Friday, 27 March 2009
Photography and fabric manipulation
Photography induction
This week has been quite exciting, I have had a fabric manipulation workshop and a photography induction, both of these workshops involved learning new things and exploring different techniques which made it really enjoyable for me.
On Tuesday we had our fabric manipulation workshop. We were asked to bring in a selection of different materials; brown paper, lace, wall paper, paints, candles, wires, wool, old knit wear etc.
Using these different materials we used three different processes to fuse and bond materials together to create new fabrics or interesting textures. From these experiments we will take them forward to our interdisciplinary processes module and develop these materials to create an inventive and avante garde garment.
We firstly used a heat press to bond and melt materials together. I felt that this method was the most successful and the one I would most likely use to make a garment, because the fabrics came out fused and were still able to be manipulated. I started using polythene to encapsulate fabrics and different materials, to give them a shine and a waterproofed effect. I also used different papers and trasnfered the words onto different fabrics by using the heat. This also looked good, but the words came out backwards so they would have to be put in the other way around in the first place if I wanted to use this method.
The second method was using wax, I liked doing this and the effects that it gave off on materials such as lace, and also adding paint and using ink and the wax acting as a resistant and protection to the material. This gave a really good effect, and something I would consider adapting to use as part of a material. The only problem with wax is that it goes very hard and makes the materials very stiff, and also once it dries it starts to crack, so although it gives a good effect it would not be viable as a material.
The final method was sewing. Cutting out different materials and layers and sewing into them, and sewing them together to create different textures and thicknesses. I still have to complete some of my examples for this, I hope to do this in the coming week, so I can choose the most successful out of all of my experiments.
The photography induction this week was really fun and I really learnt a lot about the cameras and the lighting which I will definitely use for my final photo for Fashion, art and culture. We learnt how to use all of the different settings on the camera, and how to use a light meter and the camera on manual focus so that you can set it for what you want.
We want off into groups, and took photos on each of the different settings, and then we came back as a group and looked at what everyone had done.
Learning how to use the lighting and the different effects that can be created by use soft boxes and umbrellas, that scatter the light in different directions. I am going to use what I have learnt in this session to take my final photograph in the studio.
I have not quite figured out what I am exactly going to do for my final photo but I have a rough idea, I will take inspiration from Tim Walker, and what is appropriate for my fashion artefact.
This week I have almost finished my body cast artefact, I have completely finished the front and covered the back in images I just need to attach the ribbons so that It can be tied onto someone, or onto something. I will be able to do that at the beginning of next week, so it will be ready for Wednesday when I take my photo.
Today I modelled for someone else’s photo, which has actually helped me to be able to understand how I want my model to be and the situation that I want them to be in. Hopefully it will turn out well seeing as the photo is worth half of the mark!
This week has been quite exciting, I have had a fabric manipulation workshop and a photography induction, both of these workshops involved learning new things and exploring different techniques which made it really enjoyable for me.
On Tuesday we had our fabric manipulation workshop. We were asked to bring in a selection of different materials; brown paper, lace, wall paper, paints, candles, wires, wool, old knit wear etc.
Using these different materials we used three different processes to fuse and bond materials together to create new fabrics or interesting textures. From these experiments we will take them forward to our interdisciplinary processes module and develop these materials to create an inventive and avante garde garment.
We firstly used a heat press to bond and melt materials together. I felt that this method was the most successful and the one I would most likely use to make a garment, because the fabrics came out fused and were still able to be manipulated. I started using polythene to encapsulate fabrics and different materials, to give them a shine and a waterproofed effect. I also used different papers and trasnfered the words onto different fabrics by using the heat. This also looked good, but the words came out backwards so they would have to be put in the other way around in the first place if I wanted to use this method.
The second method was using wax, I liked doing this and the effects that it gave off on materials such as lace, and also adding paint and using ink and the wax acting as a resistant and protection to the material. This gave a really good effect, and something I would consider adapting to use as part of a material. The only problem with wax is that it goes very hard and makes the materials very stiff, and also once it dries it starts to crack, so although it gives a good effect it would not be viable as a material.
