Origins Evaluation

The origins unit has taught me a lot about myself and the way that I work, particularly within my drawing techniques. I started with hand embroidery, and as a lot of the work was technique based, I found it hard to relate my initial photographs and drawings of the city. I struggled as my drawings were so representational, which forced me to find new ways to characterize the way that I drew. I started to draw more from my samples as I discovered I really enjoyed mark making. In some respects this was hard as I was almost working backwards, but it also helped me to further develop my work by using these marks to influence new samples.

Throughout embroidery I have discovered that I really love simplicity. Specifically within machine embroidery, some of the stitches are so intricate that I almost feel the need to keep them simple to reveal their beauty. I feel that the black and white pallet enabled me to experiment more with the stitches that I was using, rather than relying on colour to add interest. Through working in such a minimal nature, I have learnt that the ground you work on is so important; drawing me towards lighter fabrics that already have some kind of pattern or grain within them, for example, silk dupion, ice wool and more open linens. I preferred hand stitch as I feel I have more control over the stitch; confidence will obviously come with more practice on the machines.

I have also discovered that I enjoy mark making so much more than representational drawing. This was discovered not only through my sketchbook drawings that related to my stitch samples, but also through the Friday drawing sessions; which have really allowed me to experiment with different techniques and have most definitely made me more confident. I have realised that I much prefer drawing on a blank canvas rather than a prepared surface, which says that I’m far more of a clean working person.

I believe I am managing my time reasonably well considering the amount of work we’ve had to do combined with how time consuming the samples are. I have found that I spend most of my spare time in the Art School due to the nature of embroidery and the equipment provided for us. During hand embroidery I spent less time in the base room as I knew I could do it from home, which maybe had an effect on how my samples turned out. From this, I’ve learnt that I have much more of a creative flow and I am much more inspired when constantly being surrounded by people making work.

The origins unit has really enabled me to discover the way I work, through the simple nature of the stitches. I have enjoyed the clean monochrome palette that was forced upon us, as it has really allowed me to concentrate on the concept and patterns within my samples. Although I am now looking forward to moving onto knit and weave so that I can experiment with colours.

 

Friday Drawing Session, Mark Making; Origins

 

 

This was another drawing session that I really enjoyed due to its unconventional methods. We were told to bring in a couple of Kindereggs and some ink, and proceeded to mark make with these toys.

At the start of this task I struggled to see how these drawings would turn out, but by keeping them extremely simple and repeating the pattern I started to create a really nice collection of similar drawings, just using different shapes. I really like the first drawing that was made with a toy cars wheels. I like how the ink runs out towards the end of the line and creates a lovely faded mark. 

 

 

The above image was also another one of my favourite drawings where I simply used repeated finger prints. I like the way that the marks are varied in their shade due to the ink running low with each print.

 

 

Machine Embroidery, Tailor Tacking: Origins

The Tailor Tacking foot is one of my favourite stiches on the machine, due to how delicate it is. I loved doing these samples on the white silk dupion I had chosen as my fabric, due to the grain within the fabric. I felt that this tiny detail really added to the final appearance.

 

I did the left sample by folding my fabric and stitching along the folded edge with a wide zig zag and a long length stitch. By unfolding the fabric it almost creates a beautiful and delicate satin stitch. The sample on the right was the typical tailor tacking stitch in parallel lines, then simply removing the top stitch to create the beautiful loop holes of the spool cotton. In hines sight I would have quite liked to change the spool tension so that I could vary the size of the loop holes and make it slightly more of an interesting sample.

Friday Drawing Session, Shoes: Origins

This was one of my favourite drawings from a Friday drawing session, where we had to bring in our favourite pair of shoes to draw. I enjoyed this session as it gave me an opportunity to experiment with different drawing methods, by not making any correspondence with my page as I drew the object in front of me. This took away all control I had of any drawing I created, which was a new experience for me. I really surprised and impressed myself with how well this particular drawing turned out considering it was a blind drawing, and it really reminded me of Claude Heath's work.

CLAUD HEATH

Claude Heath is a contemporary artist living and working in London. I specifically love the process of his work, as he doesn't follow a particular drawing convention. Claude experiments mainly with blind drawings, where he fully removes his sense of sight and draws his chosen object purely through touch of the object. This is a specific technique that I may want to experiment with in the future.

Machine Embroidery, Couching: Origins

 

In our first session with Nigel, we learnt how to use the couching foot. This was one of my favourite techniques on the machine as I enjoyed it so much when hand stitching. I relished this method as I was able to combine it with the set patterns on the machine, which when put together looked so aesthetically pleasing. I really like how the shades of black and white compliment each other. I wish to develop this technique into more than just a straight lined sample, as I feel it could particularly good when in different shapes, relating to some of my square drawings.

 

 

 



Hand Embroidery: Origins

 

When developing my samples, I started to look into the different grounds that I could use in order to turn the very simple, traditional stitches into something more interesting. This beautiful Ice Wool enabled me to experiment with the tension of the stitch, making stunning varied lines throughout the fabric. This sample was really the start of me enjoying the samples that I was creating, as I found that working on plain squares was just not for me. 

Hand Embroidery: Origins

I started the first 3 weeks of my embroidery world with hand stitch. These are just a couple of traditional stitch samples I have put into my technical file, however I feel as samples on their own, they have an extraordinary feel. I enjoy the simplicity of the stitches (from left to right; straight stitch, satin stitch, chain stitch, fly stitch and blanket stitch), and the way that they contrast with the stark white fabric. I feel that when creating such simple samples, the ground you work on is so important; with this, I tried to choose fabrics that already had a natural slight pattern within them. I wish to progress these stitches into more detailed and intricate samples.

 

 

My French knot sample was also another initial sample that I particularly love. This was a technique that I'd always seen within other peoples' work but never actually taken the time to learn myself. Again, the ground choice is so important when French knotting, and I specifically love the fact that you can see through to the back of the fabric. Like the previous samples, I am looking forward to progressing and developing this technique.



Drawing using Utensils: Origins

Here are two examples of negative drawings I did of the kitchen utensils after creating the new drawing tools. You can clearly see how the quality of line has changed. By doing this, I have enabled myself to be more free with the quality of my line, taking my drawings away from being too graphically based. A particular love of using the drawing tools is the 'messiness' of them, leaving small accidental splodges on the page, but this accident actually adding the drawing.

After a small talk with one of my tutors, I was told to experiment by putting textures down onto my page before starting the drawing. I feel that the white emulsion on black looks particularly effective in this instance.

Drawing Utensils: Origins

I struggled with drawing until we had a small workshop where we made some simple drawing utensils out of wooden cutlery and cuticle sticks. This enabled me to use Indian inks (both in black and white), to experiment with different qualities of line and create texture within my drawings. It amazed me that such a small change to your drawing equipment has really started to enhance and develop my drawing skills.