Week 2 - Calligraphy

Reflecting:

With calligraphy, I got on with the task very well after learning the 3/4 different ways to use the brush and ink to create the particular letter forms and arrangements. I feel that at the end of the day I achieved a lot in terms of experimentation and playing around with what I wrote down with the brush. Peer feedback was also very positive in the sense that when our text was placed upon the boards I overheard many comments about mine saying that the letters had almost looked printed on a computer or made on photoshop, which made me feel a sense of accomplishment that I grasped the style of writing fairly quickly and easily. From the overall tasks I learn that a paintbrush and paint or ink can be used in a very neat way to created stylized writing, and not in a messy way as I had always presumed.

Analysing:
I think what was successful about my work on the day was how I managed to experiment with brand names such as Bacardi and Jack Daniels, making them look very old and gritty as if they had been around since the 1800's. I was not happy however about the way I was writing the letters down as I could not fit whole words on one part of the page, as they always got cut off due to my size of writing. In future calligraphy experimentation I will reduce the size of my writing to make it much more easier to work with and at the same time allow for full words and sentences to fit on one page. I found it difficult using the brush for the first time as I had never experimented with bigger brushes, only smaller ones used for water colours and minor paintings.

Time management:
With the calligraphy workshop I had no problem with time on the day as everything was very evenly paced, and enough time was given to us to experiment with many different things to write down, which allowed for me to thin about even more brands which would look good if they were branded in a very ancient style of writing. However my main concern with time was that I had hoped to have more time in researching various brands that could be created in a calligraphy style ink drawing.

Week 2 - Prototyping

For the second day of the second week of workshops my group had been asked to experiment with various materials and such in the prototyping lab on level 9. I found this a fairly easy worshop as I had come from a graphic product design background in A-level months ago, meaning that it was extremely easy to cut my images or engrave them into the materials I had. The only complaint I had however was the use of using illustrator to cut or engrave into objects which was very difficult. At my sixth-form we had been using the 2D design software which was extremely easier to use and also made it extremely easier to position how far the laser cutter would go. Especially in the case of manipulating images I found that 2D design could create the outline of an image with the click of a mouse where as illustrator was extremely troublesome to get an outline on the image I wanted to cut and the engraving sections inside of it. Other than That If could use the 2D design software to create my images I think it would be a much faster and efficient process for when using the laser cutter, in which the extra time could have gone into the planning of the material or pattern that would be cut out.

week 2 - book cover

reflecting:

With this task I got on fairly well, and felt that I could take my photoshop skills to the next level by having a friend who is an expert at it give me follow through tutorials before I did the task. I feel that I achieved a high amount and standard of work, whilst at the same time gaining many new skills on how to manipulate the text and image on photoshop. Also I found it easier to use photoshop rather than InDesign to play with the type, as it simplified the process and made it much more easier without having to have many other soft-wares open that I would have to keep switching to. As of yet I have not recieved any feedback on this particular work.  Overall from creating this image I learned several more ways to use photoshop to create very professional looking illustrations and especially in the case of the book cover which was about illustration. In addition to learning photoshop I was also able to grasp basic techniques of design on illustrator, which when used in combination with photoshop helped me to create much more powerful pieces of art, and giving a much more professional feel to a book rather than my preffered old drawing method of creating artwork. In addition to the use of photoshop and illustrator, I found it very useful to scan an object into the software and then computerise it so that I could compare my initial draft drawing to the final professional piece.

Analysing:

I think the most successful part about my work was how I managed to embed several different types of illustration within the book cover, and also how I managed to show how powerful illustration could be in influencing people's lives as can be seen within the work. With this work there was not anything that I was not happy with as I had further developed my photoshopping skills and at the same time created a very professional looking book cover. If there was anything I was uinhappy with it would be how I did not make it an A3 sized print as I though we were restricted to the dimensions of the cover that we had received on the brief. I found it challenging creating the triangular multiple image on the front of the book cover as I did not know how to cut images on photoshop or crop them. However after several tutorials I found this quite easy and learned a multitude of ways that this could be achieved. In addition to the sizing however I found that once I saved my work i could not change the size of it at all or make any changes as I did not know how to save photoshop files as editable at first. This meant that I was not able to

Time management:
looking at my time management and planning of this project, I found no problem in creating the image within the space of a few hours. However my only problem was placing this and saving it as a PDF document, which was problematic due to one of my computers not having the adobe PDF reader. This resulted in the piece becoming a late submission however the work was completed the a very high standard, and the computer that did not have the PDF saving format was due to my own human error.

Friday workshop - After Effects

Reflecting:

With the after effects workshop, similar to photoshop I had difficulty at the start of the day due to the fast pacing of the software and how it functioned, similar to photoshop, but towards the end of the day I found it quite an enjoyable project to work on. At the end of the day I feel that I achieved quite a lot as I mastered the basic functions of how to animate an image, and also with the spinning earth image which I found was quite interesting on how we made a flat image spherical and then start spinning. As my group were all doing the same video at the start, feedback was very minimal as we had all achieved the same video. However when we got to customize our own images onto the video, I decided to a christmas themed video, and It received very good feedback by peers in addition to comments that it would be sent as an E-Christmas card to a family member or friend.  From the workshop I learnt the very basics of using After effects however still have very much difficulty in using it. As I was considering motion graphics at one point this showed me some of the possibilities that I could utilize in my own work, however deterred me due to the fact that getting use to the software could take an extensive amount of time.

