30/4/15- Design Development

Today I began with trying to work out a difficulty with my prints where I was trying to work out why my prints were becoming disjointed at some of the repeats creating visible lines where shapes didn’t match up. To resolve this I asked Dan what was happening and how I could fix it. He told me I was offsetting the design wrong and that I had to make sure the print was cropped properly to the square and that I had to actually fix these areas before I defined the pattern. To do this I needed to merge the print layers and offset these continually checking that shapes were matched up and if not I could draw in areas or add in new shapes to fix it. He showed me the clone tool where you can selection an area to copy and paint it on like copy and pasting which will be useful as I didn’t know how to use it before. Dan also gave me some advice on my prints that I should consider the white space. Initially I had made the background white on purpose so its like my fleece and duvet but I think maybe now I should play with backgrounds in different colours as well as play with the scale of the print so the different prints are different scales as this will help marry them together. 

(Screen shot of working on print fixing joint in the centre, Authors Own, 30/4/15)

I then experimented with free machine embroidery testing out how it works as well as on different thicknesses of fabric. When doing it I tried to create abstract style shapes which reminded me of the rubbish print I have made. I found that I liked the embroidery on silk with two layers of fleece underneath as it gave it a more raised textured finish which more closely resembled a quilting look. I also tried out using gold thread on black silk which had an interesting finish because of the contrast in colours and it made the embroidered design stand out greater. Overall from this I realise I would need a lot more practise if I use this process in my final designs as I am not very good at guiding the machine to create neat or precise stitching. However I think I could explore the gold on black idea further as I think it worked well and could make an interesting finishing process in a garment.

At the end of the day I then spoke to Becca about my work and she gave me lots of things to improve on in order to get my grade higher. I need to remember colour, to colour in my designs especially skin colour for my people as well as back drawings of my designs so i have considered the 360 degree design. In terms of my theme she suggested I look into second hand clothes, whether they are too big/ too small, look into details of rich peoples clothing now and in history to find details to clash and deprivation. I also need to think more about the silhouettes I design, she said they are too similar throughout the whole project like I have just repeated the same shape and that I should take ideas from my research in terms of details and to think about more tailored silhouettes to clash with my existing ideas. I also need to think about the ‘woman’ who would wear my designs.

After today I feel like I have a lot of work to do and I am not quite sure where to start. I am going to focus for the next bit on the bottom half of the figure, skirts and trousers, as I have put too much focus on the top half so this will help improve my project and hopefully I can create some designs which are more dynamic and take my work further. I also need to go back into my work and improve aspects thinking about colour and adding new silhouettes so my designs feel less repetitive. After this I can begin to add in some new ideas through the unfitting clothing and rich detailing. 

29/4/15- Print and Stand Work

Today I printed samples of the prints I was designing yesterday. I printed using three different fabrics: a polyester silk, a polycotton and a fleece fabric to test how the colours came out and what variations there were. Overall I am pleased with most of the prints, I like the rubbish print and the one with blue damask because they are quite abstract and I think could work well on garments, I think the grey and gold print is possibly a bit too busy and traditional so I may consider redesigning this if I want to use it in my final designs. Of the gold and grey print, the printed gold colour came out better than I thought which is promising and if I wanted it in my final print I could add it into the other prints I like. I was also surprised at how well the print came out on the fleece, the heat flattened it which made it appear almost velvety and is very soft so could work well with my theme of having to stay warm. The colours came out very vibrantly on the silk material which I think could contrast with the duvet I have been experimenting with as is much more elegant and delicate compared to the bold, voluminous duvet.

(Print Samples, Authors Own, 29/4/15)

This afternoon I then started some stand work using fleece fabric, I was surprised how easily manipulable it is and the shapes that could be draped. From doing this I found some interesting shapes I could develop. The shapes I found worked well in particular are below and I like the large draped sleeves and the voluminous shapes because they remind me of when you scrunch up in clothes to keep warm. I think I could develop these into some interesting jumper shapes which I could then combine my prints with. In order to improve these I think I need to consider more how the garments would be worn thinking about seams and openings etc.  

