Digital Image Making

This was my second workshop, at first I didn't know what to expect from the workshop as I haven't done much work on the computers before and was worried I would feel behind and inexperienced but with just having two lessons I picked everything up straight away. Starting with colour pallets and picking out every colour from my drawings and photographs to get a feel of the mood and turning my designs into brushes. It really gave me the tools to make my ideas and designs come to life and explore.

After making different backgrounds I started to play around with adding the patterns into the swimwear shapes and overlaying them on the backgrounds to give them another dimension. I have really enjoyed being able to turn one small drawing into something that jumps out of the page.

This was my final image it started off as being a square and I was happy with how it looked until i printed it off and it didn't give the images and colours justice so I changed the canvas size to A3 and rather then just making the square bigger I let the patterns and colours flow out of it and I am really pleased with the final image.

I like most about the image the way the back ground is so busy yet the swimwear images still stand out and the way all the colours overlap and flow through each other, colours which normally don't go together or compliment each other but in this image they make each other look better.



Drawing Workshops

Aswell as working independantly on my Slueuths, Spies and lies project there has been several drawing workshops set up to make us think out of the box and that anything is a drawing wether its a line on the floor to a hole in the wall. Some of these realy challenged me as im stuck in my ways when drawing but being made to look at things from a different angle have really helped.
The drawing task I enjoyed most was mark making and only having a short time to produce a drawing as i couldnt over think it.

This was an independent drawing task we were given, the only points I had to stick to was that it had to be 1 Metre by 1 Metre but doesn't have to be a square and it had to be black and white. At first I struggled to think of what I can do so looking through my work without even realising I was simplifying my drawings rather then drawing with full detail I was more interested in the outline and silhouette.

I enjoyed this drawing task and expressing on a larger scale but I struggled to start on the metre white paper so by splitting it into sections it didn't seem as daunting and I found it easier to start drawing.

This was the final drawing session and I'm not a big fan of collage and mixing materials when it comes to drawing but with advice to loosen up and to stop restricting myself when making marks I opened my mind and just got stuck in. The way that helped me to free up was holding the brush at the end so I didn't have control and it gave me different marks then I just kept building on them with a splash of colour and cut out materials. I think this worked well and the way the patterns and colours all link I feel really connects to the rest of my work.

Sketchbook Work

Putting aside my practical work I was also working through my sketchbook. The first white page is always scary so I have left it blank and turned onto the next starting with looking at the swimwear pieces from Platt hall and picking out parts that I like such as the colours. Within the colours I'm looking at the way they are arranged on the items, the overlay of block colours and shapes and how the colours compliment each other.

Here I was focusing on not the shapes within the design but the way the colours overlap and blend. I feel this was a good starting point to get me thinking about how to develop my own work and colour ways. In the sketchbook analysis I was worried about people looking through my work as I'm not confident on speaking out and my sketchbook is where I just put all my ideas down and starting points so I wouldn't say its my best work overall.

Through my sketchbook I have mostly looked at pattern, and the images I got from Platt Hall of the Swimwear I was more interested in the patterns within the design and the detail rather then the item as a whole.

Here I was looking at the articles from the 1950's, this is where the hour glass figure really took shape, I love the way it shows off the womanly curves and the silhouette of it. A comment which was made in the sketchbook exhibition was that it was clear why I chose certain images and the way I translated them into my own drawings and adding my own drawings into the silhouette shapes which was a relief in a way as people can see where I was coming from.

Another part of the swimwear I was looking at was the pattern and texture. In the 1930's the swimwear was made from knitted fabric which isn't practical as when wet the fibres will absorb the water making the swimwear bigger which could end up in an embarrassing situation.
Linking my workshops to the rest of my work, I have been making felt also another material that wouldn't be suitable for swimwear as it shrinks when wet but that was a connection I made as I'm not thinking of the designs to be worn but to be more of a 'look at' piece, thinking about this in my workshops I started to think about how I could mould the felt to fit around the body.

Using an Image to pick out the colours

Simple flower patterns

Dye, Fibre, Cloth Workshop One

Withing the first workshop, I chose dye, fibre and cloth the main aspect of this was felt and as iv done felt previously I was hoping to enhance my knowledge and skills.
From looking at the swimwear and focusing on the pattern I was looking at natural objects such as flowers as that seemed to be an occurrence through designs and using them as my colour pallet, picking out every colour from the image or flower itself to get the mood and feel of it.
With the felt I started off just making simple felt pieces blending colours to match the colour pallet I chose from my object, which I already knew how to do so I didn't get out off the experience what I thought I would but as the workshops continued and I had a clear idea in my head of what and how I wanted to manipulate the material it started to take shape.



From the first felt session, blending the fibres and adding other materials to create texture



Using the felt as another drawing tool I then stitched into it to define some of the detail.

By continuing with the felt I started to make 3D flowers and manipulate the form thinking of ways it could fit around the body and accessorize the swimwear. It was harder to form the felt into an actual shape as It has to be not too thick or too thin and half way through the felting process it takes alot of effort forming the shapes of the petals and flower form as well as making sure it is felted properly.I Really enjoyed forming the shapes and it was a technique I will always remember and use in further work.

Another aspect of this workshop was dye, I didn't realise how much of a long process the dye was but getting the correct measures and having a good technical file its something i can always expand on and use in further work.

This is what I dyed in my induction, it hasnt worked out how it should because it isnt an even colour all round but I actually like how there is different tones in there and how the dark blue contrast with the lighter purple shades.

The start of the Sleuths, Spies and Lies brief I chose Platt hall, the reason I chose this was I was inspired by the late 19 century clothing but it was the swimwear that interested me.
I liked the way the swimwear enhances the figure especially in the 1950's where the designs really show off the hour glass shape pinching in at the waist. Another part of the swimwear that inspired me was the colour and patterns that ran through they were really vibrant some with geometric bold deigns.

Weldon's Home Journal, July 1954

"bathing costume & swimsuit" [1989.63], St Michael, Marks & Spencer

"bathing costume & bikini" [1947.2865]

Looking at magazine articles from the 19th century and picking out parts of the deigns I started to look at a way I can turn my own drawings into patterns and designs that could possibly be part of the clothing.




                                                               Summer Project