Sampling unit:
Ordered Opposites: Rural/Urban
Evaluation of Project 1:

When we were given the brief for this project, I was a little confused by the idea that it would be split in to two projects, however initially I thought the theme of “Ordered Opposites” was quite thought-provoking. I chose the Knit workshop, as although I quite enjoy surface design, I am more of a constructive designer, and have been interested in knit for a while, and thought that I would be able to link it well with my theme in terms of colour, texture and pattern. After finishing my last project and receiving clear feedback, I knew that my weakness was carrying out various research methods, so I decided to just plunge straight in to the research and decided on the theme of “Rural:Urban”. To help me develop some research for this idea, I made a brain storm in my sketchbook:

This helped me to think of things to look up, find, and sketch, but also sets the theme for my sketchbook. Because “Rural:Urban” is a very broad theme, I decided to include some sub-sections which I can work towards and eventually pick one to develop samples for, once I feel I have appropriate research. These sub-sections are, “Order:Chaos”, “Hard:Soft” and “Coincidence:Deliberate”. I feel that what I have improved up on is my research. I did some internet research to begin, just to get in to the mood and kick-start my theme. I then visited the Museum of Manchester, where I read about the industrial revolution of Manchester and Liverpool, which spurred me to visit the Museum of Science and Industry.

I used the visual imagery I collected from these visits to include in my sketchbook, and to work with colour palettes. I also used the time I had over Christmas to visit Liverpool, and also Newcastle and Hartlepool, where I used different techniques to collect research. On my train journey to Hartlepool, I took photographs of the rural areas to then draw from, but also the disused “Steetley Magnesite” industrial site, which provides fantastic history and imagery:

Hartlepool is a small town, but during World War II, was the only source of Magnesite in Britain. I also took photos of the farms, beaches and some movement photos:

I thought this was quite a valuable image as it links a rural settings with an urban theme (the train) speeding through. It also provides a good, tonal colour palette, as I have used in the sample. I also used my time in Hartlepool, a quite rural place, and my time in Newcastle, a larger, more urban setting, to create mark making:

I think this was a good idea because it provided me with direct imagery of how i felt walking through these places to then project in to my knit samples. By this point, and as i begin to get more comfortable in the knit workshop, I have decided upon the sub-section of “Hard:Soft”, a theme which has ran throughout my sketchbook and samples in my used of yarns, colours and drawing techniques.
Another aspect I believe I have improved upon is linking my samples and drawings, throughout my researching, I have continued to do sampling alongside it, whilst also learning more techniques each week. To present my samples, I will include some in my sketchbook, but have also created lots of sample stories to present them, which I have made print outs of:

To create the sample stories, I looked for my used of colour, theme and connections with my sketchbook. In the first part of this project, I believe I have achieved a successful body of research and clear samples, which link to my visual research. I have also found that you can never have enough research or sketches, and that samples are a very important part of a project, I look forward to developing my samples using mainly my colour palette that I have chosen from a postcard I collect at the Museum of Science and Industry:

As well as this colour work, I believe that my next workshop, 3D Construction, will provide a more challenging second part of the project.