Analysing:
I think the most successful part of the after effects work that I did was my own customization at the end of the day and how it was themed to a Christmas style E-Card. This shows that I was able to show basic manipulation of the software and made it successful as I walked away thinking o many other things that I could potentially create using the software. There was not anything that I did not like about my work as my video came out very well in particular with my customization. I found it very difficult adapting to using photoshop in the context of another software, as I always thought that the 2 soft-wares were completely different.

Time management:
As this was a one day workshop time management was not an issue as my entire group were all following our tutor on screen how to do certain animations and insert our own images. This made it very easy to follow along.

Movie poster - the 33

reflecting:

Wit this photoshop task of creating a movie poster for the 33 potential movie about the chilean miners, I went from a very slow start to a very fast paced design creation. Due to the workshop involving us working with photoshop which I was very inexperienced in, I found difficult in using the software at the start but then toward the end of the day became quite confident with the basics and fundamentals of how to use it. I feel that I achieved a lot in the one day we had to complete this as I did not have photoshop at home at the time, therefore time was vital to me throughout the whole day. I received feedback from the Photoshop tutor that my colours were very dark and gloomy but in a good way as this reflected the situation of the miners who were obviously at the heart of the film. From my peers I received postive feedback also on how everything had been composed, and this further went to more positive feedback after I had told them that it was my very first time properly using photoshop. From the overall day as task I learnt the basic ways on how to manipulate images on photoshop, and also adding text on InDesign after we had created our image.

Analysing:
I think the most successful part about my Photoshop work on the day was how I managed to make it look like a very realistic film poster, especially with the different sized actor fonts at the bottom as how they would be displayed on a real film poster. This is because if I had left all the type in a very unorganised manor or randomly thrown about on the screen it would look no different to an image that could have been made on microsoft word, therefore professionalism was a key factor of influence on the day. What I was not happy about was how there was not enough time to plan anything in our sketchbooks on the day, however at home this is not a problem as my planning stages had been noted down with each particular image and I could do this at another time during the week. What I found challenging was working with editing some layers however this problem was easily solved by right clicking and allowing my images to be editable. Overall after grasping the main concepts and tool functions using the software became a case of playing around and experimentation to see what would work best.

Time management:
Concerning my time management and planning of the work, I found that it was quite difficult to edit my artwork so fast without getting to plan a lot of it an advance. However as the workshop was designed to only show us the basics and let us work by ourselves at a fast pace I felt that this made it much more interesting as a challenge. In addition to this to ensure I could finish the entire artwork before I got home (due to not having photoshop at the time) I stayed at the university for a couple of extra hours to complete everything, and this had an added benefit of giving me more time do spend on the illustration project and also the Friday project.

Illustration and imagination

For the first Monday on the first week of workshops our task was illustration. For this task we were asked to brainstorm many ideas about what we believe imagination should be represented as to do with ourselves.

reflecting:
At first with this task I felt slightly confused, due to the vagueness of what we were asked to do. Eventually I managed to find a solution to this after discussing the topic with my Tutor Angie, and this in turn allowed me to gain some initial ideas into the topic. After brainstorming and creating a flow chart of different aspects of my imagination I managed to find the most commonly popped up words and topics and therefore took those forward to illustrate. I feel that I had achieved quite a lot, especially seeing as my final piece was a 3D model instead of a flat graphics piece, which I felt added to the depth and dimension of the imagination topic in a very successful way. Feedback wise the few people who did see the model commented that it was clever using the idea of  a TARDIS and it being bigger on this inside which allowed me to show how an imagination can be so huge in the same way. and this encouraged development of my work by letting me think about more 3D aspects I could add to future objects.

Analysing:
I think the most successful part of my work was how the 3D aspect of it made it stand out more than a flat image which everyone else had chosen to do. Because of this, it also gave a great connotation of the idea of the TARDIS representing an imagination, where both can be considered so giant and almost endless within. If I had to pick something wrong with this project that did not work it would be how the cardboard 3 exterior failed to be fully coloured in blue on all sides. However this was due to human error of my marker running out and could therefore be fixed at any time. I found it challenging making the actual imagination illustration because I felt that it looked almost rushed, due to the black pen effect and how simple the images looked. However even though it may have this appearance it did take a very long time to make, and therefore if questioned I would talk about how this was very tedious and time consuming to make.

Time management:
concerning my time management with this part of the project I feel I was slightly pressured as I found it the most difficult project of the week due to my slow start. However once I got the idea and concept grasped about what I could illustrate I felt it was quite straight forward, with my only time problem being how long it look to colour and draw out the internal image.

Film Project week 1 - The film and Poster

Reflecting:

With the film Project my group had decided to show a message of deforestation and effects that humans have on wildlife and the environment. Through this we used drawings and stop motion to illustrate a film that showed a bird who lost its home knocking down the home of a human. this made it much more comical and showed seriousness yet comedy at the same time.

With this task my team got on quite well, apart from issues at the beginning where we couldn't agree on how to show our story. Considering the poster I got on well with this considering it was hand drawn, as I am still not 100 percent confident with the use of Adobe Photoshop. the  We eventually came to the decision of using stop motion as creating the bird with a chainsaw was a difficult task especially considering the one week deadline that we had. At the end I feel that we achieved quite well considering the limitations we had and our indecisiveness at the start. The feedback I received from my peers about my poster were quite positive, and I received many compliments on how I managed to develop the tree branches into a new typeface that followed the theme of our movie.  From the overall task I learnt how to function stop motion equipment on a very basic level, however in the future I do not know how I will be able to apply this skill to my own graphic work unless doing stop motion work.