The final method was sewing. Cutting out different materials and layers and sewing into them, and sewing them together to create different textures and thicknesses. I still have to complete some of my examples for this, I hope to do this in the coming week, so I can choose the most successful out of all of my experiments.
The photography induction this week was really fun and I really learnt a lot about the cameras and the lighting which I will definitely use for my final photo for Fashion, art and culture. We learnt how to use all of the different settings on the camera, and how to use a light meter and the camera on manual focus so that you can set it for what you want.
We want off into groups, and took photos on each of the different settings, and then we came back as a group and looked at what everyone had done.
Learning how to use the lighting and the different effects that can be created by use soft boxes and umbrellas, that scatter the light in different directions. I am going to use what I have learnt in this session to take my final photograph in the studio.
I have not quite figured out what I am exactly going to do for my final photo but I have a rough idea, I will take inspiration from Tim Walker, and what is appropriate for my fashion artefact.
This week I have almost finished my body cast artefact, I have completely finished the front and covered the back in images I just need to attach the ribbons so that It can be tied onto someone, or onto something. I will be able to do that at the beginning of next week, so it will be ready for Wednesday when I take my photo.
Today I modelled for someone else’s photo, which has actually helped me to be able to understand how I want my model to be and the situation that I want them to be in. Hopefully it will turn out well seeing as the photo is worth half of the mark!
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
Pattern cutter - working in the industry
PATTERN CUTTER
How would you generally describe the job?
The job is basically the link between the designer and the manufacturing process. You create patterns from 2d drawings, also called working drawings, transforming a designer’s idea into reality. You would have to have knowledge of pattern cutting and stitching, manufacturing processes and textile properties. You need to have good eyesight, and normal colour vision so that you can match threads to fabrics.
What would it involve on a day to day basis?
Daily your job would include drafting out patterns using three different processes; draping, altering and shaping standard pattern blocks, and modifying non-standard pattern bases. You would work closely with the designer to create their designer in the most functional, and economical way.
What kind of salary might you receive?
Starting salaries can be between £11,500 and £18,000 a year.
With experience this can rise to £20,000 or more.
What would the working hours be?
You would work around 38 hours a week, Monday to friday, which is roughly the same as a full time job, but may sometimes need to do extra hours, for example to make sure collections are produced on time.
What is the next step up on the career ladder?
Starting as a pattern cutter with experience and with opportunity, you can go into any feild, pattern cutting is a very good skill to acquire and basically gives you knowledge to progress into any area. You would probably still work with patterns, maybe a pattern developer, garment technologist, patter grader or maybe even go into design.
What are the good things about this job?
You can see a picture transform into a garment, so there is a feeling of satisfaction, once you start the job, it becomes a lot easier and you can take on harder more challenging things.
What are the bad things about this job?
Very stressful, and technical, and can sometimes be quite repetitive. You can have no creative input of your own.
What kind of people would this person work alongside?
You would work closely with other staff such as designers, pattern graders, and buyers.
How would you generally describe the job?
The job is basically the link between the designer and the manufacturing process. You create patterns from 2d drawings, also called working drawings, transforming a designer’s idea into reality. You would have to have knowledge of pattern cutting and stitching, manufacturing processes and textile properties. You need to have good eyesight, and normal colour vision so that you can match threads to fabrics.
What would it involve on a day to day basis?
Daily your job would include drafting out patterns using three different processes; draping, altering and shaping standard pattern blocks, and modifying non-standard pattern bases. You would work closely with the designer to create their designer in the most functional, and economical way.
What kind of salary might you receive?
Starting salaries can be between £11,500 and £18,000 a year.
With experience this can rise to £20,000 or more.
What would the working hours be?
You would work around 38 hours a week, Monday to friday, which is roughly the same as a full time job, but may sometimes need to do extra hours, for example to make sure collections are produced on time.
What is the next step up on the career ladder?