(Stand Work, Authors Own, 29/4/15)

After today I feel a bit more confident in printing as this wasn't a process I had used before and having physically tested my designs using different fabrics I can now see what is successful and I can now develop these into my designs. The stand work today has also given me a new avenue to work with that I can now incorporate with my existing ideas and this will hopefully help shape my collection. The next step I think is to go back into designing playing with the prints and the silhouettes of the duvet and fleece. I could do this by collaging or drawing. I would also like to experiment a little with machine embroidery using gold thread before I decide on the processes I will use for my outcome as this isn't an avenue I have explored yet. I will do this tomorrow using the sewing machines at Ravensbourne as with my own personal machine I can't lower the teeth enabling me to embroider.

28/4/15- Print Development

Today I had my mid-project tutorial with Sarah. I discussed with her the worries I wrote about yesterday, that I wasn't sure about the look of my designs, and she helped me not to worry as I was as it was limiting my work. Sarah told me that in order to help clear my mind and resolve my issue that I need to go back to experimenting with fabrics and ideas such as the silk with fleece on the back and to go back to developing prints as this is where my project was working. Once I have developed these and worked out what fabrics I want to use etc then I will be clearer in my thoughts and I will be able to work out the final silhouettes for my collection.

After talking to Sarah I went on to work on more prints. I created the ones below today using scans from my sketchbook. Overall I am quite pleased with them like the print on the right because of how the swirling damask and rubbish has combined and I like the combination of grey tones with the pop of blue. I also like the more photographic element to some of the prints it adds a contrast to the drawn lines and a larger range in tones of colour which I think works well. I think the blue background damask print is less successful because it looks a bit old fashioned and traditional and I think I need to work it out again to make it more modern as I like elements of it such as the contrasts in colour between the blue, white and gold.

(Prints, Authors Own, 28/4/15)

Tomorrow I am going to print some samples using my prints above, so before hand I need decide which prints I want to sample and maybe do some more using other sketches I have done in my sketchbook. I also need to decide what fabrics to sample it on, I would like to try out some flat polyesters as well as polyester silks and even possibly a fleece as this is almost a key fabric in my theme of trying to stay warm. Also tonight I want to experiment back with the duvet on the stand using a smaller single duvet this time to see if I can find some shapes I think really work well and that I can possibly use for my final outcome as I think I need to consider this this week while working as I should be making next week to stay on track.

27/4/15- The Weekend

This weekend I continued with my design development with how I can mix the rich and poor together. So far I feel like I have narrowed down my research to areas I find most interesting, this has helped as I felt before like I had too much going on and was getting confusing. My key elements are: the work of Nick Hedges, the idea of having to keep warm, the irony of paying so much for clothes that look poor and rich interiors specifically panelling and gold gilding. I chose these as I think they give me lots to work with but also all relate to each other and will portray what I want in my outcome. They don't stereotype or judge the rich and poor but are exploring both ways of life through the beauty or rawness that has fascinated me. Adding the ironic element keeps the collection current as the unbalance of rich and poor is a real issue of today and I want to portray these issues not in a political sense but just how it makes me feel.

I have mainly been designing from the collages from last week, taking silhouettes and elements I liked such as a skirt shape or a neckline and developing and building on these to turn them into designs by drawing them and changing proportions and combinations. I have also been able to think about fabric combinations from this such as on the left thinking about a hessian raw looking tunic top combined with an elegant silk skirt. I also like some of the silhouettes such as on the right in the picture which are interesting and exciting because of the combinations in them.

However I am struggling at the moment as although I like these designs I am not sure if they are the right attitude or look for my final collection. I think the designs on the right almost feel too polished and don't betray that imbalance of rich and poor and the struggle that I have looked at. I think I almost need to now go back into the poor images and explore them more, bringing back in my earlier print and thinking how I can combine this with the gold gilding and paneling. I want to continue to develop some of my silhouettes I have at the moment but I feel I need to bring back the rawness I loved in Nick Hedges work. 