Analysing:
I think the most successful part of our movie was how we made the sriousness of our issue (deforestation) very subtle yet obvious at the same time, seen by the anger of our main bird character. This is because if we made it very serious it would invoke too much of a negative tone in the audience and although an important issue we felt that comical elements added would make it much more interesting to watch whilst still spreading an important message. If there was anything I was not happy with it was how our film was extremely short, which made the audiences want to see more. I found it challenging developing a type font for my film poster as I did not want something too common. Eventually after playing around I came up with the idea of using trees and their branches in order to morph into the letters of our movie which we decided to call habitat. One more thing I was not happy with was how the water colored pencil blue that I used was quite difficult to work with and how my marker blue did not have much effect when going over it. In the future I think it would be much more suitable to use blue paper perhaps and cut around any foreground images. This way it would look like one solid colour and all the pencil and marker pen marks would not be visible, which I feel reduced the quality of my work. Overall I found the A3 poster the easiest part of this film challenge as I am still learning on how I could improve my own drawing techniques, and furthermore have the use of Photoshop to enhance this.

Time management:
When looking at my time management for this project I had the trouble of taking a design forward in my sketchbook, as I couldn't decided on a text to use. Furthermore when I did get the idea on how I would place my text, I had trouble finding the time to do so due to a busy schedule of other projects that I had outside of college. In the future however I think that I could improve my time planning skills by finishing the task the day I receive it for college, which will also give me more time to look back over and perhaps develop several variations and see any improvements that could be made to the artwork.

Manifesto project

The first week after assessment we created a manifesto based upon our own views of the world whether design related or not.

Reflecting:

With this task at first I did not get in very well, due to the fact that I did not know what a manifesto was and what to include in it. Eventually I found the task more easier as I noted down ideas and phrases to my own views, and this made it much easier to illustrate what each line on my page. I feel I achieved a lot in the sense I know what a manifesto should contain. Also although not a big fan of type I got to look into many different styles and how the tone of each of my messages could be written in a certain type that followed a particular theme, in a successful way which showed both positive and negative tones. From my student peers I reviewed feedback that  my use of different bright colours made it a more appealing piece, making superhero them want to go towards it rather than black white or grey writing on a plain background. From staff I received average feedback receiving a 6/10, due to my sketchbook work not being enough however this was good for me as a first trial which will encourage me to attempt this project again. Overall I learnt that sketchbook work is the key in the design process, and that also there should be some form of attempt on a computer software as well. 

Analysing:

I think the most successful piece about my work was how after each of my beliefs I included a silhouette image of something that showed such. Eg the superhero near the bottom and dog getting a helping hand at the top. Also what I really wanted to stand out but didn't show was how each coloured strip that a phrase was written on had a connotation of the colour related to the phrase. For example yellow connotes sunny and kindness which was used in the first and 5th part. Red ofcourse connoted evil or blood which related to the bad thoughts phrase. I was not happy with the bad thoughts and backfires phrase as I had done this by mistake completely, where the phrase was meant to be written in an infinity symbol illustrating the fact that what goes around comes around. As I was doing this late in the night this may have caused my mistake so at another time I will do this particular part of the work again to show what it was really meant to look like. I found it challenging slightly working with my marker colours as when I put fine liner or sharpie marks on top of them for the type it expanded and looked fuzzy in some places. However this is due to the nature of the ink and if using this colouring method again I will create my type first and then add the colour detail. 

Time management:

With this project I did not have any problems  with my time management, or my sketchbook designs. However as I did not really know too much about a design process that I was meant to go through I went through this quite quickly. After the project had completed I went back in my spare time to re do the entire project as a computer version seeing as I had improved my software rendering skills. In addition to this I was able to explore my own thoughts and views on the phrases I had chosen to put into my manifesto.

3D design week - day 4

Today was the last day in the 3D design week concerning practical work. The tasks today were to create a structure out of spaghetti sticks and also to later cost them with paper in ways so that we could do a strength test.

Reflecting:

Firstly looking at the first task of the day of creating a structure, we were asked for this structure to have the specification of holding 3 plastic balls without them falling or being in contact with the ground in any way. When I began this task I found it extremely difficult as I had never even thought about working with spaghetti sticks to create a structure. When prototyping I found it very difficult to use blue tac with these pieces as they kept slipping and sliding away from the blue tac, which did not seem to hold the sticks in place no matter how much pressure I applied to it. However at the end of the task I feel that I eventually got on quite well, as I successfully completed the structure withing my time limit. I was very happy with what I achieved. As it was firstly not a boring cuboid shape it a triangular one, which made it more appealing than a simple box structure . Also, it successfully fulfilled the deoxidiser ion that was required of us to nearly hold 3 plastic play balls on its structure without falling or toppling over, or breaking the structure in any way. When I asked my peers for feedback, the main piece of feedback that I received was that the triangular prism structure dos indeed make it look more interesting than if it would have been a cuboid one. Also I received positive feedback on the structure of the ball holders, which were all angled downwards so that the ball could not move from side to side, keeping it very secure from falling. From my tutor Geofd I was given feedback that I should have somehow incorporated playing cards into the structure as levels or walls, because it would help to represent me more, ideally mixing graphics along with 3D design together, which would have made it very eye catching. From the overall task the main thing I learnt was proper usage of a glue gun which I had never used before. I learned this through the construction process with help from a friend, who showed me the safety measures that should have been in place like placing cardboard on the table surface before glueing ect.this will affect my suture work in a way that if I am ever doing another 3D graphics project, I will use superglue to hold orbit as it provides a very strong bond between the spaghetti sticks, and this strong holding property could come in handy for many other future projects involving creating structures. 