Starting as a pattern cutter with experience and with opportunity, you can go into any feild, pattern cutting is a very good skill to acquire and basically gives you knowledge to progress into any area. You would probably still work with patterns, maybe a pattern developer, garment technologist, patter grader or maybe even go into design.
What are the good things about this job?
You can see a picture transform into a garment, so there is a feeling of satisfaction, once you start the job, it becomes a lot easier and you can take on harder more challenging things.
What are the bad things about this job?
Very stressful, and technical, and can sometimes be quite repetitive. You can have no creative input of your own.
What kind of people would this person work alongside?
You would work closely with other staff such as designers, pattern graders, and buyers.
Friday, 20 March 2009
Mmm a lot is happening
Hectic week
This week has been a bit strange, one where I feel like I have done a lot but not got much done. One thing off my mind is finally sorted out my house for next year, all signed and done now, so that’s good, and something that I don’t need to worry about.
I started to decorate the front of my body cast this week, I think that it might take some time for me to get it finished, and I need to do it before next week as that’s when we have the photography studio booked. I decided that I will focus on the front of the cast before I finish off the groundwork of the back, as if I don’t get it finished by next week, I can shoot my picture front facing.
We had a crit this week, which to be honest I did not find very helpful. I felt there was more emphasis put on the way in which we had designed the layout for our slide, rather than the work we had completed. There slide only had a few key images to what our project was about, and it could not show all of what we had done. I would have preferred one to one time with the tutors so we could look at all of my work, and then have ideas and improvements from that. I feel that this would have been far more beneficial. Also I felt that listening to everyone else’s comments was a waste of time and time that I could have spent continuing with my work.
However I am looking forward to the photography induction we have coming up this week. I have just recently purchased a digital SLR camera and am looking forward to learning how to use it properly and then being able to use this for my photo shoot.
Hopefully I will get this project finished before Easter so that I can focus on our new project; interdisciplinary processes over my time off. The theme is metamorphosis, which I am a bit stuck with at the moment, but hopefully once I start doing some research I will get some good ideas and will be able to advance.
I started to decorate the front of my body cast this week, I think that it might take some time for me to get it finished, and I need to do it before next week as that’s when we have the photography studio booked. I decided that I will focus on the front of the cast before I finish off the groundwork of the back, as if I don’t get it finished by next week, I can shoot my picture front facing.
We had a crit this week, which to be honest I did not find very helpful. I felt there was more emphasis put on the way in which we had designed the layout for our slide, rather than the work we had completed. There slide only had a few key images to what our project was about, and it could not show all of what we had done. I would have preferred one to one time with the tutors so we could look at all of my work, and then have ideas and improvements from that. I feel that this would have been far more beneficial. Also I felt that listening to everyone else’s comments was a waste of time and time that I could have spent continuing with my work.
However I am looking forward to the photography induction we have coming up this week. I have just recently purchased a digital SLR camera and am looking forward to learning how to use it properly and then being able to use this for my photo shoot.
Hopefully I will get this project finished before Easter so that I can focus on our new project; interdisciplinary processes over my time off. The theme is metamorphosis, which I am a bit stuck with at the moment, but hopefully once I start doing some research I will get some good ideas and will be able to advance.
Monday, 16 March 2009
GARMENT TECHNOLOGIST
How would you generally describe the job?
This job includes sourcing fabrics, working out the exact way to put together a garment – fastenings, decorations. Very technical and precise job, including measurements and very accurate numbering. Suggesting modifications for garments, so that they can be produced in budget, and in the quickest and easiest way. Responding to product queries and analysing product returns and faults.
You would have to have knowledge of pattern cutting and stitching, manufacturing processes and textile properties.
What would it involve on a day to day basis?
Work on a specific design collection, refining the ideas, and obtaining and sourcing fabrics.
What kind of salary might you receive?
Starting salaries can be between £15,000 and £18,000 a year.
With experience this can rise to £25,000 or more.
Senior technologists can earn around £50,000.
What would the working hours be?
You would work around 38 hours a week, which is roughly the same as a full time job, but may sometimes need to do extra hours, for example to make sure collections are produced on time.
