27th July

Methods and materials

My specialist subject is Fashion Textiles Print, so for my final outcome I will like to create something that is created using a printing technique such as; lino print, screen printing, heat transfer or stencil printing etc. In this project I would like to focus on different textures through patterns and shapes so I would be using the workshops to create various textile print samples. To expand my options for final outcomes I want to create prints digitally and physically using a range of techniques. If we had access, I would like to digitally print a pattern (that I created) using a machine that would print it onto 2/3 metres of fabric. Due to the limited resources I am unable to use this machine so I will have to do it by hand. Another technique I would like to use is the laser print. However, I would have to cut out the print by hand which would be time consuming.


My first theme is decay and I will be exploring the different textures and patterns that are created due to living organisms expiring. If I were to choose this theme I would probably create a Textile print that I will put onto the body as if it is a sculpture. In order to create this outcome I would print using my chosen technique onto a huge piece of fabric and then construct it into a garment. In order to create this I would need to use the stitch workshop to construct the garment and use the screen-printing workshop to create the prints.



My second chosen theme is natural forms in plants. If I were to create a final outcome I would probably create a garment that is made out of the shapes on plants. In a previous workshop with Francis we had to draw using scissors. The aim was to help us conjure up ideas for silhouettes and pattern designs. In order to create this outcome I would cut out existing shapes from my sketchbook onto large paper and multiply and manipulate it into different sculptures.


My final theme is identity through social media and how an individual creates a persona online that is completely different to their character in person. I wanted to explore the different ways us humans communicate and how it impacts the way we perceive the world. If I were to make an outcome I would probably create my own glitch print based on observational drawings and pictures of people interacting with each other. The print could be coded with numbers or with coloured boxes. I would probably present it as an installation where people would walk into the room and be immersed by the different colours and codes. The viewer would be unaware that this surrounds us everyday in the form of Wi-Fi.


For this project I will definitely be doing the screen-printing workshop because it relates to my future discipline and it is a good method for transferring a design onto a surface. I will also use the stitch workshop to help me create the final outcome if it is a garment. Also, to help me with design development I will also use the drawing workshop because it will help me to communicate my ideas visually. As a designer I need the viewer to understand my thought process. Due to the limited amount of materials, I will have to do some of the techniques at home because it’s the only place I can do it. An example would be the heat transfer print technique that requires an iron and heat transfer paper.


One of my research references is the ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’, which is 888,246 ceramic poppies decorated around the Tower of London to commemorate the soldiers who died in the First World War. Unfortunately I will not be able to create ceramics in the 3D workshop but it would be an interesting approach to take for my project. If I were to create the ceramics I would have to create them by hand because each ceramic flower would be covered in my own print in a special way.


I found a textile designer called Brigitte Picavet, she is a textiles artist who recycles trash and combines it with mixed media in order to create textured and detailed paintings. Her prints are hand made and you can see this by how she applies the paint onto the canvas. It looks like it had been splashed on which indicates that her prints are one of a kind. During this course I want to explore all possible outcomes and step outside my comfort zone by using some unfamiliar materials.

© Abimbola Akande, all rights reserved


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