experiment which is what I enjoy about this section of development work.

Sketching ideas

This is also some of my sketchbook work I have been working on. After a discussion with my tutor I decided it would be best to map out little sketches of different possible compositions for my designs (screen printed, digital designs and hand crafted designs) in order to give my some indication of what my work could/ would look like. I found this so far has been particularly helpful for my hand designs and partially helpful for my digital designs because when creating a quick sketch by hand, it means I have the freedom to change the scale of my motifs, which is something I am capable of exploring through hand generated designs and my digitally developed samples.

1st Digital Designs

These are some of my first digital designs that I wrote about in my sketchbook. By using Photoshop and illustrator to create my motif designs into paintbrushes, I found the process of making these designs really quick and easy; I also really like the built up effect you can achieve. To develop these further I will consider more of the different techniques we have/ will be learning through-out our Thursday digital sessions.

Designer inspiration

When looking at print forecasts for inspiration I came across the Manish Arora designs for spring/summer 2014 on the 'Patternbank' website. I feel like this stood out to me because of the similar vibrancy within the colour palate. These symmetrical placement prints are something I would defiantly like to explore more in the future, but for now the colours, bold shapes and balance is something I am going to use as inspiration through-out this unit.

* image from http://patternbank.com/catwalks/

peer feedback

After completing the peer assessment 'post it' reviews I found the feedback to be supportive and help me when developing my work. One of the points mentioned in the feedback I was given was to consider dying some more of my own fabrics which is something I mentioned in my last post and so it is definitely something I will complete before dropping into the print room again.

Another suggestion was to make it clear where my ideas have come from, so I aim to use my sketchbook to show my developing ideas, from original images, to drawings (chance cards) , onto developing drawings into motifs, before continuing into my print designs.

A positive feedback point I was given said "you've got such a wide colour palate that you've been able to create some really interesting and colourful designs, whilst keeping to your suggested palate." whilst this is a positive comment, I'm going to make sure I keep this in mind so that I continue to work in a similar way - colourful and complex.

1st screen prints

 These were some of the first prints I did when I went to work in the print room on Wednesdays independent study day. I enjoyed looking at different compositions for layering up my motifs. However after looking at them next to my colour palate I decided that whilst the colours seemed fairly accurate, the general colour mood didn't seem to be translating as well. I figured that this was due to the vast white backgrounds (especially in the samples on the right hand side) and so I have decided that the best thing for my work is to dye up some backgrounds, or print a base colour before developing on top.

colour inspiration

This is my chosen image from which I will develop my colour palate, underneath is the exercise I did in order to look  closely at the colours and select the ones that I thought best reflected the overall mood of the image. This is where I deconstructed my image further in order to look closer at the colours and tones used, this was helpful to me because it allowed me to deconstruct the images into the colours, then construct a more limited colour palate above  I chose this image because it is full of bright colours and a wide range of tones, which I think will make exploration of colour through print more exciting.

Final motifs for screen

These are my final designs for my screen, which I will use through-out the print unit in the workshop to create layered print designs using a range of dying/ printing techniques.

 

From drawings to motifs

I developed some of my initial drawings further by transforming them into motifs, which I was then able to have processed onto screen. I tried to chose a range of drawings, from detailed line drawings, to blocks and bold marks. My motifs also have a range of subject, some are more of a geometric, architectural format whilst others are more naturalistic and free forming.

Initial drawings



Drawing on found objects, these drawings of natural forms (dead leaves and berries) on top of small business type cards with photography on them created a great contrast between form and colour. The top left and bottom right drawings contrast the image below, for example the curved leaves on top of the straight blinds, whilst the other two images below work harmoniously with the drawings above.

 

 This drawing was my experimentation with the tools we built to draw with in order to create new and interesting marks. The focus was an old building, using a range of exaggerated marks and colours.

 

One drawing every five minutes for one hour- this range of images is generally black and white with aspects of bold colour, and this is something which I really liked about this set of drawings because I think whilst the content of the drawings and techniques varied greatly, the colours tied them together well.

 

 

These drawings were just something I created experimenting with bold straight lines, taken as inspiration from the architectural structures from around Manchester then adding some of the fun, bold and bright colours I found in some of the graffiti around Manchester, combining the clean cut buildings with the artistic underbelly of the streets. 

 

This image is the same drawing layered digitally on top of each other, playing further with the aim of the drawing 'building up an image through layering transparent papers'. I like how all the geometric shapes overlap and create new angular shapes using bold lines and marks.

 

This final image was my 'light drawing on a dark background', I enjoyed taking my time creating this observational drawing, focusing on the shapes, colours and textures. I think the overall drawing works well because of the contrasting background, making the colours stand out even more.