3d design - rendering

unfortunately, i missed most of this week's 3d design workshop due to open days and driving tests! however i did manage to enjoy one full day. we began the day by discussion 3d design and specific designers. we were then asked to research a designer in detail and present a short talk about them to the rest of the class. in the afternoon we began to learn about technical drawing, we focused upon drawing from one-point and two-point perspectives. i really enjoyed this method of drawing as i think it looks very professional and using the techniques of the perspectives helps create a realistic looking drawing. we also began to use pencil crayons and felt tips to render shadows upon the shapes that we had drawn to make them stand out and look 3 dimensional. i did enjoy this task and i wish that i had managed to attend the rest of the workshop and learn more about the subject.

fashion - 3d modelling & edward finney

the fashion week at college was the one i had been looking forward to the most. before i began my foundation course i was certain that i would specialise in the fashion pathway when the time came to chose. we began the week by studying garments and discussing how fashion can be used in innovative and exciting ways to change the body and revolutionise the way in which clothing is usually worn. we then studied pattern cutting and began experimenting with altering basic block pieces to create new garment shapes. we then spent a day modelling garments onto a dressmakers mannequin with paper. i decided to use a lot of small shapes to create an intricate design. i visualise my design as a dress or top comprised of small symmetrical shapes appliquéd onto a translucent tulle or netting material to make it look as though the pieces were floating across the body. after i finished my design i realised that it reminded me of the Givenchy haute couture Spring 2011 collection, designed by Ricardo Tisci. I feel that elements of my design such as the mandarin collar and intricate shapes were similar to the asian-themed aesthetic of Tisci's Givenchy collection (pictured below.)

During the week in fashion design we were also given a talk by Edward Finney, a Central St. Martin's graduate based in Derbyshire. During his course in London he spent 8 months working with Alexander McQueen and went on to work for John Galliano after he graduated. He explained how he'd found studying in London and working for luxury brands. He described how fast paced and cutthroat the industry can be, and warned us all that internships are not always particularly glamorous jobs! We also spent two hours in a workshop with him when he asked us to produce mood boards and fashion designs based upon two randomly selected words. The two words which my group was given were 'Flying Circus' and 'Camouflage'. We also got time to speak to Edward individually and ask him questions about his job and look through his portfolio. I found his design aesthetic really interesting and could see how his time working for McQueen and Galliano had influenced his designs.

textiles

the other week was our textiles workshop which i had been looking forward to. i'm really interested in surface design and pattern so i was excited to learn more about the subject. at the beginning of the week, i felt as though it was very similar to the illustration course as we were doing a lot of experimental drawing to begin with. however, we were studying still life compositions rather than birds like we used in illustration. i really enjoyed working with inks and emulsion paints again, as i believe that they work well to create interesting textures and effects. we then moved on to studying specific parts of our compositions and drawing them in much finer detail. i chose a to focus upon a sheep's skull and part of a belt. throughout the week we experimented with mono-printing and sewing. i have used both of these techniques a number of times before but had never been so hands on and experimental with them. i really enjoyed mono-printing as it's a very simple method of printing and requires a lot less skill and patience than the others! our final outcome task was to decorate two paper strips with patterns and colours lifted from our compositional studies. i chose to make my strips quite abstract and experimental so i zoomed in very close to parts of my study so parts of them were almost unrecognisable. i used colours from a palette which i composed myself to suggest colour and form and then worked on top of those with emulsion and mono-prints to add depth and create new and interesting forms within those in the composition. finally, i used different lengths of stitch and thread to suggest finer details such as cracks in the skull and details in the belt. i really enjoyed the textiles workshop and was very pleased with my outcomes. i feel as though they are really successful and can imagine them as textile prints and patterns to be used on garments such as dresses and jackets.

life drawing with iPads!

today we experimented with another medium in life drawing, the iPad! i had been looking forward to this for quite a while as i'm very keen on trying out new methods of sketching and have also wanted an iPad for ages! we began by experimenting on a number of the drawing apps available for purchase, such as sketchbook pro, idraw and brushes. i found brushes the easiest to use, as i felt that the controls for editing layers and colours were very simple and easy to understand. the first image is a practise piece that i spent around 15 minutes on. i used varying levels of opacity and different layers to create interesting tonal effects and to indicate form and structure. the second two sketches took around 30 minutes each. i was really pleased with how the turned out. although i didn't quite finish the second drawing, i think i was successful in creating realistic skin tones and suggesting the human form. i really enjoyed using the iPads to sketch and i'm this week's session has definitely encouraged me to put one on my christmas list to santa!

