REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT 2 OLD

REFLECTION ON ASSIGNMENT 2

The journey continues…

Taking on board my tutor’s advice regarding research and development I’ve changed my route into more evidence based creating as well as make my work more presentable and more professional look-a-like.

I read books that changed my mind and helped me understand why I refused to draw and why this has become one of my worst out-of -my -comfort-zone situation as well as what I need to do in order to overcome these awkward feelings and developed techniques to get beyond this state.

Embellishing by hand on a fabric using needle and thread for my first time ever was quite soothing and relaxing . It’s a slow process( especially for someone not so advanced like myself ) that needs patience and perseverance, but adds a lot onto garment; a unique look is one of them.

Looking forward to moving on assignment 3 where it will help me discover more about my course but more than anything, discover more about by myself…

Formative feedback

Student name	Alexander Papanikolaou	Student number	520104
Course/Unit	A Textiles Vocabulary	Assignment number	2
Type of tutorial	Video Tutorial

Overall Comments

You have completed Assignment 2.

As mentioned in your Tutorial, you should be spending more time on each exercise, your work seems rushed, If you need to spend a few more weeks on each assignment you can always speak to your tutor to have some more time.

You should also generate relevant and good primary and secondary research, that is crucial, same as spending more time drawing and painting. As mentioned in your last 2 tutorials you also have to experiment and take risks. At the moment your textile samples consist on a collection of knitwear Jacquards developed with a knitting machine and that is not what you are asked to work on this part of the course. This part of the course, drawing with stitch, gives you the opportunity to explore different materials, also to work using different fabrics, and find unusual ways to learn and investigate the process. You have also missed an important part of the process, which is testing, sampling, experimenting, before you create more finished work.

Learning Log and Research

Context, reflective thinking, critical thinking, analysis

We already discussed in your first tutorial that you had to spend more time generating research. Your research in this Assignment continues being poor. I would like to encourage you to find a lot of good quality Images from Artists, Creatives, Art movements, Visual culture… I previously recommended you to look for useful research on books, magazines, Online, Exhibitions… It is also important that you also put together relevant primary research, that helps you create a story or a theme. That can be a good starting point and a link that gives cohesion to all your work.

You also need to improve your Learning Log, Make sure that all your work is uploaded and clearly edited, at the moment is very confusing and hard to navigate through. You can also look at the work of some other students to get ideas on how to perfect your Learning Log and presentation.

Engagement with textile techniques

Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Quality of Outcome, Demonstration of Creativity

You have not engaged enough with stitching and your technical skills in the process are poor. This Assignment should be a study of the process, and you should have Learned the technique through, trying the technique, experimenting, taking risks and using unusual materials.

You have submitted a collection of Jacquards that don’t explore stitching and that has little cerativity. As we discussed in your tutorial, it would be good if you went back to some of the exercises and explored the process more. I mentioned in the 2 previous tutorials that you should be using more materials, before every Assignment it would be useful to collect a lot of papers, fabrics, yarns, threats, waste materials… This will help you and give you ideas at the start of each exercise.

Drawing and Painting

Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Demonstration of Creativity

Drawing and painting is important. You have submitted two drawings only for this Assignment and they look very rushed. You haven’t explored different painting and Drawing techniques as I suggested to you your previous tutorial. Please make sure that you use a variety of materials and techniques when painting. Gouache, pastels, Acrylics, Watercolours, Colour pencils, Rottrings, pens, Charcoal… Also think about developing them in unusual ways.

Your paintings and Drawings will help you to develop your textiles and in this assignment they would have helped you to then develop your textiles. Guiding your stitching though looking at the textures, outlines, shadows, details… of your drawings and paintings.

Looking forward to your next Assignment.

Tutor name	Pere Bruach
Date	29/4/2019
Next assignment due	TBC

2.5 OLD

Stitching: Placed and spaced

<<To conclude Part Two of the course, in this assignment you’ll develop new stitched textiles work building on the stitched paper explorations you’ve just made. This assignment should feel like a relatively smooth transition from paper into textiles.

