Technical Block 3: Stitch - Research and technique

In the first day of our stitch technical block, we spent the morning getting to grips with the basic elements of the sewing machine: how to thread up the machine, testing out all the stitch patterns, using free embroidery, threading up the bobbin, etc.

Once we understood the basics, we were shown various techniques on the machine using lots of different materials: shirring elastic (smocked appearance), vilene (fusing), bondaweb (adhesing), broken needle technique (fusing fluffy yarns to material), etc. We were also inducted into using the heat press and shown various techniques on the iron: melting, fusing, flocking (velvety textured), foiling (foil like texture), heat transfer (for colour) and freezer paper (slightly adhesive). This was all really valuable for the first week where we were just encouraged to try out lots of small, different, experimental test pieces.

In the afternoon, we went through our drawings with the tutor and selected something which was suggestive of a particular technique that could be developed. We went around the class and were shown all sorts of different techniques. Because my drawings were suggestive of tubing, I was shown melting techniques on the iron using tubing, which melts really well and can be manipulated into a shape as it cools.

With this in mind, the next day we were sent to Shepherd's Bush Market to source appropriate materials. I bought a plastic material and a clear netting fabric that could be made into tubes and melted. I also bought lots of thin and chunky tubing, as well as electrical wires since I had these as objects in my Box Clever and thought they would melt well.

Foundling Museum

The final weekly lecture before the Christmas holidays, linked back to all the lectures we previously had throughout term. We were asked to visit the Foundling Museum - a hospital which was London's first home for abandoned children. The museum was restored and refurbished and built adjacent to the site of the original Hospital.

When I visited, I looked around at the various exhibitions, comprising of modern art from today and traditional paintings that were donated as part of the hospital art collection in the 18th century, where it became a public gallery. Where as the 18th century paintings make the story of the Foundling honest and real, the modern art acts as more of an interpretation.

An intriguing piece of art donated to the museum is Tracey Emin's bronze cast - 'Baby Things, Mitten', found on the railings outside the museum.

I think the representation of the mitten is bittersweet. On the one hand, it's symbolic of loss and abandonment - perching on the fence as a disowned object. Nevertheless it sits there poised and hopeful of a better future. A mitten provides warmth and protection from the outside, which is essentially what the Foundling offered - a shelter and safe haven for abandoned children. The charity still continues to care for children today.

Drawing Week 3: Big, Lidl, Henry VIII with Will Stevens

Will's second drawing session continued with the portraiture theme from the previous day with John Bentley. Nevertheless, the focus of this session was on primary colours. First we did some painting exercises looking at the 3 primary colours. To begin with, we had to split our paper into 6 and paint each square in the primary colours; 2 of each colour. Then we had to paint a portait of someone using an opposing colour on each square. It was interesting to see how the colours work together. I think it looks really striking and vivid.

For the second exercise we created a colour gradient which went from red to yellow to blue with each blending into one another. In this situation, we were focusing on the transition from one colour to the next, which was also really interesting.

The third exercise introduced the Lidl bag which utilises the 3 primary colours. Again we painted the same portrait from the first exercise onto the Lidl bag. The colours interacted with the background in an unusual yet harmonious way.

For the final exercise, we were split into 3 groups and each given a pile of Lidl carrier bags. We had to recreate the same portrait of Henry VIII using the Lidl bags. As you can see, each were different but bright, playful and full of character. I really enjoyed this drawing session. It really made you consider the use of the primary colours.

Drawing Week 3: A Giant Portrait of the Queen with John Bentley

For this drawing session, we were each given a tiny square which was a section of one photograph. We each had to do an enlarged drawing of our square onto an A1 sheet of paper. The final drawings were all fitted together like a jigsaw and the result was one massive portraiture of the Queen. It looked great when it was finished!

Drawing Week 3: Collage with Chetna

In this session, we created collages using photocopies of our objects and focusing on a word we were given. My word was 'hybridisation', and I incorporated this by revealing and overlapping the photocopied objects into the collage so that they appeared to be mixing, cutting in and merging, as though creating a hybrid.

The collages were really fun and experimental and I think the outcomes were successful. The varying materials provided interest and a mixture of textures. I particularly like this first collage because it's well though out - it hybrids the red acrylic with the coloured objects and the coloured splodges on the opposite side to create a mirrored, asymmetrical, juxtaposing composition.

Technical Block 2: Print - Photoshop Prints

For digital print, we scanned in all the drawings we had made prior to Print in the drawing weeks. These were then manipulated in Photoshop to create our own digital prints. Since I'm fairly inexperienced in Photoshop, I just focused on the basics and concentrated on colour, scale, repeat, overlaying and creating textures and patterns. It was fun to play around and really useful to learn Photoshop skills. These were some of prints I created...

Technical Block 2: Print - Screen Printing

When we began screen printing, the first step was to pin the silk down to the surface and ensure it was completely stretched out and well pinned down.

Then we were shown how to make the dyes. Because we were using silk which is a natural material known as a protein fiber, we had to prepare acid based dyes which soak into the fibers of the material.

Once the dyes were prepared we were ready to begin screen printing. The stencils were fixed to the screen, and then the dye was pulled through the screen using a squeegee. This process was a little bit stressful and messy. The stencils were only usable for around 2 goes and then the screen had to be thoroughly cleaned and dried before it could be used again. Furthermore, there was a lot to consider in terms of colour, arrangement and most importantly layering. It was important to be one step ahead - considering how it will look, because you can only tell once it's been printed and you can't reverse the process. Nevertheless, I think I created some fairly successful prints, some better than others. The ones that worked most successfully were well layered and balanced in terms of pattern, colour and composition arrangement. I think the highlight of my prints was the colour palette which was exciting and vibrant. It was useful having primary colours in the palette since these worked well when layering up and working on top of a print.