I am not quite sure what I should be doing next, I think I need to experiment again with my earlier print and combine this in with elements of what I am currently doing to see if this starts to look more like what I feel it should. I think I need to get the look I want for the collection this week so I can finalise my designs at the beginning of next week and I can then really explore fabrication and the final details before making as I think this will really make the collection strong. 

23/4/15- Design Development

Today I continued with design development focusing on designing from my collages I created yesterday. I mainly did this by extracting the silhouettes and shapes I liked and turned them into garments playing with how it would work in terms of construction and proportion. I did this to develop my ideas of how I can combine the duvet style garment with the panelling idea. I did quick designs focusing on line and shape rather than detail as this helps me to see what is successful in terms of a silhouette and what I should then take forward and develop with colour, print and fine details.

I think so far I have found some interesting shapes to work with, specifically an oversized quilted jumper and an abstract skirt. These worked well as I was focusing on the separate garments and how they could be interesting on their own which is not something I usually do as I tend to veer towards designing the look as a whole. This gives me more freedom in discovering what I can develop as I am not just focusing on whole looks. Today I also tried to improve on designing garments for the bottom half of the figure. I am pleased with some of the ideas, they have given me the confidence to develop this more which I think I needed.

What I can improve on from today is still colour, I think I need to add these back into my designs so I can begin to work out how it will work on the garments and in different combinations. I also need to draw the back and side views of my designs as this will be a more professional way of designing and will make me consider the 360 degree design rather than just the front.

Next I am going to continue with the quick designs exploring all the ideas and silhouettes I have. Hopefully by doing this over the weekend, next week I will be able to begin deciding what my final designs could begin to look like. This will allow me to more deeply explore my final colour scheme as well as experiment with fabrics, technique sampling and the collection.

(Moodboard and design development, authors own, 23/4/15)

22/4/15- Design Development

Today I started by creating collaged design ideas using photocopies of the quilting and embroidery samples I created as well as imagery of rich interiors specifically from Karen Knorr's photography series. I did this as I feel like I haven't really combined the rich and poor properly yet so doing this helped me to see how I could combine both my duvet and rich interiors ideas. From the images I cut out shapes which I then combined on the page to create looks. Some were a balance of rich and poor and with others one was more dominant than the other. From this task what worked well was that it allowed me to create some bolder silhouettes which are more exciting than if I just drew straight from my imagery which means I have more ideas to now develop, especially ideas for jackets or coats using my duvet/quilting ideas and how I could then combine these with rich elements. The collages have also given me ideas for possible prints using the gold gilding from the pictures as well as some colour ideas as it is easier to visualise all the colours together on a person rather than when I have just extracted them from an image. However from these I see that I need to improve on designing for the bottom half of the body as all the collages mainly focus on the torso in creating coats or dresses so I need to explore how I can improve on designing skirts and trousers as this will make stronger designs if they are exciting on both the top and bottom.

(A few of my collaged designs, Authors own, 22/4/15)

After creating the collages I began to design from them taking the elements I liked and making them more wearable. I am finding this technique works well as it means the silhouettes I am drawing are more exciting and there are more elements to the looks as I have more to reference. I do need to make sure I think about colour when I draw designs as this is often something I overlook but is an essential part of the design development. I need to continue this process now, drawing both small details of designs as well as whole outfits, specifically thinking about layering which I think should be a key feature of my final designs so they incorporate the idea of the poor trying to keep warm as well as seaming etc as understanding the construction of the garments will make the collection stronger.

Today I feel like I am getting deeper into the project and these collages have given me a good point to continue with and develop from. I learnt about how I could combine the rich and poor elements thinking about having oversized duvet inspired areas contrasted with more tailored panel printed gilded details or sections. This could help me represent the imbalance of rich and poor which is evidently relevant in society today.

