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After the sketches, I moved onto creating some of the designs on a smaller scale. This was so I could understand how I would want it to be made on a larger scale. 

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Continuing the project, I researched body modification and manipulation. This led me to researching about corsets, piercings, neck rings, tattoos and binding. The exploration through the subjects, allowed me to create drawings of croquis based on the topic. My first three sketches were based on neck rings and how the rings are wrapped around the neck; this inspired me to draw something that would wrap around the body. The next sets of drawings have a combination of everything, piercings, neck rings and binding.

I really enjoyed creating these sketches, the research I was able to learn, assisted me on drawing my designs based on the subjects.

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This session, my goal was to capture his movement through my drawings. I also explored using different media. I used ink which I found quite difficult because the material was soaking up the ink quite quickly and wasn’t allowing me to drag my brush smoothly; having too much ink would blotch the paper, making it appear messy. Starting a new piece, I chose to use graphite and it was a lot smoother and helped me sketch a lot faster.

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With these drawings, my intention was to focus on the highlights and shadows on the model. Using a soft pencil, I sketched out the figure and then went back in with white chalk to highlight where the brightest areas were. With black chalk, I used it to display the shadows.

I’m really happy with these drawings because I was able to draw the figure using only highlights and shadows and I believe that I was able to capture the direction of the light well.

This new technique to draw the model was quite difficult at first but once I started to draw with it a lot more, I think I got quite comfortable and was able to produce some great pieces.

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For this project, I did live drawings throughout the four weeks. This was my first time drawing a person and in the first session, I was taught how to measure proportions which I quickly picked up and was able to create some wonderful drawings. With all my drawings, I started with a soft sketch, outlining and capturing all his features and proportions and when I was happy with it, I went back in with a harder media to highlight the shadows and curves. My first piece, I used a graphite pencil and for my second, I used soft and bold pencils.

I am really happy with these pieces, learning and understanding how to draw proportions really helped me with workshop and I am glad I have been able to expand my skills and knowledge.

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Before starting the project, we went to a muesum to look at artists and their work on humans.

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Being Human

Starting off with this new project, our first task was that we had to gather into groups, and we had a day to create a big poster/moodboard which related to being human. Beforehand, we made a mind map full of things that made us humans: Race, gender, religion, superstitions, feelings, emotions, physical appearance, empathy. Using the mind map, we created our piece. My group agreed on picking a subject each, to express. I chose race and culture and followed through with my specialised pathway. I spent the whole morning researching different cultures and what they would wear when celebrating a cultural event, I then did quick sketches in my book on what the different cultures wore. In the afternoon, I proceeded to draw the croquis with water colour and marker so that they’d be visible against the rest of the poster.

I believe that I was able to capture the different cultures traditonal attire quite well in my croqius and the I was able to express how our different cultures makes us all human and distinct.

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With this last piece, I wanted to create something that could fit on the body while keeping the shape. Sticking with the pattern circles, I chose to create a skirt using paper and stapling the strips to hold the shape.

This piece is quite simple and I could improve this by using coloured paper or made mark-makings on the strips.

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Lucienne Day is a british textiles designer who was born in Surrey, 5th January. Her designs became greatly recognised post-war, allowing her, with the help of her husband Robin, to further expand her designs onto carpets, wallpapers, tea towels and ceramics. Day graduated in 1940, at the Printed Textiles department of the Royal College of Art. At the Festival of Britain, her design 'Calyx' brought her a lot of popularity and recogonition. Day found inspiration at the Victoria and Albert Museum for her degree show of a chinese sculpture of a horse - her design, 'Horse's Head'.

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For this task, I began to print out the shapes I cut out with lino. I explored many designs as well as the placement of colours; I chose to stick with primary colours because I wanted to keep with the simplistic appearance. After creating these prints, I started to sew around the shapes to finish off the look. Connecting the shapes was an inspiration idea from Lucienne Day.  I could have improved this by exploring more with different colours, as well as adding something to the background, such as a block colour which would accentuate the shapes.

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For this piece, I experimented with triangles as it was much easier to create than circles; my design was inspired by the artist Lucienne Day, her use of patterens in the shape influenced me to do so too. After stitching this design, I wanted to develop it by adding colour using lino print. I really like this sample because of how sleek it appears and that it is clear that Lucienne Day inspired me. I developed this by adding colour using lino print.

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This next small project was based on order and chaos through my specialised pathway which is fashion and texitiles. I chose to take the music mark-making that I did at the start of the year and to develop it through textiles. I started with planning, and drawing up some ideas in my sketchbook; I sketched out an idea of using the circles in my mark-making, to create a skirt out of paper, using only circles.

I then began to start machine stitching on calico, using my mark-making designs. I started off slow because I struggled to get the right tension on the sewing maching as you can see from the photos towards the end. However after quite a bit of time, I was able to sort out the tension on the top and bottom by checking the bobbin, re-threading the machine and readjusting the tension on the machine. When I was able to sort it out, I then started to practise using an embroidery foot on the machine. It was really difficult but after a few tries, I believe that I got it running smoothly and was able to stitch the circles quite well. I then used the foot to stitch the triangles but because it didn't turn out too straight, I chose to use a regular foot which resulted in a better outcome - the design came out much cleaner and it made it easier for me to stitch the triangles.

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Here is me putting on the piece.

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Here is my finished sturctured piece. I believe that this end project turned out really well and that I am super happy with what I have made. The skirt came out well and how I visioned it to be; I was able to achieve the length and form that was based on topic - being taller and fitter. I designed a piece with a small waist stucture as that’s what’s believed is fit in todays society and a longer bottom half as if someone much taller would fit in it.

If I had more time to develop this, I would also try and raise the shoulders to give a longer bodice. The shoulders would sit close the head, nearly hiding it.

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To keep the skirt wrapped around me tightly, I punched two holes in the back and then tied string around the waist so that the skirt would hole the structure. This was a very easy and efficient methord of keeping the form together.