What is the next step up on the career ladder?
From a starting garment technologist, you could progress to a senior technologist, or maybe move into product development.
What are the good things about this job?
The good things are the satisfaction of seeing the things, fabrics, fastenings and colours you picked out being used in a garment. Being able to travel to lots of different places.
What are the bad things about this job?
Very stressful, and technical, and can sometimes be quite repetitive. You can have no creative input of your own.
What kind of people would this person work alongside?
You would work closely with other staff such as designers, pattern cutters and graders, and buyers.
How would you generally describe the job?
This job includes sourcing fabrics, working out the exact way to put together a garment – fastenings, decorations. Very technical and precise job, including measurements and very accurate numbering. Suggesting modifications for garments, so that they can be produced in budget, and in the quickest and easiest way. Responding to product queries and analysing product returns and faults.
You would have to have knowledge of pattern cutting and stitching, manufacturing processes and textile properties.
What would it involve on a day to day basis?
Work on a specific design collection, refining the ideas, and obtaining and sourcing fabrics.
What kind of salary might you receive?
Starting salaries can be between £15,000 and £18,000 a year.
With experience this can rise to £25,000 or more.
Senior technologists can earn around £50,000.
What would the working hours be?
You would work around 38 hours a week, which is roughly the same as a full time job, but may sometimes need to do extra hours, for example to make sure collections are produced on time.
What is the next step up on the career ladder?
From a starting garment technologist, you could progress to a senior technologist, or maybe move into product development.
What are the good things about this job?
The good things are the satisfaction of seeing the things, fabrics, fastenings and colours you picked out being used in a garment. Being able to travel to lots of different places.
What are the bad things about this job?
Very stressful, and technical, and can sometimes be quite repetitive. You can have no creative input of your own.
What kind of people would this person work alongside?
You would work closely with other staff such as designers, pattern cutters and graders, and buyers.
Saturday, 14 March 2009
What a strange week!
Weird week
This week has been quite strange, I have been very dazed and keep forgetting what days it is. I’ve not been very well, so have just been struggling through.
We got our marks back for our creative design practises module this week, I got 67%, which was good but I did feel a bit disappointed, after all the hard work and effort that I out in, I thought I may have got a little higher. But oh well, I will use the feedback I got and try and improve for next time.
This week I finished the basics of both of my body casts, front and back. I have painted them both black and now just need to finish attaching the ties to each side. Getting the front off the stand proved to be quite a struggle, I really had to force it off the stand, and some parts of the underneath layers did chip away a bit where the material is so brittle, but it stayed in one piece which is the main thing. All I need to do now is get the back off the stand and touch up the painting around the edges.
I have started to make little bits to put onto the casts, now that I have a front and back I obviously need a larger quantity of things to out on them, but I need things that are varied but also link in together and still fit with the theme. I have some things that I am definitely going to put on there, and I have just had some more photos printed so I can get them on there to. I can’t sew onto the body casts, so I may sew some of the photos onto black material and then just affix that on afterwards.
I’m looking forward to taking my final photo, and I have been thinking about different poses and positions that I want my model to be in. I think I am going to draw out some ideas in my research and see which I think will work in the studio. I want to do some shots in the studio and then try some outside and see which gives a better reaction and tells the story that I want it to.
Hopefully by the end of this week I will have finished the front of my body cast, and then in the final week I can finish the back body cast off, and that will give me enough time before I go home for Easter to be able to use the studio for the photo.
This week has been quite strange, I have been very dazed and keep forgetting what days it is. I’ve not been very well, so have just been struggling through.
We got our marks back for our creative design practises module this week, I got 67%, which was good but I did feel a bit disappointed, after all the hard work and effort that I out in, I thought I may have got a little higher. But oh well, I will use the feedback I got and try and improve for next time.
This week I finished the basics of both of my body casts, front and back. I have painted them both black and now just need to finish attaching the ties to each side. Getting the front off the stand proved to be quite a struggle, I really had to force it off the stand, and some parts of the underneath layers did chip away a bit where the material is so brittle, but it stayed in one piece which is the main thing. All I need to do now is get the back off the stand and touch up the painting around the edges.
