Evaluating my project

In this project, Pattern and Culture, I have explored the theme of Islamic, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, African, American Indian and British/Celtic cultures and the traditions and styles involved in this range. I researched into the different cultures and developed my own approach on creating patterns that I felt represented them. Using different media and the print making facilities, along with Photoshop towards the end of my project. I then developed these patterns into Notebook sleeves on Photoshop and put these around small Moleskine notebooks. I chose to use Islamic, Indian and Celtic patterns as I felt these worked the most successfully.

My aim for this project was to represent cultures around the world and create a sense of them ‘crossing over’ and sharing the differences through a range of colourful, detailed patterns and shapes. I do feel my sketchbooks and final outcomes show the cultures through the patterns themselves and the sense of them crossing is put forward by the mixture of patterns put together in my notebooks and prints.

At the beginning of my project I did not fully know where I planned to take my development. Towards the end I decided I wanted to incorporate stationery, in my statement of intent I mentioned I might consider bringing in cityscapes and putting my patterns onto these. I have not done this as I felt stationery was more appropriate for the area of design I am working in.

 

I have developed a much wider range of knowledge on the different illustrators and graphic designers that are appropriate for my theme but also I have discovered others that may support my future studies. Due to the nature of this project I have also gained knowledge on other design areas such as surface pattern and paper cutting designers. My skills have developed greatly during this project, I now have better ability to work successfully in Photoshop and the print making facilities. Alongside this I have developed my own style of working in and presenting my sketchbook work and have begun to pay much more attention to the level of care required when creating my work. All of these skills are ones that I can continue to use and develop in my further studies in art and design.

I have found that primary research has been difficult to gather, for example direct, original sources of the different cultures that linked to my project. As a result I have relied heavily on book and Internet resources and would have benefited from more primary research.

I feel my project has been successful, the outcomes I have created reflect my aims for the most part, along with the development in my sketchbooks and other work. The large prints I have done which are expanded versions of my notebook sleeves represent culture, as do my three hand drawn prints. If I did this project again I would attempt to produce my own notebook with my patterns built into them, on each of the pages and then the entire book cover would be of cultural influence instead of just the sleeves. I would also gain more primary research by travelling further to more places to gain a first-hand insight into the cultures and what they include. I would have loved to have had the opportunity to travel further a field such as to places like China and India and gain a real first-hand insight. I would also consider making my work have a clearer message, although I do like that the concept is fairly subtle.

I have enjoyed this project as I feel I have developed greatly as a designer and have more ability to continue in the design area as this project has given me the skills and confidence to do so.

 

 

 

 

Mounting and hanging my work in my space

 

 

I am also very pleased with how I have displayed my work and the selections I have made for my final pieces.

 



Final prints for Exhibition

 

I printed out the patterns I created on Photoshop at a size of 2m by 29cm.

I am very happy with the way these have printed and feel they add a lot to my project.

Notebook sleeve design

 I have recently been considering looking at incorporating stationery into my project, I want to look at Notebooks and the sleeves that often come with them when they are bought from stationery designers such as Paper Chase and Present and Correct. Often the neat, detailed notebooks are presented to be sold with a 'sleeve' around them, usually with a barcode and price and the information on what the notebook is, for example size and paper etc.

I have researched both of these companies and had a look at examples which can be found in my sketchbook, I am going to take my own twist on this and create sleeves to go around plain Moleskine notebooks which will have my patterns on them.

 

My three chosen Notebook sleeves:

 

 

I scanned in  hand rendered designs and using Photoshop I have created the above sleeves, I was able to alter the colours and contrasts of them which allowed me to develop them to what I feel are successful complete sleeves.

 

I plan to enlarge the sleeves and have them printed out at a size of 200cm by 29cm to create large wall hangings alongside these small 20cm by 7cm Notebook sleeves.

 

Further print making

 

 Here is another set of examples of the selection of Print making I have done, I feel the bottom set of prints work well and the compositions are successful. The middle image is an example of the grounds I have created in print making to the work back on top of, this style is potentially going to be part of my final outcomes.

 

 

Tile experimentation

 

As part of my development and experimentation I decided it would be useful to continue using different media. I got some clay and cut them into squares and rectangles depending on the pattern I was going to put on them. I then used a scalpel to cut my patterns into the clay, I then had them fired to set the clay. I felt they needed 'finishing off'' and so I oxidised them which allowed the patterns to stand out more and gave them a good effect - this is very different to what I have been working on and I am going to display these in my exhibition.

Printing

 

I have recently spent a lot of my time in the printmaking studio. I love the effects I can get from using these facilities, and the grounds I can create for drawing my patterns onto.