Looking at the second part of the day, we were given the task of having a limited umm we of 4 A4 sheets and 4 A3 sheets of paper, to create a barrier or another internal structure within our spaghetti onesx that it could withstand the weight of a ball that would be dropped onto it. I got on with this task fairly well as well, seeing as it only involved cutting paper to a certain height and width, and then adhering it to my structure. I feel that I achieved my goals slightly as when tested, my structure did not fully break, but mainly went flying to the side of the ball after the impact. Upon looking inside of it I found that the rolled up tubes I placed inside were the cause of this survival of the main structure as they were thick enough to not crumple up when hit by the ball. I received positive feedback on my cylinder/rolled up tube comes that I placed inside the structure,, which also gave an India to a few others in my class to employ the same methods in trying to strengthen theirs. However the only negative pont was that my tubes did not stand up right completely, meaning that the strength distribution was not equal along the structure. From this task I learnt that to ensure maximum resistant strength is present in a structure, the supports inside cannot be dangling around or wobbly, as this will not add to the strength and in turn will have no effect on it.from this task I learnt that it would most likely be easier to create my structures within the framework of my structure first rather than after hthe paper walls were placed on. Because I did not do this I spent a large amount of time trying to adhere the cylinder tunes inside the structure without damadging it. 

Analysing:

I think that the most successful part of my work was how the structure managed to hold the 3 balls without toppling over, as I found that one side was raised higher than the other. However this had no effect and was only off balanced by a fration. I was happy with this as if the balance was more off, it could have possibly resulted in my structure falling, smashing, and me having to create it once again. In addition to this I found my way of coating it with paper slightly successful as it still held some strength when the package was dropped onto it.  Even though it had collapsed upon impact, closer look at the internal structure tubes I put in place showed that they had not been damadged very much and managed to withstand the force dropped on top of it. This means that my structure most likely could not withstand the force due to poor positioning of the internal structures, and this is why it still managed to have about half of it break. I was not happy with how my internal protection structures were placed. Due to the nature of my structure which was triangula/prism it meant that positioning of extra parts inside was extremely difficult, as it was difficult to correctly position my internal pieces without breaking the spaghetti which was very delicate. I believe that if I had managed t to use a different structure shape eg cuboid or rectangular it would be easier to position my internal protection structures within this. Leading on from this I found that the coating of the outside in paper was easy, but creating the internal structures on the inside was very difficult as mentioned due to the configuration of my initial spaghetti structure. Although not difficult, I found it quite tedious when I was wrapping the structure up with paper for the second part of the challenge as the slightest bit of pressure could have possibly caused it to snap and break in various places, meaning I would have to create it again. I overcame this problem by leaning the structure on its side instead of upright, which also ensured that there was no wobbling which would make the coating process go wrong. Overall I found the paper coating task and creation of internal protection structures the easiest task as it was more or less adding to my existing work. Also as I worked with architecture and structures during my Product design graphics GCSE in 2012, I had some experience on what would be the best way to hold something like this together with a fair amount of strength. Creating the structure in the first place was extremely difficult due to the nature of spaghetti and the many troubles adhering it.  

Time management and planning:

Concerning my time management over the course of the day, I had trouble with the first half of creating the initial structure due to the difficulty of working with my material and sticking it together with others. I feel that I could have improved my methods of planning for this structure creating by perhaps creating a 2 or 3 different models with some sticks before I go in to the real thing so that I may finish it quickly. However as this would be time consuming to create, I done a similar task by doing a quick few sketches in my sketchbook before hand, using them as models to build upon. With the second part of the task (paper coating) I did not have any problems with time as I had finished my initial structure before deadline which was at 1:30pm, giving me extra time for the second task. I could learn more from my current patterns by continuing to finish my tasks as fast as possible, in which in the extra time I have I could make alterations/variations on the existing model or develop a completely brand new one. Enhanced planning and time management will help me in my future projects by allowing me to save making time by properly planning ahead, and using this extra time to evaluate my final product, allowing me to see any changes that I may need to make or mistakes that I need to correct.

3D design - Day 1

(Edit: this is the second draft of this particular daily blog post. The first copy was the same however the photos had been deleted from my phone and my previous blog so a substitute photo had to be used for this post. This will be edited at another time.)

On the 29th September we started on 3D design.

Reflecting:

Each if the tasks today were very interesting, especially the ones at the beginning where we took an object such as a fruit or scribble and had to turn them into designs. I got on with these first exercises very well as they were very out of the open, and required good thinking to be for for the purpose we were asked to base it for a design. The bottle balancing task I found very easy, as I had previous experience with making 3D figures and shapes In graphic product design during GCSE and A-levels. The final task was also very easy as it used the same internal structure and 3D methods. I felt that my bottle holder was successful as it stood the bottle up no problem without falling. However with the final task I completely forgot the specification that that the stool/3D shapes had to be flatpacked. By this time I had already assembled the stool but manages to alter it by cutting through certain sections, which made it flat pack able and yet still able to support all of my body weight at the same time. Once I added my flatpacked feature in I received feedback from Levi who was one of the tutors and also the students who were working next to me that the way it assembled looked almost like a transformer, and that the flipping panels and folding sections have it a very modern feel. If I learnt anything from the overall task it would be to consider the form before the function, especially seeing as I forgot to add my flat pack feature at first. 

