Who Do You Think I Am?

Project Two - Personal

Developing A Clearer Identity

Before I started anything developing further, I decided to find out who I was first. Personally I don't know how to describe myself or my interest as it becomes too biased; so first I for-took some interviews with family and friends and recorded their responses. I started with my sister.

Interview Analysis

Extraction of Words from Interview With Sister

This is extracted from a live interview with my sister, I had asked her to do this as she knows me better than anyone else; my personal interests; the way I work and my interests. I asked her simply for words that she thought described me; then I asked her to elaborate with evidence supporting her statement and recorded her response. I then started quickly asking around my friends and family for words that they thought described me and recorded them into a sheet.

Own - Sketchbook Recording

I started the asking around my close friends how they'd describe me in 5 words, and started to record their responses in my sketchbook. I then started to develop my own perspective on my identity by then brain storming from - Who Am I?

I then started to explore my personal feelings and interests and came up with some interesting concepts.

Own - Sketchbook Brainstorming

I started off with the simple interests that are obvious about me, Dancing, Writing, Singing, Drawing and Socializing. I then started making links from the perceptions of other on me and my own bias of who I am. One common factor is that I tend to enjoy company of youngers; this is also influenced my inner immaturity and gullible beliefs. When I was younger I loved reading and now, I seem to still read the same kind of novels about power and  protection. From this I started thinking about my objects, the power of the earphones creating an illusive world; the intricacy of the fob watch working to the tiniest details, the meaning behind the ankle bracelets; the personal scrapbook of drawings and writing, the creativity... and of course the naivety and innocence of the protection of the dream catcher. All the objects reflect perfectly my personality, and all sum up into the word protection, So I decided to carry the concept of the dream catcher further. 

Personal Poem To Self

Project Two - Personal

A Metaphor Of Discontent

From Her - Own Poem

So this was a short poem that I had written a while back during a time of hardship, I metaphorically used my mother as a focal point as to how I was feeling. The idea of the mother ignoring you and dismissing your existence; creates a feeling of worthlessness and irrelevance and pin pointed my emotions at that point in time. I feel like this poem is quite personal to me as it showed how I craved attention or some kind of reassurance that things would get better.

Personal Project

Project Two - Personal Project

Can You Represent Yourself In Objects?

So this project was based on ourselves, who we are.. the experiences that created our personal identities. So the project started by elaborating on 5 of our most favorite/ important objects. These objects needed to be deep and meaningful as well as self explanatory. I started looking around and wrote a list of potential things that i felt wee meaningful around my house, but then I came to a realization that the object I chose reflected my past and not who I am today, so I re-evaluated and started picking out object that I keep close to my heart now, and came up with some solid items.

Own - Personal Objects

For my personal Objects, I chose, My Scrapbook which I have been writing in since the beginning on 2013, I wrote during all the big events of my modern life, it also stored all my personal drawings, aspirations and ambitious writing pieces. A piece of my personal mind incorporated in each page, all my secret hidden thoughts and voice. I chose my dream catcher as well, this was an object that has always been an ornament in my room, it was actually given to me from my sister who was gifted it from a friend; I kept it because I love the concept of the dream catcher, who it took away bad dreams and I used to adore the soft feathers at the bottom as a child. I also chose my fob watch which was also given as a gift from my sister on her visit to China; I kept this because it was a beautiful tiny watch with intricate beautiful designs cut all around the watch, the delicacy really intrigued me and it became the focus of my GCSE art projects. Another object I chose was the ankle bracelet.. actually its not something I've had for a long time, but the meaning behind the bracelet is strong. Me and my best friend have recently become reunited after long years of hardships, we became really close again, seeing eachother all the time and frequently catching up; our relationship has gotten so much stronger and like the childish girls we are, we started shopping for matching ankle bracelets just to be 'edgy'. I got the gold and she got the silver and we wear them almost all the time, however the meaning behind this ankle bracelet is more important and powerful than the actual object, the fight to build our relationship together again. My final object is my earphones, I know its something that I couldn't do without. For me, technology is a way to escape reality, a virtual world, carefree. My earphones create this sense of escapism for me, it creates this little world where i'm in control, and everything else is blocked out.