I have used these to collage onto, leave blank and also create stencils of my shapes to roll ink onto and put the printing machines. All of these techniques are effective in my eyes, some do work better than others but each has allowed me to see what works best and what I want to continue working with.

Photograms

 

 

With access to the dark room I decided I wanting to have a go at using my patterns to create Photograms, I used acetate to draw my patterns onto to then use to create these.

This is only two of the ones I have done as the rest are in my sketchbook, I really like this technique and I think it has given my project another possible direction. Also I like that I am able to cross over into Photography with my patterns.

Colour...

 

 

I used collage and drawing in to put colour onto the repetitive patterns I have created, again, I feel the Islamic circular pattern is the strongest.

I want to look at colour and others I could use, along with brining other media into my work such a gouache.

 

Repetitive pattern

 

 I started to look at ways in which I could repeat the shapes I have created on a page, scaling down the shapes so I could create a pattern. I think the circular Islamic inspired shape works the best out of this set.

 

Developing patterns inspired by observational imagery

 

Here I began to look at ways I could put my shapes into a pattern, I started by rotating them around one point on the page and this developed the pattern above. I then used inks to add colour in a loose way. I like this style and this is something I am going to continue working with.

 

 

Above are examples of how I have started to develop the original pattern I created, I have cut the coloured pieces up and created new, repetitive patterns out of them, this is another way of working I am going to continue to develop.

 

Developing the 'Japanese' theme

 

I started to develop some shapes inspired by the vases at The Western Park exhibition on 'The Seven treasures' this is the start of my development and I want to work on my ideas and look at other ways of working.

 

 

'The Vault' - Observational drawing

 

 

I recently visited an antiques, vintage and craft shop called The Vault in Sheffield, I went to London Road in search of items or buildings relating to the different cultures I am looking at. Within this shop there was a section solely dedicated to Indian culture, I was able to take photographs and do some observational drawings. I am going to be using this in my own pattern and shape making and develop them.

Further observatonal drawings and working on different grounds

 

 

I began to look at creating my own shapes and patterns from observations I had made, for example the top two pieces started from an observation of a big gold ring, I then added pattern to this inspired by the research I had done on the African tribes and the shields they created.

 

The bottom set of drawings are trials of simple shapes I have created moved on into a short pattern to begin looking at ways in which I could create pattern.

Developing prints

I decided I wanted to work into my prints with stitch and drawing inks, above are examples of this. I cut out my print and stuck them onto grounds I had created using ink, my choices of colour was very experimental as I wanted to focus more on the technique and felt the colour would come together

when I have decided on a technique that is most suitable for my project.

 

 

 I then began to add stitch around the patterns, this is a technique I like and I think works effectively however I want to begin to work in a more neat way and experiment in ways I can create my own patterns based on the research and inspiration I have gained.

 

I decided I wanted to work into my prints with stitch and drawing inks, above are examples of this. I cut out my print and stuck them onto grounds I had created using ink, my choices of colour was very experimental as I wanted to focus more on the technique and felt the colour would come together when I have decided on a technique that is most suitable for my project.

 I then began to add stitch around the patterns, this is a technique I like and I think works effectively however I want to begin to work in a more neat way and experiment in ways I can create my own patterns based on the research and inspiration I have gained.

 

During printing I decided to start working on different grounds, here I experimented with working onto old envelopes, the 'window' on this provided a new way of working for me and also added more depth and interest to the piece.

Printing

I used the inspiration I gained from visiting the exhibition and previous cultures I had looked into to create prints. I created shapes and then used the printing equiptement, I really like the effects this technique allows me to gain and I decided to work back into some of the prints using pencil crayons and drawing inks. I then decided to try the sewing experimentation I had previously used to develop them.

 

I tried to create a shape which was similar to the idea of the japanese vases but with more detail and one that could lead to a repetitive pattern, I worked on top of geometric paper as I feel this provided a more experimental, interesting piece.

 

Further prints on top of the inside of an envelope, I worked back into these using pencil crayon to add colour. The piece on the right hand side is inspired by the indian culture and the 'tear drop' shapes.

 

Here I have worked over the print using sewing and drawing ink. I like the experimental feel to this piece.

Western Park Galleries - Japanese Vases

 

I recently visisted the Western Park Museum in sheffield. There was an exhibition on featuring Japenese culture and ceramic work. This provided me with further primary research but it also gave me inspiration to direct my project down the route of Japenese pattern and I began to look at creating prints from the patterns on the plates, vases and objects from the gallery.