Whats next is I need to continue designing specifically thinking about trousers and skirts as this is something I really want to improve on. A way I could do this is printing out flats of a basic pair of trousers and drawing over them adding in details or colours or fabrics so I begin to have a better understanding of what I can do. I also think I need to decide on a colour scheme which I think I will use for my designs so I can begin to source fabrics and also have a better understanding of the feel I am going for in the collection.

21/4/15- Design Development

Today began with a group tutorial with Sarah. We went round discussing our projects which was helpful in seeing how the others are progressing and what works well. The projects with lots of experimentation and ideas work well compared to those which feel a bit narrow. A girl in the tutorial, Scarlett, has a really interesting project called granny divers, which I like because it is unusual and clever. She also has good thoughts about volume and character in her project which is I think something I could be influenced by. The tutorial was helpful in moving my project on, it clarified some of my ideas about the rich giving me the confidence to take them further. Some ideas I was given were to think about the irony in fashion how often people pay hundreds of pounds for clothing that is ripped or looks worn so to do this I could look into distressing fabric manipulation for example how denim is acid washed. I also need to do more primary research on the rich interiors while I'm designing so I could visit the v&a or the national gallery. I think overall from the tutorial my project is developing at a good pace I just need to really focus on generating designs in quantity as well as sampling. One particular area I need to work on is fabrication and colour, which I am lacking in the project and will help me to work towards an outcome better. 

An app which Dan showed me last week called Adobe Color is helping with my issues with colour, it allows you to take a picture and pick out the colours within it. I think I can use this for in particular my pictures of rich interiors and the homeless men I've photographed to pick out key colours which could help me develop a scheme I like. 

In the afternoon I took part in a design development workshop focusing on generating ideas using the stand. I used this time to develop my rich idea by experimenting with photocopies of a drawing I did on extravagant interiors. I think having this time specifically to do stand work was helpful as it forced me to get over my problems of the rich side and develop the project. I liked some of the shapes I produced specifically ones with an imbalance of one side 3D and one side flat on the body. From these I can now create quick drawings, so I pick up the pace a bit I am going to try and do at least 50 designs tonight using this stand work thinking about silhouette and shape. This then means tomorrow I can think about how this could work with the poor idea of a duvet on the stand and also I could think about fabric manipulation and it might give me a more clear idea of an image of the collection and what I think the designs will loosely look like. 

(Standwork from workshop, authors own, 21/4/15)

16/4/15- Research

This morning I began gathering my rich imagery focusing on the extravagant look of the interiors and some of the extremities in their looks such as large fur coats and fine detail in the clothing in the past. From this I think the interiors are more inspiring for my project as I felt on Tuesday. I am going to now expand on in particular the gold gilding in the interiors using gold thread to experiment with embroidery which I haven't used before so will be a new idea for me. I can incorporate this with the poor idea by either embroidering my rubbish print or by embroidering onto a poor fabric to create a contrast.

Today I also spoke to Dan about my project, he agreed looking at the interiors would be a good contrast to the poor photography I have looked at and that I should try and gather primary research of this. He also suggested that I should expand on the rubbish print I created from the Nick Hedge’s photograph by putting rubbish on the stand to try and get the almost grimy look the photos have and to look at the contrast of plastics and newsprint in the photos to. This I can then contrast with the gold gilding idea in a more dramatic way. 

This weekend my aim is to experiment with the gold thread to try and embroider shapes like those from my print. I could do this onto very cheap fabric as a contrast. I also want to experiment with quilting from the idea of a duvet to see where I can take this. Possibly by quilting an expensive material like silk which wouldn’t be expected. Exploring some fabric manipulation this weekend could help me with fabrication and with surface design which could give me more to explore in terms of design which is definitely something I need to improve on.