Development - Detail Project

Project One - Detail

Developing Designs Further Into Potential Garments

During this week, I was developing designs from my previous design work on the stand. By keeping constant the three detail pieces that I took onto the stand (the pocket, tassels and frills with lace and bow) I came up with some easy conceptual designs. Coming up with the designs was pretty difficult because many of the designs I created was not aesthetically pleasing enough for me. I then began to start throwing the details onto the body of the garment then filled the rest in later, and this worked much better for me.

Own Work - Development

For the above designs I focused more on the frills and draping of the 1800's theme, composing it into a modern commercial piece of clothing. The most pleasant part of the garment for me was the lace lining so I started to incorporate that more into my designs.

Own Work - Continuing With Development

Own Work - Developing Bottoms

So for the bottom I incorporated heavy draping and frills, in this collection I am creating is based upon fabric manipulation and layering, I decided to make the bottoms as dense as the upper body garments. The 1800's fashion for the wealthy tends to be compact with the detail to the tiniest of areas; In my designs I tried to use as many techniques as possible. 

Own Work - Development 2D Flats

 So by this time, I had drawn out quite a few garments that I felt had potential and was quite contemporary. I then started to pick out my favorite and began to think about how it would sit on the body and also the colour scheme.

Own Work - Sketchbook 

So after I came up with my final designs I started to come up with the colour scheme which stuck to harsh colours with textiles prints. 1800's clothing were either plain continuous colour or highly embroidered materials; so for my collection I decided to use digitally printed fabric mixed with other coloured fabrics to enhance the modernity of the garment.

Own Work - Pastel Pallet Line Up

Above is my final line up for the 'Pastel Pallet' Collection of the 1800's Project, I feel like this Line up was more modern in aesthetics but more 1800's in fabric manipulation and plain colour pallet. 

I absolutely enjoyed this project, but one flaw of my work is that it had come across as a bit too 'girly'; however the structure and silhouette of the line up was something I was quite happy with. I am also really happy that the designs I drew up are quite clear and understandable in how you would come about to make them and also how it would sit on the body.

Enlarging Details

Project One - Detail

Exploring Detail Into Three Dimensional Designs

Today's workshop was to help us become more comfortable about detail and to be able to construct three dimensional pieces using purely detail that we had extracted from our research. From our research we were asked to make a selection of three areas of details that had interested us, these could be collars, pockets flaps or even interestingly shaped panel. we were then asked to draw these out using a thick felt pen; once done, we were asked to enlarge the piece onto the photocopier and to make 8 copies.

Own Work - Enlarged Detail

I chose to use a drawing of ruffles with a bow, tassles and a pocket. After printing out the enlargements, I cut them out and started to make a series of 3D arrangements onto the stand, experimenting with both placement and effect.

Own Work. Tasseled Jacket - Front

Own Work.  Tasseled Jacket - Back

Own Work. Tasseled Jacket - Side

This particular piece worked well as it had incorporated traditional 1800 detail into a modern style jacket that is wearable today. I was quite fond of this piece as it had a very properties that could have worked well in any garment. The tassels that ran along the center was an interesting composition and could typically work in any garment comfortably. 

Own Work

Own Work

This was another experimental design that I had created. it worked particularly well in incorporating he bow into a current fashion trend. this could be used as a top, poncho or potentially a dress. the off shoulder trend is pretty current. so enforces the idea of modernizing the 1800's details.

Own Work 

Own Work

Own Work

This piece was made using all three of the details that I had drawn.. I felt as though the pockets worked particularly well especially as a final touch to the piece. The more detailed, the more 1800's influenced.

I felt as though, by doing this method, I had created a strong focal point of the main elements

that I could introduce into the final lineup. This worked particularly well due to the detail put into each element of the potential garment.