life drawing with colour

our most recent life drawing class involved using colours. although we've been having weekly life drawing sessions for almost 2 months, this was the first time we were ever able to use colour in our work. i was very excited to do so as i believe that colour is one of the most important components of any piece of art as it can set the mood and bring attention to certain parts of the image. we began by using pastels to suggest colour and tone within our studies. i enjoyed using slightly odd colour combinations for my drawings and i believe the effect that it creates is very effective and it grabs the viewers attention. we were asked to draw directly and were advised not to sketch the outline before we began. this meant that in a couple of places my drawings are a little out of proportion as i was trying very hard to focus upon the colour. however, i don't think it particularly detracts from these studies but i think if i had longer on each drawing i would definitely pay more attention to proportions in order to make them look a little better. later in the day we switched models and began working with ink washes as well as pastels. these studies are a lot more loose and i was trying to just suggest a human form rather than capture it in great detail. i think these outcomes are very interesting as the contrast between the pale ink washes and vivid colours of the pastels is effective. i really enjoyed working with colour and am looking forward to spending a little bit longer on our studies in the weeks to come. we only have a handful of life drawing sessions left before our 10 week course ends but in the weeks to come we are going to explore using paint and drawing software on iPads, which i am really looking forward to!

fashion research project

a/w 2012

erdem moralioglu is a british/turkish fashion designer based in london. he broke into the fashion industry in 2005 after winning the fashion fringe competition which takes part every year at london fashion week. his modern feminine designs have proved very popular and his collections are now stocked in over 50 premiere department stores across the world. the piece above is from his autumn/winter 2012 fashion show. i chose this coat as i think the tailoring is very impressive and feel as though the shapes in the collar work really well to frame the neck and face. the fabric that this garment is made from is a woven woollen material and fashioned in hues of black and blue. the hem is knee-length and it is fastened with buttons. the belt helps to accentuate the waist and enhance the female form. the collar is very wide and almost reaches the model's shoulders and is a variation on the classic mandarin style. the coat looks like it was inspired by christian dior's designs during the 1950s and the iconic burberry trench coat.

s/s 2013

rodarte is a new york based fashion label run by sisters kate and laura mulleavy. since its inception in 2005 the company has won a number of awards including the CFDA award for best womenswear design in 2009. it has also been involved with a number of collaborations with high street stores such as target and gap. the dress above is from the most recent collection, spring/summer 2013. it is a short, v-neck dress made from a satin-weave material. the dress is designed to look like a blazer and skirt. this effect is created through the strong contrast in colours and the zig-zag seam at the bottom of the bodice. the dress is constructed in a series of large pleats the run down the torso and across the shoulders. these make the model look very rigid and robotic. 

a/w 2012

maison martin margiela is a french fashion label founded by belgian designer martin margiela. mmm was one of the first western companies to adopt the japanese deconstructionist movement of the late 1980s and 1990s. the design movement was heralded by designers such as rei kawakubo and issey miyake. mmm is known for it's quirky designs and ideas about anonymity, as the designer has never shown his face at any of the shows and often masks his model's faces. although the label is no longer designed by the founder, the current design team have retained his very individual aesthetic. the garment pictured above is from the label's autumn/winter 2012 collection. is it a trench coat made from a camel-cloured material. the proportions of the coat have been altered by the faux-sleeves that are sewn in to the front pockets and drawn in hem. the sleeves cannot be worn as they do not have an opened for the hands so the garment must be worn as a cape instead. i really appreciate martin margiela's approach to design and feel as though i can learn a lot from his alteration on what fashion is perceived as.

my online shop launches!

i have been wanting to open up an online boutique for quite a long time and this weekend i finally went ahead and did it! i am selling repurposed vintage clothing with an edgy twist, made from items found in local vintage and charity shops. i'm going to work on the pieces on the weekend and my day off from college in the hope that i can strike up a bit of a profit! the first piece that i have put up for sale is a pair of shorts made from a pair of 1990s levi jeans. i have dyed the denim purple and studded the back pockets. i really like how the shorts turned out, and i love the effect that the dye has given the piece. because of the nature of denim fabric, the colour has come out in different saturations on different parts. it has even dyed the threads from the frayed hem a vivid pink! if you're interested in visiting the shop the web address is www.etsy.com/shop/evolclothing

i would be very interested to hear any feedback or suggestions that anyone reading this might have!