Analysing:

I think the most successful part of my stool was that how when it assembled, it had lots of moving parts which gave it a very mechanical feel to it. This was picked up by students and a member if staff which made it stand out, in addition to the fact that the cutouts I placed in the walls allowed the internal structure to be seen, which was something that wasn't present on other students designs. With my bottle holder I believe it was completely successful as it had aesthetics on it, leaving out the boring white card colour. This was also very stable to the point where even pressed down by a teacher it did not collapse. There was not anything that I wasn't happy about with the stool apart from the fact that if I considered the flat pack feature first, it would look much more neater than the final result. If there was anything I found difficult, it was the need to use a lot of tape for the bottle holder when we only had a limit of arms length to use and no more, because more tape would provide a greater hold with each piece. Overall I found all the tasks easy, and the only difficulty I found with the stool project was how to support the internal structure when it was cut open to become flat-packable, as it was then that pieces started falling out. 

Time management:

From the day I found that I had no difficulty with time constraints unlike other design categories within the week rotation. However one way I could improve my current time planning and management with this if I were to do it again would be to plan it more in my sketchbook instead of doing it straight away. This is because if the model were to go wrong first time it would be a waste of material, especially since we only had 4 cardboard sheets to complete he stool project. Otherwise I feel that the time frame I had for each project today was more than enough. If time could be added to the project, then I would ensure that this would be to add some aesthetics to the stool instead of it having a plain cardboard look. This would also make it much more attractive and eye catching. 

3D design - Building bridges

For our second day of 3D design we were asked for 2 tasks. The first task was to create several small bridges in our sketchbook that consisted of different designs, using the cut out pages from our sketchbook, similar to pop up 3D structures that are seen in craft books. The second task consisted of me working with 5 other peers from my class In order to create a bridge that was higher than the length of the tables, but had enough support to allow an RC car to go over it without falling. Also this bridge was only allowed to have two supports touching the floor.

Reflecting:

With the first task of constructing bridges I did not get on with it too well, as I struggled to come up with unique designs that could be cut out from an A4 page. The designs I did manage to come up with were very minimalistic in design and didn't have much interest to them. However with the task of constructing the bridge, I found this very exciting and also easy. Seeing as each person in our group was in charge of a specific task. My task was to ensure that the structure being held up was sturdy, which evolved from my initial idea drawings that I shared with the group before construction. One the main bridge had been constructed, I also ensure that all the tape connections were in the right place and that nothing was left loose or dangling. In addition to this I also helped to formulate ideas on how to decorate our bridge so that it wasn't just planin brown cardboard. With the task of constructing miniature bridges in my sketchbook, I do not feel as if I achieved a lot as they were extremely simplistic with hardly much thought out in. Also due to the time limit we had I was not able to draw or sketch any rhetorical designs at first before making them. Because of this I would say that the first project with mini bridges was unsuccessful, however at a later stage I may go back and think of better and newest designs, under no time limit with lots of time to think.  With the second bridge however I'm confident that my groups design was very successful as it allowed the RC car to drive over it, and come down without falling to any of the sides and down to the floor. Also because of this, we had extra time to see if a ramp would work on a second attempt, however after 2 attempts the ramp did not work. Nonetheless the main bridge that needed the specification of the car being able to drive over was fulfilled. Feedback wise most of the feedback had come from our tutor, who said that even though the bridge was steady it was still too plain. With this feedback we developed our work by  adding graphics all over the bridge, I'm the form of arrows as if it was a racing track. Also, it gave us inspiration to create a structure on the walls of the bridge to make it look even more interesting. We done this by taking our excess bamboo sticks and attatch ing them to our bridge through the use of rubber bands, which was easy to use than tape as it only required to be fitting around 2 pieces and looped a few times. From the overall task I learnt that with bigger projects like this one, it would not be wise to have everyone doing the same job. If this was the case it would mean that the conte utili process would be slower, and everyone would be confused as to what differs their task to someone else's in the group. In addition, the fact that each person in the group had a role allocated to themselves. Made the production process very quick as we still had 40 minutes left after we finished, which ofcourse is where we spent our time adding graphics. In future works also that require team efforts, I will use these skills of each person in my project or group to be allocated a role so that everyone is kept busy with part of the project.

Analysing:

With the sketchbook paper constructions of my bridges I beilive the successful part of this was how they were stacked near each other, so that a clear contrast could be seen between them. Also another successful part was that when I closed my sketchbook they were flat packable and ready to be assembled when the book was opened. With the final bridge structure that I created with my group, the most successful part of it was how the RC car was able to go over it without the bridge bending downwards and showing signs of stress in the cardboard. This shows that the two point structures that we connected to a flat structure under our middle bridge section were very sturdy as even when we put some force down with our hands the structure was very resistant. Another successful part of this was how our extra time allowed us to create structures on the walls which made it look like an actual bridge similar to the Golden gate or London Bridge, instead of just a pathway for the car. I was not happy with how I only managed to create 3 paper bridges at the start of the day, however this is something that I could expand upon in my free time. This was because I could not come up with any unique ideas so I found great difficulty in trying to make each bridge as different as possible. I found the last task particularly easy (final bridge) as I had done architecture for my product design graphics project back in year 11, meaning I was familiar with how to hold up larger weights on small points. In addition. The bamboo sticks made this easier due to their rigid properties which did not allow them to bend even when heavy weights were placed on top of it.

Time management:

From my first task of constructing paper bridges, I feel that I could improve my current planning methods by cutting any shapes I could think of that were as different as possible. Even if they were similar, any different designs and variations would be good to look at and compare to other ones. This could also help to develop these designs further and see what I could make out of initial changes. I believe I could learn more from my current patterns of planning by not rushing to make any ideas that come into mind, but instead take time with a couple of designs, and then focus on creating more at home if I feel I do not have enough. Enhanced planning and management skills will help to improve future works by allowing me to express any intricate ideas I have first, without needing too much worry of finishing them completely. For the completion of these tasks in the case of the paper bridge. I could finish this in my own private study time when I have more time to think about what I want to create.

Photography - fashion and media

For the final day of fashion and textiles we learned about photography and composition of photos for modelling shoots.

Reflecting

On the day I got on very well with the tasks as they mainly consisted of me and my group experimenting with each other on different settings, lighting effects and locations. I feel that I achieved a lot in the sense that I learned a lot about how the camera is used and how the director asks for the model to be posed, but at the same time finding this as not too relevant as I'm not into photography too much. Concerning feedback i did not receive a lot of feedback as I was the person behind the camera for most of the day. With the 4-5 photos I did manage to take, I rechecked average feedback on them as I'm not so use to using expensive cameras, but for a first timer managed to get the basics of what to do. From the overall task I learned that lighting is very important to a photo, and that many factors such as reflectors and light beams can be used to alter the image. Also, I learned that adjusting the camera's light and exposure settings makes a big different to the models photo as well. In addition to learning about light exposure settings on the camera, I found that when I was filming during the summer for some performance video's, nothing came out clear due to the exposure settings being too high on the camera. From today I learned about how I could fix this problem, so that even in my own filming time for videos I will not make the same mistake again.

Analysing

I think the most successful part of the day was how I managed to very easily understand the very basics of using a camera in addition to using a light meter to change to settings around having effect on the model and photo compositions. In addition to this I found it interesting in how the different locations we used and the light reflectors and equipment etc. had very different effects on each photo. On the outside location shots the lighting almost looked as if there was a photo filter on the picture, which enhanced its appearance than just keeping it looking normal. I was not happy that I didn't manage to fully grasp how to use the light meter readings to adjective the camera settings, because I found the numbering very confusing since it went backwards. This was the most difficult part of the day right at the start, and when  attempted to change the lighting of the shots I found myself darkening the image too much. At one point whilst I was taking photographs my camera lighting had gone completely dark and I struggled to see through the lens. This however was fixed by my tutor Othello who fixed the camera settings after I had accidentally set them the wrong way. Overall I found the day very easy and quite fun as it consisted mainly of practical work and experimenting with our own style of photography and direction how we wanted a photo to look. 

Time management:

From the photography day I did not find any way on how to improve my current time planning patterns and management as we were not under any deadlines or time limits throughout the day. As we were only experimenting for the entire day it meant that I also did not have to work under any rush, leading to messy or rushed work. The one thing about this photography day however that was different to others was that we were given our tutorial on usage of the camera before break. After this tutorial the task was to experiment throughout the day with the camera and composition/settings of the shots we wanted to take. Even though this was a good way of letting us find out our own strengths and weaknesses when using a camera, it would be interesting to see how the day played out if each session was divided into a theory for the first half and practical for the second. This way we could be advised on our techniques whilst planning them, and because this would be before we begin shooting, it would mean that we could enhance the quality and meaning behind our images.

Creating the final Garment (fashion and textiles)

 For the fourth day in the fashion and textile week we created the final garment of clothing that was either part of a dress, shoulder piece, accessory or something else that could be worn.

Reflecting:

For the first task, which was to finalise any finishing touches to our garment design, I found this very simple when looking at the entire dress design based upon the skirt collage I had done the day before. However at the last minute due to time constraints I found that I could simplify the design by only designing the top piece, which made it much easier and also allowed more simplicity to be present in the design. Achievement wise I feel that I achieved the finished top piece, however because of time constraints I was not able to add colour or print to the main body top. This was due to the fact that I was ill on the day and had come in late. In addition to this, the complexity of my first design went through many Kay minute changes to be suited for the making process in the time frame I had. Because of this my final garment was successful as it was fully created however failed in the respect that the main bit that would be worn was not coloured or printed due to time. From my peers I received much feedback that my shoulder pieces that were placed on the side of the piece were very interesting because of the 3 shades of blue I used, and also the fact that it was folded in almost a DNA similar shape, which ofcourse was taken from my 3D collage design earlier on in the week. Staff commented that the shoulder pieces added a vibrant feel to my piece and that even without the main part being colured, at least the shoulder pieces brought an interesting and funky aspect. From the overall tasks I learnt that it is not a good idea to over complicate any designs that I come up with, but if I do come up with complex designs I should simplify them to the point where it does not take away from the original effect of my design.

Analysing:

I think that the most successful aspect of my final garment was the shoulder pieces, now because they were the only coloured bits, but because the way they were created (folding paper strip over again and again) made them stand out due to it's geometric similar shape look. This in addition to the colour however made the garment have a more funky feel as the light blue, laser blue, and dark blue shades all clashed with each other when the shoulder strips were made, and it also gave the pieces a similar look to some kind of necklace or simple square floral design. I was not happy with the fact that my main body of the garment was not printed on or did not have any colours, making it feel very plain. As mentioned before this was due to my absence in the morning due to being ill, and by the time I had come to university I had missed over an hour of making time. I did not find any part of the day difficult, apart from placing the garment on the mannequin which was slightly cumbersome but not difficult due to the usage of pins and paper being prone to tear. Overall the creation of the garment was very easy as my design was very simple in design, and this made it much more simple to create.

Time management:

From looking back at the day, I don't think I could improve my current planning methods and time management as I still managed to make the body of the garment within my shortened time limit. From my current planning patterns I could enhance my skills by not contemplating too much on last minte changes. Because of the last minute changes I made, it affected my thinking on how I would make the dress and because of this I spent a greater chunk of time figuring out how to make the net for the top dress piece. 

Life drawings day 1

Monday 22nd September I was given the task of multiple life drawing throughout the day.

