Sampling unit:
Ordered Opposites: Rural/Urban: Hard/Soft
Evaluation of Project 2:

In past projects, I have found a weakness in not carrying out appropriate and on-going research. In this project I feel I have embraced my own challenge of conducting thorough research using myriad techniques and materials. I have made relevant connections between my research and practice, for example:

I took this photograph of a building in Spinningfields, Manchester and looked solely at the structure of the building:

After investigating the structure of the building in my sketchbook, I created this piece of development to begin thinking of how I could use my materials to re-create the forms.

I am happy with this as my first 3D Construction sample, as I felt I carried out good research, development of ideas and then the final idea, using quite literal thinking, to create a hard & soft themed garment.

I always make sure I use context in my work, to give my samples a meaning beyond aesthetics. A good example of this is my “Filing Cabinet” piece. On my walk through Manchester, in which I set out to find form and structure in the city, I discovered the “Filing Cabinet” building:

This image inspired me straight away with the shapes and I started thinking of different ways to present my ideas:

I wanted to come up with a more lateral design compared to my last sample, so played with my ideas, leading to this garment design:

In an effort to maintain my Hard & Soft theme, I created the body of the garment to have a soft, sleek bottom seam, to contrast the square shapes. This leads to my next design, and quite an important self- discovery- my mark making techniques. During tutorials my tutor has pointed out that my work is very similar to that of a print students, a workshop I didn’t think to do as I thought I was a more constructive designer. However, in our Drawing Day task, we created our own brushes and mark makers. I used visual images from my sketchbook and experimented using my mark makers, oil paints, acrylic paints and charcoal. This task really inspired me and lead to me developing my marks in to 3D samples. Here is one example:

I took this photo during a walk through Blanchland in Northumberland during the Christmas Holidays, using this image, I created this mark making during the workshop:

I then went on to create a 3D sample using the "Filing Cabinet" idea:

I feel that this work further proves my lateral thinking ability, as I have taken a visual source and developed it in a non-conventional way. This is also my risk-taking piece, because instead of creating a sample using calico and chicken wire to enable structure, I used advice from tutorials, as well as advice from the Drawing Day, and created my own print, to apply to my development from “The Filing Cabinet” piece.

Throughout this project, I believe I have used my time efficiently. During the knit workshop I was still a little weary about making connections between my research and practice, because I carried out a lot of visual and contextual research over weekends and the christmas holidays, so I found it difficult to narrow down ideas.

Although I created plenty of samples with developed colour themes, I didn’t feel any of them were very final to the point of being able to imagine them as a garment, however enjoyed making the sample boards- which could eventually lead to more developed samples if I went back to them.

This allowed me to do my research a little differently in the 2nd part of the project, because I was doing 3D Construction I knew that I should just begin my looking at form and structure. I believe the last month of the project went quite well, as I had planned to create 2 or 3 quality samples, with well developed connections between my research, my hard & soft theme, my materials, workshops and practice.

Origins Unit 1:
1M X 1M DRAWING TASK:

As an independent drawing task, we were asked to create a 1m x 1m portable black and white drawing, inspired by our project. Straight away I wanted to include the drawing styles we had practiced in a drawing workshop, including negative drawing and blind drawings.

I planned the techniques I wanted to incorporate and the aspects of canal street I would like to draw, such as the stacked chairs and bunting. I then went on to use different drawing techniques and materials, including oil bar, pencils and charcoal.

I used charcoal to create a 3D effect on a negative drawing of bunting. I thought it was really effective and enjoy using charcoal. I knew it would look even better on a big scale too.

One of the most obvious things about Canal Street is the gay pride colours, and the flag which hosts the colours. I used an oil bar and charcoal to draw this picture, and I think I made it look quite 3D as if blowing in the wind.

One of the first things I took a photo of, and drew from Canal Street was the stacked chairs. And after doing the 3D workshop and focusing a lot on pleats I thought it wa a good idea to create that effect with graphic pencils.

This drawing was inspired by the blind drawing I did of some chairs. I quite like it as a background pattern.

I did a couple of mini drawings to decide on composition and materials, and even portability. Because the bottom half of the drawing was inspired by chairs, to make the drawing portable I created pleats to make “Folding Chairs”.

This is my final 1m x 1m drawing:

One of the rules was that it had to be in black and white, however throughout my project I have felt that colour was one of the most important things about Canal Street. So with the bunting I cut out the flag shapes, for the idea that I could hang up the drawing in the middle of a room, and the background could serve as the colours of the flag. I thought my idea for portability worked well on large scale, as did the draping curves on the left, however was disappointed with the pleated charcoal chairs, as the effect is better on a smaller scale. Overall I was happy with my final drawing, and enjoyed planning and making it.

Origins Unit 1:
DRAWING TASK 2:

Initial feelings about my sketchbook:
Before I started my sketchbook and research I definitely had blank-page fear! I wasn’t even sure how to begin research until our introductory 3D Construction Workshop. Even after research I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to include but eventually I just jumped in to it and am happy with how it begins. I looked forward to the sketchbook exhibition because I wanted feedback from others about my content and how well it answers the brief. I found the overall feedback from the session helpful and will include more drawings and annotation to make the work a little more coherent.

VISUAL:
The drawings in my sketchbook are inspired by the photographs I took of Canal Street on the first week of the project. I tried to find certain shapes and textures to draw from, which I believe I did successfully, in order to find things to inspire my 3D Construction work, and eventually my Digital Image Making work.

I feel this page is a good example of layout, drawing styles and variety of ideas. I took the photograph on the left and drew a line drawing of the chairs, however I feel my drawing ability lets me down when I do line drawing so I did a blind drawing. I thought that the second drawing was more successful as it provides more abstract visuals. Through out my sketchbook I have included a variety of line, tonal, blind and negative drawings, which have helped me with my work, however I feel I could have done more of them.

CONTEXTUAL:
My research began with taking photos of Canal Street to then draw from. However I also looked at the history of the area too, for example Alan Turing and the Secret Hatch. I also came up with keywords after researching the history:


I thought this was a good idea as it helps to conclude everything I had learnt about the history of area. My 3D construction designs are benefitted with shapes, textures and concepts driven from all of my visual and historical research. I haven't included artist research in my sketchbook, as I focused more on my research and drawings in the beginning. I think in terms of relevant design awareness in relation to my research I have done well, however I understand after the Sketchbook Exhibition that I should add annotation to make it clearer how I came up with the designs.

CONTENT:
I think my sketchbook so far flows quite well. I have included historical research and visual research, integrated with my own drawings and designs (once annotated is included it will be clearer). I think a good example of this is my investigation in to the 1960 Secret Hatch.
Although I was basing the idea on a rumoured Secret pub, I used internet imagery, my own interpretation of the wooden hatch, and went on to create garment ideas in 3D construction workshops: