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Monday 27 November 2017

Illustrator Research and Responses

You need to research the work of 2 fashion illustrators, here are a few good links to explore: 




Anna Higgie
Try to choose illustrators that have contrasting approaches and use different media, as you are going to have to respond visually to these illustrators BE REALISTIC and select styles you are confident you can reproduce effectively. For each selected illustrator print out at least 4 reproductions of their work at a reasonable size (A5ish).
You then need to provide some analysis of each illustrator. Find out what you can about them - where they trained, who they have worked for. Most importantly analyse the images you have chosen, identify what media have been used and discuss technique (expressive or controlled?), composition, use of colour. Give your personal opinion on the work, but ensure you give reasons for the views you express.

Present the work thoughtfully (2 A3 pages per illustrator), think about layout and text/titles etc.

So you will need:
  • To do the Fashion Illustrator research as detailed above.
  • To get a collection of images by your 2 illustrators - enough to get a really good feel for their style, technique and media.
  • To take range of photographs from the figure - try to get some good dynamic poses that have the feel of Fashion illustration/photography. If you are unsure what you are aiming for then flick through a few copies of Vogue and look at the fashion shoots and advertising images.
  • Using your own photos as a basis produce two Fashion illustrations in the style of each Fashion Illustrator you have researched (4 images in all), make sure you use the most appropriate media (identify what they use and do likewise, if their work is produced digitally then don't try replicating it by hand). Take time over this and aim for some professional looking illustrations. See separate post for an example of this.
Once you have all these things you need to really focus on making some impressive responses that capture the feel of each Artist. Use the lightbox to start your drawings from your own photos off if it helps. You might want to use software to extend and stretch the figures in your photos and achieve something closer to the classic fashion illustration proportions (which are quite different to the real proportions of the human body).

Here's an example of what I'm talking about:

Raw photo file

Digital Illustration by Jocelyn Gravot


Digitally developed response to Jocelyn Gravot

Fashion Sketchbooks - Guidance


So what should be going into your sketchbooks over the first week/10 days of this project?
Well, one reason behind using photography to record your Moodboards and not sticking everything down is that it means that the material you have gathered is then available for inclusion in your sketchbook.
So once you have got good photos of your Moodboards you need to divide (and potentially duplicate) the visual material amongst your design teams, and then compile the following:
  • 2 or more Sketchbook pages of visuals and information on your garment/accessory. Different versions - traditional and radical, history, definition.
  • 2 or more Sketchbook pages of visuals and information on the object you need to recycle. History, typical uses, unusual uses, previous applications in Fashion.
  • 2 Pages showing some examples of collections, ideally exploring some recycling, try looking at Martin Margiela, Gareth Pugh and Jez Eaton. Provide some analysis.
  • One or more good observational drawings from your object.
  • At least 2 pages recording experimentation and manipulation of your object.
  • At least 2 annotated design sketches outlining your initial garment/accessory proposals.
  • Printouts of all the slides from your presentation, plus copies of any cue cards you use.
Now the Presentations are complete we will start to explore approaches to Fashion Illustration, responding to existing Illustrational styles, before trying to develop a more personal style with which to illustrate your own design proposals.

Tuesday 21 November 2017

Yes, rubbish can be beautiful!


So, we are aiming to create something beautiful from disposable items - seeing the potential for beauty in the everyday is something that sets good Artists and Designers apart. This short clip from the film "American Beauty" ...the dancing bag scene, is the embodiment of this. You can choose to walk on by or you can choose to open your eyes...

Friday 17 November 2017

Trashion Presentations - Schedule and Tips.

All presentations to be given on Friday 24th November,       
Good luck! 

Presentation Delivery Tips:

  • All group members should contribute to the delivery of the presentation.
  • Plan who will say what. You will need to explain and expand upon the visuals you put up on screen (don’t just read text off the slides). 
  • Preparing and using cue cards is likely to be helpful. 
  • Presentations need to last approximately 10 minutes. 
  • Speak clearly (and not too fast), face your audience. 
  • Practice your delivery as a group in advance. When you practice time your presentation to ensure it is of a suitable length.


