CREATING SAMPLES THROUGH RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT

I next began to take the shapes from my drawings and photographs and develop them through samples in machine/hand stitch. I tried to minimise and pick out the repetitive shapes for my samples - each sample turned out different, some weren't so good, but still gave me ideas of how to develop them further.

 

hand stitched - ladder stitch with french knots through the middle -  imitating the growth of mushrooms on the bark of the trees.

imitating tree branch shapes through small french knots.

in this sample i imitated the shapes from one of my black ink drawings - using various widths experimenting with the satin stitch - i also added some white tone using the embellisher.

creating textured layers to represent shapes and layers in bark - french knots representing mushroom growth. 

KATHY PENDERGAST - TONE

When starting to look to adding more tone to my drawings i came across artist Kathy Pendergasy. Kathy creates line pencil drawings of maps. They have alot of tone, her use of pencil is very carefully usedd and controlled exellently. I intend to try and achieve a simillar quality in my plant drawings.

 

Kathy Pendergast map tonal drawings

 

I experimented with line simillar to Kathy Pendergast to help me get used to the types of tones the pencil makes and how to control it.

FURTHER DRAWINGS - MICHAEL LANDY

During my resarch i bought a book named 'the drawings book' in here i came across an artist named Michael Landy, his etched pencil on paper drawings in paticular. I find the use of shape and tone in his drawings really interesting. This made me look to my drawings and think about using pencil and more tone.

Michael Landy

 

Using Tone imitating shapes in drawings by Michael Landy.

 

I now intend to create/develop a series of small tonal drawings - using shapes and forms from my research.

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT

After many drawing studies on 'plant cells' I began to broaden the subject of 'plant data' and develop my research further by looking at the data of plants in one specific area. With this in mind I visited a nearby park.

Map of park.

At the park I began to collect data/research from the area circled in red, hear i found a large amount of chopped down trees with just the stumps left. but I found that the growth coming through from the stump was really interesting. I began to take photographs and various drawings.

Growth from inside a tree

tree parts

mushroom growth

mushroom growth on a stump

DATA DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH

 

When researching 'DATA' I began to think about 'DNA' and types of DNA. I soon came across a book named 'plant life by Roland Ennos & Elizabeth Sheffield, which had diagrams & pictures of 'Plant DNA'. I found these diagrams interesting as they reminded me of black fine liner drawings - I saw this as an opportunity to develop the shapes and forms further through my own drawings.

pages from 'plant life'

I develop various drawings from these pages using mix media including Indian ink, water colour, charcoal, graphite, pencil, Biro & mascara.

I first started to work with Indian ink & stick, i found the stick to be effective as it gave a variety of marks - a sense of uneven surface which worked well with the drawings in the book. 

The drawings below are both taken from cell drawings in the book.

I then developed my drawing further using an old mascara.

 

I liked the quality of line that the mascara produced and think that it captured the texture in the photographs in the book 'plant life'. I also think that the water colour worked well and gave it some shading.

Over the Christmas period i have created various studies from the book 'plant life' in a range of media. i know intend to take my own photograph of plant cells etc. and develop a colour palette. 

Examples of drawings.

oil pastels - black, greys & whites (grey scale) gave interesting tones.

working on newspaper, coffee stained background a study in Indian ink and white acrylic paint.

Evaluation Of Origins Unit

I think that in this project I have made strong connections between my research (drawing etc.) and my final samples. I have studied the shapes and forms in my research and tried to translate them through knit and weave. I have translated the colours (tones and shades) and have also tried to keep the textures in my drawings, but through varied yarns. The research aspect of this project has also been strongly developed through this project with drawings, photographs and artist inspiration.

I created a range of drawings, including collages, in this particular drawing below I began looking at bark and the textures and shapes within it – I did a series of these drawings which I found to be successful in that it gave me inspiration on how to translate the shapes and textures through yarns and into knit and weave.

In this project I think that my drawings have developed more – I made a series of detailed drawings using a range of media, but I think that in future projects that I would like to push myself further and use a range of scale – push the boundaries and work out of my sketchbook. the possibilities of scale are endless.

 

In this project I have learnt that I have a ‘knack’ for the knitting machines and once the techniques were learnt I found it very easy to push these techniques further – mixing techniques, yarns, colours and translating my research into the knit samples. I enjoyed knit mor than weave as I found weave quite restricting.

 In this project, I have been greatly influenced through my contextualising practice research, throughout this project I have been thinking of ‘what is making?’ and is what I am doing making? Is the development process making? These questions have helped me push my work further.

This project I think that I have managed my time well in that I have met all my deadlines – with all work finished at what I believe to be a excellent standard, although I do think I could have put more time in to push my work further. I think that I used my workshop time very well as I was in the workshop – booked on a machine nearly every day.

 

Knit

 

When starting knit I was anxious. I had never used a knitting machine before and did not know what to expect.

On learning how to use the domestic knitting machines, I was excited to start to translate my ideas and research into the knit. I first decided that the colours on my Weave did not translate the colours on my mood board very well, therefore I began to search for yarns that I thought would suit my colour scheme and what would make my knit sample come alive.

 

The first process was to learn all the knit techniques, I learnt, plain knit, cast on/off, ladders, lace holes, partial knit, hook up and how to use the punch cards.

after reflecting on these techniques I have decided to use the plain knit, partial knit and hook up techniques as I feel they best reflect the shapes and forms in my research.

 

I can now begin to mix my chosen techniques and colours together.

 

 

 

In this sample I have used the partial knit and hook-up effects, using the browns and green as a base I added whispers of bright colours (to the right proportions on my yarn wrap), I think the techniques create a interesting textured surface and the bright colours lift the dark colours up. On reflection I would add more hook-ups and slightly more bright colours.

 

 

This sample is made of the hook-up and partial knit techniques. i have used a large variation of thick and fine yarns. Looking at this sample know, i feel that it needs more bright colours, maybe some pink? and the lighter green, as if the yellow wasn't there, the sample would look dull and have a muddy effect.