Analysing:

As I had never done life drawings or anything similar in previous years, doing it for the first time was an experience. I believe that each if the tasks I got on with very well, especially seeing as they were not one minute drawings where we had to create multiple ideas, but long medium paced drawings that we had enough time to add as much detail as possible. I got on especially well with the 20 minute tasks after break where we were asked to create drawings of our model using graphite sticks, purely because the time that we had allowed us to not be in a rush but work at a medium pace compared to rushing a drawing. I feel that I achieved a lot from the day, expecially seeing as I had never done these types of drawings before so it was a brand new experience for me. Also since I have never been any good at drawing faces and facial features, most of my images did not include them too much but I felt that this added to the drawing by not over complicating it, but just focusing in the body. I also believe that the one minute figure drawing task right at the start of the day allowed me to condition my mind into the later stages, as I found that during the longer drawings I had drawn stick figures of the models pose and then built on the details and body parts around that figure. From my peers I received excellent feedback on my drawings with the graphite sticks, and was given the tip of smudging my shades areas, especially with charcoal drawings as this allowed my drawings to have more depth and appear more 3D, instead of just looking like an outline with shading marks that were very rough. Overall the main technique I learn from the day was using the method of stretching my arm and divine my view into sections, with my work page in sections so that my image would not be distorted or look wonky or too long/shirt in specific areas. Through learning this of my tutor Angie I beilive that this technique will help me in future works by ensuring that my designs/drawings do not come out looking too long/short or wonky.

Analysing:

I think the most successful part of my work for the day was how my 20 minute graphite stick drawings had been smudged in their shading to make then look more realistic and intricate as a figure. I believe this worked as the technique suggested by my peers allowed me to give more depth to my image, instead of having an outline of a body with rough shading marks. Something I was not happy with however was my designs on the garments that were our last tasks if the day. This is because it was difficult to come up with something quickly especially as we only had 10 minutes in each design. The photo above shows what I beilive was the most visual design however I still thinking that this could be improved upon as I more or less did rush into the colours I chose as well as the patterns. I found it extremely difficult drawing the facial features when drawing the model however I left this out and focused on the shape and shading if the body which would be taking up the majority of my time. This way the overall shape was there and nothing from the body was lost expect for facial features. I found the first task of one minute drawings extremely easyas it was just stick figure drawings of the pose the model was standing in, and this helped later in in the longer drawings when we had to build around a stick figure to get a full body.

Time management

From the overall day I don't think there was any problem with timing with each if the drawings. If there was any problem with the timing it had to be in the garment pattern task at the end as we were only given 10 minutes for this. I believe that I could improve on a task like this next time by not contemplating on what design I should put down first, but placing any small idea down as something is better than nothing. To improve my planning a method of improvement could be to quickly sketch some ideas of inspiration, or even just look around the room for inspiration instead if coming up with the final design in my head straight away. Enhanced planning will allow me to improve future work by allowing me to finish my design or drawing faster, which will give me more time to check over my design and ensure that there are no silly mistakes or incorrect parts to my work.

Creating 3D collages + Garment initial designs

Wednesday 24th September I had the task of creating collages from the materials and coloured paper I brought in as well as the images of the models I brought in.

Analysing:

When creating the collage work on my chosen model, I got on quite well as the task only consisted of cutting and sticking down existing materials onto the image we had. I feel that once the day was over I achieved more on the final task of creating dresses and garments with cut out shapes that we had created earlier on, as I was also going around to different mannequins and using different students paper shape cutouts to create very unique designs/dresses related to a word we were given. On the first task if collaging the model with my own ideas and materials, I received positive feedback on the vibrant blue colour that i had used as the skirting of my model, which included folded paper to create a dangling DNA similar shape that had streaks of light blue and a streak of dark blue.the resemblance to Goph's the starry night was also referenced by some students, which was evident in the design as it was part of the inspiration. For the dresses task at the end if the day however I didn't recieve any feedback as we were moving very rapidly around the room. From the overall day I learnt from the final task especially that it is essential to work with any materials available, and this made even more sense when we did the dress rotation task. As my group did not have control over what shapes other students created for thier own mannequin it made it interesting as there was an element of surprise with each different groups work that we had to use.

Analysis:

I think the most successful part about my works of the day were each of the dresses that we had to create at the end, purely because there was so much more to experiment with as everyone had very different designs and cutouts. Due to this variety there were many configurations to play around with which made this project more fun as it was difficult to decide on one final configuration on each mannequin. I did not like the 3D shapes that we had to create at that start if the day as my image of the starry night was not easy to break up and create a lot of different things from, seeing as the image was mainly dark blue and yellow in it's design with not many objects visible to create. This I found was also the most challenging due to the difficulty of oicking out aspects to turn into 3D shapes, however in the end I did manage to create 5 pieces which if course were used later on in the day with the final task. The easiest task of the day was configuring the different mannequins with the different shape cutouts we had been given, as we were simply pinning on of isn't structures that others created. 

Time management

From the day I thought that I could improve my time planning methods by being more spontaneous, with my collage section, as I was with the final dresses and garment creating. Being more spontaneous in the final part of the day allowed me to create and come up with many ways on how I could have assembled one of the mannequin dresses, and this I beilive would be suitable for the first task as it would help to create a much more wacky and funky collage. In future work I could do this by perhaps printing the model photo I was using many times and trying different things in each one, finally deciding on one to develop and take forward after comparing each of them. This planning would allow my future works to be much better as there would be more of a variety of designs to experiment with instead of just 1 or 2 solid designs. Having 4+ potentional designs could allow my range if ideas and thinking to show in this respect.

