Life Drawing

We spent every other other Friday life drawing on foundation. Day long life drawing sessions can be really draining, but are amazing for developing your drawing abilities. Here are some of my simple drawings, I used pastel crayons for the first too and drawing ink for the others. 

An afternoon spent playing at being fashion illustrators!

On foundation we often had "workshop days" where we'd have a small brief, or process to experiment with and we'd spend the day exploring. We were given a big pile of old fashion and textiles magazines; Vogue, Elle, Selvedge etc. And with a morning spent researching the Bauhaus and various fashion illustrators in mind, we began making collages.

I used geometric shapes, and photocopied pages full of pattern and texture. I had accessories in mind and tried to create abstract ideas for hats, jewellery or fashion garments.

I feel the blocks of colour and the colours I choose to work with really set the images off. I used a piece of card folded over with a scrap of fabric around it as a paintbrush. I'd seen a street artist in Tunisia using a similar method and liked the "scrape-y" blended effect. 

Notes on being an exhibition Rookie

Foundation final show was the first time I had exhibited work. Here's what I learnt;

• Plan Plan Plan, start thinking about it and researching layout ideas asap.
• It takes longer than it should.
• Take photo's while your putting it up, and trying different layouts- sketchbook fillers.
• Have your own equipment; scissors, pins, tape, paintbrush, hammer etc. Label with your name and hide 'em if ya gotta!!
• Be Brave! nag those technicians and lectures if you need them.
• Plinth building is fun! 
• Painting everything white is tedious.
• Student cards work well as polyfiller-ing applicators.
• Communicate to your lecturers your plans early on and ask for advice (avoid them coming over last minute and changing everything.)
• Using fishing wire to hang things + sweaty hands 'cos your too hot and stressed = feeling of hopelessness + panic attack.
• Have sweets, the radio, and headache tablets!
• Remember; It all seems impossible until its done!

Also don't forget to take photo's of the final thing like I did! duh.

More Veg Drawings

I did loads of observational drawings at the start of the project and they made for a really strong foundation to develop my project from later on. I used food colouring (cheaper than ink!) and an inky fine liner to add definition. I also managed to sell a few at the exhibition shop, but forgot to take photos of them before they sold boo!

'Zine's

This is a little how to zine about the basics of growing veg. This was a fun little extension of the project, I enjoyed doing extra books, samples and collections of ideas. I think they added interest to the project.This was easily made from one sheet of A3, there are lots of how to's online. Zine's (zeeen) are mini magazines, ('zine get it?) mine might not be the most inspirational but there are lots online, by band fans, fashion enthusiasts etc.

Gardening tools

As my FMP theme was Power of Making, drawing tools linked perfectly. I made a sketchbook with inky drawings, mono-prints and finally Photoshop repeat patterns all of gardening tools. I really enjoyed making these drawings and I also managed to get quite a lot done quickly.I always need to have a project that allows lots of drawing, that's were the later inspiration develops from for me. 

A Book For Remembering

Whilst I was sourcing all my research from my gran's box of things she kept from the war, (containing ration books, photo's, newspaper cuttings etc). I came across a series of letters from her brother who died during the war, and the awful telegrams that many families would have received from the king. I felt I needed to include this sad part of the story and not just the nostalgic rose tinted specs' type ideas of community spirit and the sort, in my project.

So this is a little book about remembering. Again I used a mixture of stitch, reclaimed fabrics, sheet music, passages from the letters, lace and various relevant motifs.