Schedule for Friday 24th November Trashion Presentations
Time
         Object
Students

2.05pm

Clothes Hangers


Mia Cockram (Skirt)
Shannon Cummins (Jewellery)
Flora Lewis (Trousers)
Beth Symmons (Bag)


2.15pm

Rubber Bands

Leah Foulds (Cape)
Lauren Hole (Cape)
Oli Snellings (Jewellery)
Laila Virji (Bag)


2.25pm


Clothes Pegs

Alicia Cannon (Cape)
Carly Everson (Dress)
Christina Linton (Cape)
Bee Rowe (Dress)


2.35pm

Corrugated Card
Caitlin Batterson (Headwear)
Sarah Buckley (Dress)
Robert Day (Headwear)
Katie Edwards (Jacket)
Lauren Smith (Headwear)
Freya Thomas-Taylor (Dress)

BREAK


3.00pm


Drinks Cans

Zoe Burstow (Jewellery)
Holly Clements (Jacket)
Jackson Jones (Jacket)
Steph Roke (Bag)


3.10pm

Plastic Cups
Alex Biggins (Skirt)
Luke Harrison (Skirt)
Missy Lody (Jewellery)
Liberty Robertshaw (Jacket)
Ellie Rosewarne (Trousers)
Oli Woolford (Trousers)

3.20pm


Disposable Cutlery

Tabitha Anderson (Jacket)
Eloise Burgin (Trousers)
Nyzha Firkins (Bag)
Laura Malschuk (Dress)


3.30pm

Envelopes
Amy Blair (Jacket)
Joanne Carter (Trousers)
James Lewcock (Dress)
Pip Lovelock (Skirt)
Freya MacDonald (Headwear)
Sam Stockel (Trousers)



Tuesday 14 November 2017

Fashion Project Groups

So the mystery groups created by the draw from the magician's hats 🎩 look like this:



Disposable Cutlery
Tabitha Anderson (Jacket)
Eloise Burgin (Trousers)
Nyzha Firkins (Bag)
Laura Malschuk (Dress)



Corrugated Cardboard
Caitlin Batterson (Headwear)
Sarah Buckley (Dress)
Robert Day (Headwear)
Katie Edwards (Jacket)
Lauren Smith (Headwear)
Freya Thomas-Taylor (Dress)


Plastic Cups
Alex Biggins (Skirt)
Luke Harrison (Skirt)
Missy Lody (Jewellery)
Liberty Robertshaw (Jacket)
Ellie Rosewarne (Trousers)
Oli Woolford (Trousers)
Envelopes
Amy Blair (Jacket)
Joanne Carter (Trousers)
James Lewcock (Dress)
Pip Lovelock (Skirt)
Freya MacDonald (Headwear)
Sam Stockel (Trousers)



Drinks Cans
Zoe Burstow (Jewellery)
Holly Clements (Jacket)
Jackson Jones (Jacket)
Steph Roke (Bag)





Clothes Pegs
Alicia Cannon (Cape)
Carly Everson (Dress)
Christina Linton (Cape)
Bee Rowe (Dress)



Clothes Hangers
Mia Cockram (Skirt)
Shannon Cummins (Jewellery)
Flora Lewis (Trousers)
Beth Symmons (Bag)



Rubber Bands
Leah Foulds (Cape)
Lauren Hole (Cape)
Oli Snellings (Jewellery)
Laila Virji (Bag)





New Project - Trashion

Jez Eaton

PROJECT– TRASHION

SPECIALISM:  FASHION DESIGN

TIME: 6 Weeks
MATERIALS: Mixed Media
RESOURCES: Sewing Machine, Computer, Camera, drawing media, Photocopier, basic hand tools, 3D workshop and an object……

ASSIGNMENT OUTLINE:

The idea of make do and mend is becoming more and more prevalent in modern day society, despite being born from war torn times when people really had to make the best of what they already had as little else was available to them, the concept couldn’t be more valuable today with depleting natural resources, and the constant anxiety of inadvertently increasing the size of our individual carbon footprints. What we are now seeing on both the high street and the catwalk firmly acknowledges that this is a very real problem and one which needs to be addressed and appreciated. The race is on, fifty years ago the earth was populated by half the number of people it is now, by 2050 this number is likely to be increased further, possibly up to 10 billion, and by all estimates there simply won’t be enough resources to go round. Deforestation, depleting food sources and a rampant consumerism are all taking their toll, and did you know that last year alone 1 in 50 people lost their homes due to either, war, natural disaster or foreclosure – this is a scary statistic and none of us are immune to this. It is believed that in the U.K. each year, we throw away an average of two million tonnes of fast fashion clothing that was probably only worn for around six times a piece. Fashion could probably be described as one of man’s biggest failures in the safeguarding of our planet with corporate groups encouraging dream lifestyles of selfishness, apathy, superficiality and greed. Something has to give and something has to change…. Few things touch as many people as fashion; therefore the continuation of what is beginning to emerge through sustainable clothing rests firmly on your shoulders.

Using just a single object which may be commonly found in the home and an existing item of clothing, you are being asked to create a hybrid piece which uses the idea of recycled fashion. Furthermore you will be working alongside other individuals in BOTH of the BTEC groups to develop the idea of a collection.