Detail Project

Project One - Detail

How Can You Define The 1800's Fashion

Our first project, the detail project. The brief was to pick an era between the 1700's- 1900's which most interested us. we were then asked to do research and extract details from garments based in the era we were focusing on. I chose the late 1800's fashion. Through my research I noticed a common pattern of the use of lace and buoyant three dimensional deigns such as the bows and ribbons.

Own Work - 1800's Detail Drawing

After collecting a few images from late 1800 paintings, I started to draw out some of the details that I found most interesting. I then started reconstructing the same detail pattern ideas into illustrations by using magazine cut outs.

Own Work - Sketchbook

Own Work - Frankinsteins

By doing these Frankensteins, it became helpful for me to then start thinking about potential designs by playing with scale and composition. Although this did help me develop my ideas, I was not particularly happy with the look of the illustrations, they came across between the potential of looking great/ really bad, almost comedic.

To further research on my ideas, I took a trip to the V&A museum, where I had visited the 1800's era. They had delicately constructed clothing on display as well as paintings of royals. As I went round, I started to draw out some quick observational drawings of interesting details within the garments. 

Own Work - 1800's Observational Drawings

I absolutely enjoyed replicating these drawings, I love how the garments overlay one another. The ruffles were also very beautiful. My favorite part about these drawings is that you can almost imagine the movement of the garment by the way in composed on the page. The use of thin silky materials also play a part in the movement and creasing of the garments; so this is another element to focus on. 

The Eye of The Camera

Week Five - Lens Based Media

Explore the potential of the camera, both still and moving 

Question how the frame can explain narrative and meaning in an image. The day had begun with a long presentation, explaining the golden ratio and how it is seen to be positively correct and beautiful. We also learn about framing, and how it could potentially have a reason behind for example, to emphasize movement. We also took a look at Richard Billingham, Robert Maplethorpe and Sofie Calle. After the presentation we were asked to pin up our six photographs that we had brang. 

Love, Hope & Dreams

Love, Hope & Dreams

Love, Hope & Dreams

Love, Hope & Dreams

Love, Hope & Dreams

Love, Hope & Dreams

When I had originally taken these photos I though I was being quite smart however when I started understand the brief more clearly I had realized what a big mistake I had made. My photographs represent 'Love, Hope and Dreams' rather than telling a story, I just made my pictures have a connection, which is where I went wrong with the task. There is also a connection between the doll and the ancient burnt paper, the idea of young and old further symbolizing growth.

Life Drawing in Photography

Our final task of the day was to get into groups of 8 and start doing life drawing of each other as they stand into the center of the circle. the models were asked to do a different pose each time and for different lengths of time, so each drawing would be totally different.

Own Work - Life Drawing

Own Work - Life Drawing

Own Work - Life Drawing

Own Work - Life Drawing

Own Work - Life Drawing

 These drawing worked particularly well for me. I thought it was quite an interesting approach as the only changing variable was the time given per picture and we had to have a complete picture in that time

Filmworks

Week Five - Lens Based Media

Story frames and film making

Today we got into small groups of four and then were instructed to draw a character in our life that we found unusual, so I decided to draw my secondary school maths teacher; Mr. Brilliant. We were then asked to make up their background and history.

Own Work - Character Building

Everyone had different characters but then we were told to pick one out of the four that we had drawn, so we went with the homeless person that another team member had come up with. after that we were told to come up with a more detailed background story; his daily routines and habits. We then slowly started to fill in our story board of how we wanted out main characters life to be like.  Brainstorm who the protagonist would be and what disappointing things would happen in his life.

Groups Work - Story Board

After lunch we swapped with the other class and went to film a short film. Once again we were given a story board to brainstorm our main sections, and then a smaller one so that we could go into more detail about each scene. The film needed to be one minute long and was not allowed to have a speech; so the film was entirely based on the actions.

Group Work - Film Story Board

We chose to do a story about Aliens coming down to earth to experience the sighting of the red room since it is not visible from their origin. the film focuses on their journey to earth.

Group Work - Film Story Board

I was really happy with the finished product, everyone worked well as part of the group and contributed to the best of their ability. There were a few errors in the film for example with the use of the lift. But I was still pleased with the final film.