Aims:

Your aims in this assignment should be to:

• consolidate your exploration so far by creating a series of stitched textiles

• employ observational and compositional skills, as well as material and technique handling, in the creation of stitched textiles.>>

—–Following my tutor’s feedback regarding a proven record of the process of textile creation I’ve decided to start from scratch and follow his advice by using books he advised in order to overcome my difficulty and discomfort regarding drawing .

So my steps will be:

. take pictures of flowers

. draw them on paper

. create fabric using my drawing

and then do my stitching on them fabrics in order to add a personal touch and feel on them.

he first book I bought is: << DRAWING WHAT YOU SEE>> by RUDY DE REYNA which I found quite challenging as its mainly drawing with charcoal and developing different drawing techniques it is something I will definitely consider going forward but I still thing I’m an early stage painter at the moment and I needed something to unlock me up which leads to the next book…

It was a true revelation to me!!!

<<Drawing on the right side of the brain >>by Betty Edwards is a masterpiece!

This book has clearly explained to me why I was facing all this difficulties while I was trying to draw, the role of the left and right hemisphere of the brain, how left side is over-powering the right side and how to get in a R mode meaning confuse the left side of the brain so much that it shuts down and leaves space for the right to take over and help you use your skills to create.Amazing experience, which made me look and perceive things in a total different way. First time in my life I managed to copy a drawing by looking at it upside down!!!

that was my initial drawing!I know it doesn’t look that great but I would never ever consider drawing near as that!
copy of a Pablo Picasso’s sketch of Igor Stravinsky.

*second one…*
*I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT!!!*

So, being a bit more confident about myself, I went out to take pictures of flowers.

I’ve picked 4 out of many:

*my knitted version without any hand work on it.*

*my own knitted version where I’ve put dots on as marks in order to saw on them.*

*final swatch after spending around two hours of stitch work.*

drawn on an A4 sheet.

I have decided not to proceed with the picture above as it looks a lot as the previous one so instead I will develop the following one.

I know I need more work on my drawing skills , but as a matter of fact I would’t even consider of drawing few weeks ago at all!!!

*Tulip bulbs : knitted version without any hand work on it*

swatch after the buds being embellished by hand.

The reason I’m mainly working on black white and shades of grey is that I’m following the assessment’s directions; it suggests its an early stage for color to be used .

2.4 OLD

this is the first tryout using acrylic yarn

that’s the original fern design

*after experimenting with different yarns-textures I came up with the best option : cotton slub (thick and thin) yarn which gives a very interesting looking fabric.*

olor combination did not work out, but I’ve used thick and thin yarns in order to have a different texture

slub and mohair-like yarn .
colored yarn used in this case in order to show more texture

2.3 OLD

EXERCISE 2.3

DRAWING WITH STITCH -DRAWING IN A LARGER SCALE.

In this task we are asked to draw with stitch on the sketches we’ve picked on assignment 2.1.

Having picked an electronic form pictures I’ve decided to literally draw with stitch: Use the graphs created and picked as a Jacquard and knit them all on the knitting machine!

2.2 OLD

Exercise 2.2 Paper manipulation gallery

*weaving technique using tissue paper in order to give a different texture and color*

the texture changed dramatically when the paper was washed and left to dry

used exactly the same technique as above but the paper was wrinkled in my palm before washed and left to dry

n this paper, I’ve applied water and then salt on the top which has super moisture absorbance in order to create different waves and motifs as it dries out

*burning as well as water/salt technique*

this is how it looked when started to dry out

curly fringing

I’ve tried to create a sort of cable using the fringing of the paper but it didn’t work out because of the nature of the paper(too stiff).

2.1

2.1 SELECTING

After a discussion with my tutor and been advised that I’ve taken a wrong route into my journey, I’ve decided to start all over again ;

I’ve kept my previous work under the name << assignment 2 old>> and I’m starting assignment 2 from the beginning:the process will be same as before and will begin with posting pictures of flowers and then picking enough to create my drawings.