GUIDELINES

1.   The initial stages of this project should be spent on some thorough investigations. First of all you will be allocated your initial departure points for the project. As this is a random selection, your object, garment and fellow collaborators are all purely down to chance, so this could see you working alongside someone you currently know very little about. It is vital however, that you do work closely with your collaborators throughout the duration of the project in order to achieve a believable result, and by not doing so, you risk failing the overall project. This entire week is concerned with gathering material – this should consist of the sourcing of the various varieties of your individual objects, examples of how these may have already been used in fashion and a range of careful studies of these objects, both as photographs and illustrations. As a matter of course you should be thinking all the time about how you will combine them with your item of clothing to create something new and exciting, it will be up to you how flamboyant or understated your ideas/designs are, but you should bear in mind that you are actually going to have to realise one of them! With regards to your allocated garment, you should again be finding as many examples of this as possible and looking for ways that you will be able to adapt your own. Where your garment comes from is entirely up to you, but it must be something which has previously been worn. What you collect/produce is going to be presented as both moodboards and a “prezi” (www.prezi.com) or powerpoint next week, so at this stage it is advisable not to stick anything into your books…Week 1

2.   Once you have looked at your objects and garments in detail you will be required to present your findings visually, as previously mentioned. It is not always appropriate to hand over a sketchbook to a group when expressing your ideas purely because it is difficult for lots of people to be able to see the work at the same time, so in order to get your ideas across to the rest of the group effectively, you are going to work on a much grander scale! Following the guidelines given you will create a series of moodboards which will explain your ideas and concepts so far. A moodboard is an important tool in the design industry and will often be created at the beginning of a project as a means by which to maintain a constant flow of ideas, yours will be instrumental in helping you to get the most out of this project and will be photographed as you go along, so do make sure that you have a camera at the ready – NO EXCUSES. These images will then be used to create your Prezi, again, guidelines will be given so do not panic, this slideshow will be your first collaborative piece and will require good communication and a well organised plan of action as you will both be working on the same presentation. This will be added to as your projects develop and you will need to follow the checklist provided in order to ensure that you have provided all the necessary information…. The beginning of this week will also see you undertake some sustained investigations into what a collection actually is. Use www.style.com, www.elle.comhttp://fashionarchitect.blogspot.com/ , http://www.fashionisspinach.com/ http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/ , look specifically at individuals like Hussein Chalayan the late Alexander McQueenJohn GallianoGareth Pugh and Commes des Garcons, for the more alternative in ideas! Sustainable fashion heroes are Gary HarveyMartin Margiela, Junky Styling, Ciel, and From Somewhere, and this one is just interesting if you want to get a bit more into the magazine side of things – good for layout etc….. http://magculture.com/blog/ . The library also has some amazing books – check out Maison Martin MargielaSkin and BonesA century of fashionTechno textiles volumes 1 & 2Extreme Beauty: The Body TransformedFashion at the edgeFashion: Concept to catwalk, to name but a few! Week 2

3.   Select two different fashion illustrators’ work and document it in your sketchbook, providing analysis on both their work and how you think their style of illustration might be appropriate to your own designs. You should endeavour to produce a design idea of your own in each style too. Following on from this you should now begin to produce further design ideas and start to physically gather more of the same object, and get stuck into manipulating them, seeing what works and what doesn’t work in order to apply it successfully to your garment. Remember to collaborate with your partner throughout –design ideas must actually look like they have come from the same collection! You will possibly need to compromise on things so prepare to be open minded….. There will also be workshops given to help you with your figure drawing, so do not despair! You may also wish to look at www.art-dept.com for further fashion illustration inspiration. Week 3

4.   Now, how you go about using your object(s) is up to you – I am looking for clever, inventive, original, technical and carefully engineered results – remember – we are not making costumes for the school play, this is a serious exercise, and the results will be going into your folios, so make the most of it, oh, and BTW, you will all be showing your work on the catwalk after Christmas too, there will be an audience and at least 4 photographers taking your photos – I probably wouldn’t want to look like a plank if I was you!  Think about weaving, stretching, melting, burning, adhering, scoring, rolling, wrapping, dissecting, reproducing, representing and smashing as considerations for getting the most out of not only your object, but your imagination too. Update your Prezi. Weeks 3 & 4

5.   Following your investigations and trials and tribulations you should now be able to come up with the definitive design – it is now time to make it…..Photograph every stage as you go so that you can continue to update your Prezi appropriately. Take a series of well styled photos of the final outcome – Do not just stand in the studio or corridor to do this, find an appropriate space, even if it means you have to put yourself out doing so, I cannot emphasise enough how even the best design can be completely ruined by a lack of attention to detail in its final documentation…… Use www.art-dept.com to help you in this too – someone like Rankin is really worth looking at, as is showstudio.com Tim Walker…. You could also check out James Carver on www.flickr.com – he is an ex-student here, who went on to study at London College of Fashion.
Week 5/6