15/4/15

Today I had a group tutorial with my tutor. There was three of us together looking through our work and I found having this small group very helpful. My tutor said I was working well and at a good pace but that I definitely need to work on making the two elements of my project more equal. I got quite a lot of ideas from this regarding the rich element of my project which is definitely holding me back at the moment. Some of the ideas included how I could expand on my experimentation of draping a duvet by looking at quilting, I could also begin to explore embroidery using the idea of the gold gilding possibly stitching in gold into my rubbish print to create a contrast. I also need to explore more of the extremes, looking at the incredibly wealthy like the Russians who come to London and their lives. They also mentioned the idea of perception which was interesting, using a print which is of rubbish or a poor material and printing it in a rich colour, so you think its rich but its based on the poor. 

Discussing my project and ideas today was very helpful in helping me move forward and expand on my ideas. After the tutorial I started collaging images of poor landscapes with blocks of metallic colour to start to generating ideas regarding silhouettes and textures and so I could start to see how I could work the two together. I think this although just a starting point has helped me start to think about silhouettes and ideas as well as layering which I am trying to include. I now need to look into the rich interiors and people and their looks as I have done with the poor.

(Collage experimentation, authors own, 18/4/15)

At the moment I think I am lacking on drawn designs, I need to continue developing quick sketches as this is what I have found in previous projects helps me with creating my final designs. I also think I need to develop on ideas such as the collages above as I can extract a lot from these such as colours or silhouettes which I can then develop into designs. Tomorrow I need to work on the rich area, I can extract shapes from imagery of interiors as well as gather more research imagery to make the rich side of my project stronger. 

14/4/15- Exploring Wealth

Today I started to try and begin expanding on the rich side of the project. I have looked at the artist Karen Knorr for this. She has two series of work exploring wealth, the first Belgravia, where she photographed the elite and captioned them with quotes they said. From these I wanted to try get a feel of the people in them, whether they look happy, sad, comfortable etc. I also looked at a series of photographs which contain the interiors of beautiful rich houses with gold gilding and tall ceilings. I think these interest me more than the Belgravia series, they have more details and extravagance which I think is something I want to show about the wealth. It is also a less obvious path to take from the Belgravia series I feel I would be just taking things they are wearing etc but from the images of interiors I can explore more and interpret them in my own way into my designs through a silhouette, detail in the clothing or a fabric choice or colour. 

I think exploring these more has helped me to work out what I need to explore for the rich side of the project but I am still struggling with this. I think forcing myself to continue exploring this area and speaking to my tutor tomorrow will help clarify this.

(Karen Knorr, Accessed: http://www.thisisglamorous.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/11994433335_fc4d4523f3_o.jpg, 18/4/15)

Nick Hedges

For the poor element to my project the photographer Nick Hedges has been quite influential. His series of photographs showing the poor in the UK in 1968-1972 for the charity Shelter show the hardship through the rough living conditions and the families specifically children. I find these photos very emotional which is why I like them so much and elements such as their surroundings and what the children are wearing inspirational. I have been starting to design from these, initially I have been focusing on one of my favourite images showing a young girl standing in a street with screwed up rubbish and newspaper on the floor around her. Elements I have taken are the look of the rubbish and her cardigan and how it's too small. From this I have done some stand work looking at the rubbish, created a print from an observation as well as quick designs trying to focus on layering and silhouettes.

I think elements of this have worked well, I have tried to think more about layering which I previously have struggled with. I do now need to start to think about colours, a lot of the photography I have used is black and white but I think I need to think about colours that are better representation of my themes and I can use photographs I have taken to do this. With my prints these will work well with blocks of colours so this is also something I can now develop. 

What I am struggling with at the moments is the rich element to this project, I am finding the poor really fascinating so I think I need to spend some time now just focusing on the rich and what I want to do for this. I have had some ideas of how the rich glamorise their lives which can cover up the truth in their lives and also using a bit of the aesthetic look of the rich of the extravagant surroundings and also a metallic element such as gold or copper which will contrast with the poor look. I think talking to my tutor about my project will be useful because I think my thoughts are quite confused so this could help me just clear my mind and make me more focused on particular ideas.

 

(Images, authors own, 13/4/15)