I have started to make little bits to put onto the casts, now that I have a front and back I obviously need a larger quantity of things to out on them, but I need things that are varied but also link in together and still fit with the theme. I have some things that I am definitely going to put on there, and I have just had some more photos printed so I can get them on there to. I can’t sew onto the body casts, so I may sew some of the photos onto black material and then just affix that on afterwards.
I’m looking forward to taking my final photo, and I have been thinking about different poses and positions that I want my model to be in. I think I am going to draw out some ideas in my research and see which I think will work in the studio. I want to do some shots in the studio and then try some outside and see which gives a better reaction and tells the story that I want it to.
Hopefully by the end of this week I will have finished the front of my body cast, and then in the final week I can finish the back body cast off, and that will give me enough time before I go home for Easter to be able to use the studio for the photo.
Tuesday, 10 March 2009
Making A Body Cast
Body Casting
This week has been quite fun, I have started to make my final piece for out fashion art and culture project. I have decided to make a body cast using mod rock, so I get a smooth and well finished piece. I have now completed the front of the cast, and have actually decided to use a different shape for the back, so that when I take my photograph at the end, if the model is at an angle then I will actually have more of a piece to put in the picture.
I did make a practise cast the week before, just to check out what materials I thought I should use I made the first one with paper Mache, the shape came out really well but I didn’t think that it was strong enough to withstand what I wanted it to. This is when I decided to make it out of Mod Rock.
I also decorated the front of the cast with some photo’s and images and objects to see what they looked like all joined together, I liked the way that they were interlinking, but I think that the background of the cast needs to be painted black in the first place so that It gives a bolder, stronger impression.
Also this week I have really focused on my critical studies essay, I found the text we had to read quite dull, so I wasn’t really that interested in reading it. In the end I found parts of the book that I felt were relevant to my essay and picked out the mains bits from this.
The essay took me a very long time to write, and I’m not sure if I have covered enough critical analysis in the essay, but I have responded to the question in the best way that I possibly could. All I have left to do know is add in some images for support for my ideas and have a few sentences explain them. Hopefully I will be able to get this done this week, so that when I have my tutorial next Monday I will be able to get some feedback and make any improvements needed.
Also this week I want to try and finish the back part of my body cast, then I can spend the rest of the time we have decorated it and getting the photos on it just right and preparing for the final image, and sort out exactly what I want the photo to be like.
This week has been quite fun, I have started to make my final piece for out fashion art and culture project. I have decided to make a body cast using mod rock, so I get a smooth and well finished piece. I have now completed the front of the cast, and have actually decided to use a different shape for the back, so that when I take my photograph at the end, if the model is at an angle then I will actually have more of a piece to put in the picture.
I did make a practise cast the week before, just to check out what materials I thought I should use I made the first one with paper Mache, the shape came out really well but I didn’t think that it was strong enough to withstand what I wanted it to. This is when I decided to make it out of Mod Rock.
I also decorated the front of the cast with some photo’s and images and objects to see what they looked like all joined together, I liked the way that they were interlinking, but I think that the background of the cast needs to be painted black in the first place so that It gives a bolder, stronger impression.
Also this week I have really focused on my critical studies essay, I found the text we had to read quite dull, so I wasn’t really that interested in reading it. In the end I found parts of the book that I felt were relevant to my essay and picked out the mains bits from this.
The essay took me a very long time to write, and I’m not sure if I have covered enough critical analysis in the essay, but I have responded to the question in the best way that I possibly could. All I have left to do know is add in some images for support for my ideas and have a few sentences explain them. Hopefully I will be able to get this done this week, so that when I have my tutorial next Monday I will be able to get some feedback and make any improvements needed.
Also this week I want to try and finish the back part of my body cast, then I can spend the rest of the time we have decorated it and getting the photos on it just right and preparing for the final image, and sort out exactly what I want the photo to be like.
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