Screen Printing

Final 6 prints

Technical Block 2: Print - Stencils

To begin the Print Technical Block, we prepared stencils to be used for screen printing. We referred back to the drawings we did with Kathy since they were quite abstract and shape based. These were turned into stencils and cut out of newsprint. It was important to consider shape, scale, placement on the newsprint and pattern. We were told to consider, if we were to make a pattern for a top, how would we want it to look? The stenciling was a fairly long process, but one which I quite enjoyed. I created a large variety of stencils so that I had a lot to choose from when it came to screen printing.

These were some stencils that weren't used in the end. I retained the extra cut out pieces because they could be used as an inverse print.

These were some of stencils I just about managed to retain and mount.

LN-CC

LN-CC is a unique store in Dalston, with a concept focus of both retail and art. I visited it with some friends, one of whom had made an appointment to visit the store for research purposes. It was exciting and like nothing I'd ever seen before in the UK. Everything in the space has been carefully considered and the layout of the store is immaculate in presentation. Its exclusivity makes it an individual and intriguing visit, which can only be made by appointment.

It reminded me more of the shops you find in Berlin - independent and exclusive in nature. The focus isn't solely on selling products, but about displaying a concept. It's as though the store is a gallery, and you're viewing pieces of art.

To add to the uniqueness, it contains all sorts: clothes, shoes, accessories, books, music, events space with bar...everything you could possibly need really. It's definitely worth a visit!

Drawing Week 2: Lining Paper Drawings with Will Stevens

In this drawing session with Will, we worked on pieces of lining paper which was really fun. We focused on creating textural drawings, and looked at scale, as well as the tools we use to draw with and constrictions we may put in place, and how these constrictions effect a drawing.

For the first drawing, we chose one object from our box - mine was a balloon that I had found on the floor outside, and it had decayed and cracked. We had to draw this first object small scale and in as much detail as possible. After this the  drawing progressed through 3 further stages; through each stage the scale was enlarged and detail was lost, so that by the end I was drawing one large scale, abstract pattern that loosely linked to the first drawing. I really enjoyed this task and I think my outcomes were successful.

For this exercise we partnered up, and then split into groups. We had one sheet of lining paper between our pairs that were arranged on the floor with our group to create a star shape. We each sat at either end of our sheet facing our partner. We selected the tools we were going to draw with and had to join them together with a piece of string. We then had to draw our partner upside down with their head nearest to us. The constriction was the joint drawing tools, because when your partner moved, your tool was in sync so it moved with theirs. This was a really unusual drawing but playful and the outcome was rough and different. We then went round the groups trying to match up the person with their portrait - a fun way to end the drawing session.

Drawing Week 2: Drawing with John Bentley

Similar to the theme of the previous John Bentley drawing session, we did some more expressive and creative drawings focusing on our possessions.

Draw all the possessions in the world that I own on one sheet

We swapped our sheets and had to select 5 of the objects that someone else owns and redraw them exactly as they are, using a different medium for each object

Swap sheets with the person sitting next to you and redraw the 5 objects exactly as they are, but draw one inside the other, each object in a different colour, and they can only touch the outer object in one place. 

We then created our own tool using rolled up newspaper and used it as a paint brush with ink. Then we were given instructions to draw 8 different things

We had to draw one object from the previous drawing enlarged - mine was a moon boot!

The person sitting next to me had to redraw my object exactly as I drew it

Drawing Week 2: Colour with Claire

For this drawing session we were told to look at our objects from our box and consider closely, the detail in terms of colour and texture, and how you would reflect this in your drawing. If you were looking at a plastic object, you may apply a layer of PVA on top to give it a glossy look, or if the object was grainy and scuffed, you may use something like an oil pastel to reflect this.

As well as this, we had to consider how the detail was made up, a series of marks, layers of colours, etc. It was quite a challenging task, but it made you consider how you reflect a texture in a drawing accurately.

Technical Block 1: Weave - process and technique

In order to understand the process and technique, we began doing very basic weave patterns. I started with a plain weave, using the same yarns used in the warp. This created quite a basic check like pattern.

Plain weave

It was really interesting to see the difference in patterns. Mine was a point draft but my partners on the left hand side was a straight draft, so even though we might have used the same pattern such as a twill, it would turn out differently for both of us.

Once we got to grips with the threading of the weft and the changing of the shafts, we could use different yarns and pattern sequences.

I found that weave had quite a different way of interpreting and translating the research. The main things to focus on was colour. At first it was quite difficult because a lot of my drawings were curved and fluid, but in weave you're essentially making a stripe, so this was a challenge at first. Nevertheless, I realised that you can interpret line quality and use an appropriate thread accordingly. For example, I had a drawing which was really fluid and smoke like, with a wispy line quality, so I used a yarn which mimicked this. It had a fluffy and delicate texture which worked well in interpreting the research.

Once I was more confident with the process, I began to use more complicated patterns and made my own patterns. Extra weft allowed me to create loops in the weave which was quite playful and interesting. As well as this, interlinking the threads created a sort of gradient in the pattern which worked really nicely. I think this was one of my favourite samples, since the colours worked well and it had a successful graduating pattern in it.

Extra weft and electrical wires

Interlinking yarns

As well as varying the pattern, I also experimented with incorporating objects from my box into the weft. Objects such as: elastic bands, electrical wire, the packaging from roll up cigarette filters, feathers and other such bits and pieces. These additions provided a fun, playful and interactive nature and made the samples textural and more exciting which worked successfully.

Elastic band sample

Overall I found weave really enjoyable, in terms of both process and outcome. Athough some samples worked more successfully than others, I think I was experimental and challenged my use of materials and colours. I learnt a lot and carry this knowledge forward into future work and research.