University Projects, Year Three.

Entering into my final year of study, I was determined to find something I was really passionate about. I have learnt a lot about printing processes over the past two years, so I wanted to push my knowledge further and discover new methods and materials.

My inspiration for this project has come from things that remind me of lace, and I have interpreted these patterns into my own ideas which have then been turned into structured prints.  I removed the colour from the pictures to make them look more like lace. For this year I have been experimenting with Puff Binder on various fabrics. I was really interested to discover new textures and material strengths, so have spent a lot of time experimenting.

The following photos show the progression of my experimentation using different inks, materials and techniques.

 

 After I had carried out about 25 experiments I analysed my findings and then chose all the elements that we most successful to take forward. I played with scale and pattern to see what different results I could get. The following use just puff binder on different materials. I have used just black and white as I wanted to focus more on the effect and process than the aesthetic properties.

 

The collection of prints created during the refined testing.

 I set myself to challenges, the first to try to create some form of solid structure to my prints and the second to create a print over 3m long.


 
I created a grid of string which I then attempted to print over. This was unsuccessful as the string was too thick. This idea needs more experimentation. Although some interesting patterns were created, I like the broken shapes and irregularity. 

 




This was the 3m print which threw me quite a few issues but overall I was really pleased with it. 

 After I had accomplished all of my main aims I found that there were even more questions I wanted to answer. I wanted to see what else I could create with my material, so I started to develop structures and boxes.

  These were the first ones created, I made a screen measured to the correct size to create the box so that there was less wastage.  I experimented with layers to see if I could develop the strength and sturdiness of my print. 

















 

I had the idea of creating a continuous print with no seams, however the fabric was not strong enough to keep together and therefore it didn't work. However what I was left with was a 3 1/2m long print which was really fragile and delicate. there are some "sharp" areas that I don't enjoy looking at, but all in all it gave me another insight into the contextual possibilities for my work. 

University Projects, Year Two.

Year Two, summed up:

During this year I experimented mainly with different printing techniques. I tried digital, stencil, screen also threw in some laser cutting too. I used this year to practice the skills I had already learnt and then draw on them to really discover what I enjoyed and where my interest were.

Project one.

My inspiration for my first project of the year was marks and patterns found in nature. For this I looked at trees, fossils, plants, fingerprints and shells. Here are a few of the photos gathered.

Through drawing processes I came up with these designs, screen printed onto paper aiming towards the context of wallpaper. I planned repeats to try and make them more professional. I stuck with the simplistic approach because I wanted to portray the prints as a hidden idea or pattern. 

I enjoyed playing with pleating techniques to give my wallpaper designs something extra. An interactive element that also distorted the designs I was making. i also played with adding block colours into the pleats so that from different angles the prints would look different. making them more 'hidden' and exciting.

These were digital paper prints created from a finger print interlocked with each other. I looked at different colour ways to enhance the print and give it more of a professional appeal.

Overall I learnt a lot about texture, composition, the importance of colour and scale. Working mainly on paper gave a new concept to my learning and I decided I really like the outcome of this process. For me screen printing is a way of expressing what is in my mind, you have such control over the final outcome, that you don't necessarily have when digital printing. I find it much easier to be experimental with screen printing, and consequently this is the area I am going to develop further.

Project Two.

For this project I went into a Primary School and did an art class with the years 2-4 where I got them to draw from a still life display of fruit. Whilst doing this I asked them to do certain things, for example they would only draw in pencil, they had to draw only looking at the fruit and not looking at their paper and drawing in continuous line drawings. They really struggled to do the task of drawing only looking at the fruit as they wanted it to look really good. So it was really fun when they looked down at their paper and saw what they had created.

I then took certain elements of their drawings and re-drew them to begin making designs. There were some really interesting patterns and lines that they drew so it made my designing really interesting.

Some were taken to the laser cutters, others made into negative prints.

 

I really loved the texture of the print shown above. It started to become 3D which was really exciting. 

The laser cutting here I loved, it was so delicate and simple.

I entered the Bradford Textile Society Competition with the following prints. They were made from about 7 x layers of all-in-one white printing ink and became really interesting to work with. The texture created was brittle and cracked which was so unusual. 
Really I enjoyed making the mini dresses...

I really enjoyed this project, it engaged my two main loves, Textiles and Children. It was so much fun working with them, and the inspiration they gave me was so great. I also got the chance to really experiment with printing in different ways, using the ink for a different purpose than to just print a design. Also working towards the competition brief was great too, I had to meet the expectations of other people which I hadn't had to do before.

Project Three - Tangles.

In this project I started love towards my love of lace, and looked to inspiration in tangles and twists. I loved the changed in colour and the shadows created from intertwining things together.

I then took these designs into digital prints, as this was an area that I hadn't fully explored yet.

 

I played around testing pleats and stitches which helped me to think about the composition of my prints as I wanted there to look different when folded.

I then tried putting the prints together into garment shapes to see what they would possibly look like in a fashion context. I really like doing this as it gave my designs more of a life.

 

Although I like the final outcomes of this work I don't feel it pushed me very much creativley. I also prefer to do screen prinitng as I feel like there is more physical work put into that side of printing although this was a good learning experience.  

To Sum up..
Although I have learnt a lot this year, I feel like I want to do something more exciting and experimental. This will be my aim for next year!!