6.   Write a 500-1000 word evaluation of the project – guidance notes will be given. Week 6

MINIMUM SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

·         1 COMPLETED SKETCHBOOK.
·         A SERIES OF MOODBOARDS – PHOTOGRAPHS AS EVIDENCE
·         1 COMPLETED PRESENTATION – EACH PARTY SHOULD HAVE IT DOCUMENTED IN THEIR SKETCHBOOKS.
·         RELEVANT FASHION ILLUSTRATIONS.
·         FINAL GARMENT AND PHOTOS
·         WRITTEN EVALUATION


REFERENCES:
Use the internet.
Use the library.
Use your imaginations!

Thursday 9 November 2017

Alphasemble - Evaluation Guidance and Submission Checklist

Hannah Bocutt
Your evaluation should be written as a flowing piece of text of 500 – 800 words, word processed and ideally should integrate images of your work (especially your 3D outcomes).
• Describe how you started the project, talk about how you selected typefaces and how you went about your initial letter overlay drawings.
• Identify things in your 2D work that went well, what elements did you carry forwards from your first studies in colour and print work.
• Which Artists and Designers did you research at this stage of the project? Did you find their work influenced or informed your own studio practice, how?
• Did you find the move into 3D an easy one to make? What elements from your 2D studies transferred into your 3D relief work?
• How did you find the practicalities of working in 3D? What techniques did you employ (e.g. cutting, scoring, glue, interlocking)? Describe any problems you encountered and how you dealt with them.
• Are you happy with your relief work, which elements of it do you regard as particularly successful?
• Which Sculptors did you look at? Did you find their work interesting, why? Did it inform your own work in any way?
• What additional challenges did your fully 3D sculptural piece present? Talk about how you addressed sculptural concerns such as points of balance, visual weight and rhythm and creating interest from all angles.
• Were there any different materials or techniques used that you didn’t use in your relief piece (e.g. constructing volumes, use of wire). Did you find the progression from relief to a fully 3D piece an easy one to make?
• Are you pleased with your 3D outcome? Identify strengths and weaknesses of this piece.
• Describe how you went about recording your work through photography and drawing. What steps did you take to ensure you got good images (e.g. lighting, selection of background, focus on details).
• Overall are you happy with your work and time management in this project? What could you do to be more effective in future?

MINIMUM SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Sketchbook including:
  • 2 linear overlay letterform drawings.
  • One or more tonal/mark-making letterform drawings.
  • Your own photographs of letterforms (letterform alphabet).
  • At least 3 colour letterform compositions, these could be food dye/bleach, paint or collage.
  • Research into Jasper Johns’ Letter and Number drawings and paintings. Research should include Background information, your own analysis, good images of each Artist’s work and visual responses in appropriate media.
  • A gold card plate and several prints from it.
  • Minimum 2 images made using Photoshop.
  • A4 coloured card raised letter relief and good photos from this.
  • Research into Frank Stella’s relief sculptures.
  • At least 4 annotated developmental sketches illustrating your proposals for 3 Dimensional work.
  • Research into a sculptor e.g. Richard Deacon, Naum Gabo, David Smith, Eduardo Chillida.
  • Photographs of all your Relief/3D pieces, include detail shots and shoot from a range of angles, consider lighting carefully and shoot against a clean background.
  • A full page sustained drawing in response to photos of your final piece
  • A word processed project evaluation (see guidance above).

In addition to the sketchbook please clearly name and hand in your 3D work:
  • Grey Card Relief.
  • Well finished final 3D Sculpture.
Any additional work (e.g. further colour experiments with your letter compositions, further research) is obviously welcome and will create a favorable impression! 😊

    PROJECT DEADLINE:
    4.00pm on Monday 13th November.

    Wednesday 1 November 2017

    Some Sample 3D Pieces from Last Year

    Diana Silva

    Abby Blakeley

    Joel Molyneux

    Madeleine Jay

    Sculptor Research

    To complement the practical work we are completing in Class you need to research at least one Abstract Sculptor. As usual with research this should be thoughtfully presented, include several images of the sculptor's work along with brief biographical detail and some personal analysis and justified opinions that relate to specific works. This work needs to be completed for submission with the rest of your project on Monday 13th November 2017.
    Some Sculptor's whose work might be particularly relevant include:

    Anthony Caro

    David Smith

    Eduardo Chillida

    Naum Gabo

    Philip King

    Richard Deacon

    Tony Cragg
    Stretch and Challenge: Research a second Sculptor from the list.