Wooden frame loom

To reference my placement with weaver Margot Selby and also to simply do something a little different, I decided to purchase this little wooden frame loom. Yes I could have probably made this little device myself due to its simplicity but to save time I treated myself. Although I can only do plain weave using this small loom I was surprised with the result once completed. I didn't want this weaving to become separate to my work and drawing and therefore attempted to involve the collage work and mark making style into my woven pieces. I used my photographs of architecture in my samples by cutting strips out and weaving them into the sample. I believe this gave the pieces a quirky and playful edge to a very traditional method. found the method very therapeutic and enjoyable to do. At first it was fairly time consuming however once I got into a rhythm I was working fairly quickly. 

PATHS FOR CONTEXT.

Today I was taught how to put a design into context. This workshop was useful, and presented me a method which will allow me insert my own work into my chosen context. I was not aware of this method of using pen drawn paths on photoshop, to then trace the image of my context. By creating these paths and dividing the image into sections allowed me to produce a much more realistic image with shadows from the original context image. This method is useful due to the way you can alter the angle and perspective of the design. This is shown on the seat selection of the seat below. I found the process fairly straight forward, by following the steps and learning through doing. When my final designs are complete I will be using this process and method to give my work professional finish.

Using a the same method as above but making slight changes in the way you create the paths. I used the same pen tool as before but going around the entire shape, even through the hair. I found you have to trust the method and draw over the areas which you would normally go around. The refine edges tool was the really clever tool which allowed me to almost fade out the hair. This meant that when the pattern is put back onto the selection of the top, the pattern looks as if it is under the hair, making the image look more realistic. Although the context for my projects and work tends to be more interior-orirented, this is a method I could use for fashion if I chose to do so. 

Initial photoshop work

My Placement with Trident Cars.

I was really fortunate to secure a placement with Trident Cars, a independent bespoke Sport/Super car company. Late last year Trident came to my University and gave a really great lecture, giving us a really valuable insight into what they do as a company and how textile design is used within the interior and trimming of the cars. Rachel, the trimmer and interior designer for the company, explained what exactly she did in her role and how she secured the job by undergoing work experience with them, whilst at University. I was very fascinated about learning more about trimming and car interiors as it is a design path I hadn't really thought about before. I made it my goal for after Christmas to try and gain some experience with Trident and really get a feel of the job Rachel does and expand my knowledge on car interiors.

Here is me sewing using the industrial machine. 

Making tools

Playing around.

I took two of the drawings from my sketchbook and blended them together using photoshop. I then formed this repeat pattern below to allow me to gain an idea of what it would look like as a repeat. Although it does look very full-on and maybe slightly OTT-pattern wise, I do like the piece as a repeat. The straight clear repeat lines are a clear flaw in the repeat which I have only so far, worked out how to blend out the line using AVA. I am unsure how to do this using photoshop as of yet, I can create the repeat using illustrator but cannot work out how to avoid the block, obvious line of repeat. I do intend to learn how to make repeats look more seamless and flow better throughout the design. This is something that comes with practise. I have reached out to a third year student to gain advice on creating repeats using the adobe software. 

Although I am still very much in the initial drawing stage of the project, I wanted to see if the way I have been creating my drawings will be effective and work for my context of interiors. My drawings so far are becoming motifs, although the sample below is compact repeat, with no spacing between repeats. This is what I wanted to test out, whether or not I liked the result and whether I need to think about refining my drawings, doing so however, without loosing the original energy of the drawing.  

Sketchbook drawing

 Here below are drawings from my sketchbook. I created these by using my photos of architecture and cutting them up in different ways to allow them to look more interesting. I also drew over my photo's using gauche paint as well as, collaging paper-cuttings in my drawing. I really wanted my drawings to highlight and reflect the fun, playful nature I felt when creating them. Although the placement and layout of the collaging is something I am more careful about, I found I worked in a way so that the messy, free side of my drawing was highlighted. I am really enjoying working in such an experimental way. I have allowed my drawing to become more free, growing with confidence with both the way I paint and draw. I have taken some slightly more close up photos to show the textures and materials used. I am really happy with how I have began my drawing and will continue to be experimental, maybe refining my mark making and looking more carefully into my photos to source new marks.