Fashion and media day 2

Today we began fashion and media/textiles and designing. The day comprised of 3-4 main activities which were:

Selecting bits from a chosen painting of ours, making 3D shapes relating to these sections of our famous painting, choosing one shape and creating enlarged cutouts/structures of it. In the end we used these pieces whilst rotating around the classroom in order to creating funky clothing relating to a word that we were told by out tutor. Eg flamboyant

Reflecting:

With each of the given tasks I got on quite well, apart from the first 2 activities. This was due to the fact that my painting did not have too many different bits to it so it was difficult to choose 5 different pieces and create shapes from them. From this it was difficult creating shapes as my image being flat did not give me much inspiration on how to create something that was related to it. However, after a period of thinking I found that it was fairly easy to create the shapes using my different paper and media. Overall I felt that at the end of each task I was happy with what I achieved on the task of creating the clothing items on the mannequin, and also the cutting out of enlarged shapes, as it was a very simple task to accomplish. (Pins and scissors were my best friends with these tasks). I received much feedback from my peers on the table next to mine as well as my own that my pointy castle structure was intriguing, especially since I created it in different types of paper including brown paper and pink, and also using markers to add colour to my plain ones. My tutors also remarked on the shapes of my pointy castle structure and gave me the developing idea of creating some at different heights and in different colours to create a variety. From the overall tasks I learnt that in order to create volume from paper or shapes from paintings, you must think outside the box as it is not easy to take a 2D drawing and turn it into a 3D piece with it's own unique depth. This could be seen as a challenge by some especially myself, as I am normally use to creating 3D images from my own technical drawings of what I am creating, and not somebody else's 2D work. Furthermore I believe that this day could help be influential in my future work by inspiring me to look more into creating 3D shapes from 2D drawings.

Analysing:

Looking back at my work, I beilive that the most successful aspect of my work today was when the final pieces on each mannequin came together to form the clothing we were meant to create at the end. I believe that this was most successful as there was a range of giant cutout shapes to work with, and the words that we had been given to design out pieces to very easy to decipher. An example of this could be seen with out flamboyant piece which was the first one that me and my partner created.

On the negative side, I was not happy with the 3D models that I had to create at the start of the day. This was because my image was very difficult to divide into different sections in order to create the different structures in 3D. I found it extremely challenging on the second piece that we had to make that the shapes that were cut out for us by the group had a very rough look and kept falling apart, which made it very difficult to manouvre and position without having pieces continuously fall over. I found the last 2 pieces that we created for the mannequins quite easy as the cutout shapes were not complicated to the point where we couldn't fit them on, but instead very basic in their geometric form which made them very easy to manipulate and bend without ruining the appearance of it.

Time maganent and planning:

I beilive that after reflecting on today's task, I could improve my current planning methods and time management by acting in a very spontaneous way instead of long thinking which wastes more designing time. This different way of acting towards the design process will block out any ideas that I may not think are fully up to scratch and because of this create and react more quickly when a task is given to us, especially within a time limit. I believe that I can learn more from my current learning patterns by experimenting with faster ideas that have little potentional instead of just one idea that has fullnornpossibly no potential because too much thought has gone into it.

LBM - Final Day

Hello and welcome to my final day on Lens based media for the week.

The final day consisted of 2 main activities. The first one was that we brought in 6 photos that we though had a narrative and told a story about something. Secondly we were asked to create an image that looked like impossible trick photography but without the use of software or photoshop.

Reflecting:

With both tasks I got on quite well. The first task was quite tedious for me as my 6 images were a story about myself, and I could not find a way to conclude it within one photograph. The second task however went very well as my idea straight away came to me when given the task, meaning less time was required in order to complete it. I feel that the first task didn't achieve much for me, other than the fact that it made me realise how poor my work of photograph narratives was. Although I made an attempt. I could easily tell that this was not my area of art and design. With the second task however I feel I achieved much more as the photo which apparently showed me levitating above the O2 drew much attraction from my peers. Leading on from this, the feedback of my photo story task was very critical from my peers, which further discouraged me from wanting to go into LBM. When it came to the second task many peers said it was the most interesting image they had seen, however my facial expression which was meant to show my fear of heights did not come out clearly due to lighting issues, and because of this it came under heavy fire by my group that I had been discussing with. From the overall tasks I learnt that photographs or any lens based media must have a very clear narrative and reasoning behind why those images exist, otherwise it will confuse people or even come ope to more criticism than it might have originally received. In addition, I beilive that this problem could help improve future pieces of work by ensuring I out more thought into my ideas first, so that the work can speak for itself and I don't have to do much or no explaining to my audience.

Analysing:

When analysing both tasks, the first task I believe was successful in the sense that I managed to put across a story about myself in a very chronological way, showing both a young self and my current self.  With the photo creation task I found it successful as it created a real sense of wonder among the class. Also the way it was shot from my phone, had purposely included the corner of the round windows of the building. Because of this the effect on my viewers was greater as it made it look as if a student had apparently seen the feat and rushed to picture it in that moment of time.

I was not happy with the fact that the photo I created was not clear on the features of my body. This was because of the sun shining through the window, which caused the cutout image of myself to look like a silhouette on camera without any details of my body  and also the expressions on my face showing. I found the first task difficult out of the whole day due to not knowing how to make my narrative very clear. Overall the photo creation was very easy, as all I had to do was take a picture of myself, shrink it to a very small (1cm high) size and stick it on the window after cutting my exact body shape out. All that was needed after this was to take a photo and print it. 

Time management:

Looking back at the day overall, I did not have any problems with time as all the tasks were completed within the time frame that was given to me. If I had to pick one issue I had relating to time it would be the fact that the computers took extremely long to log into, which made the process of printing much slower. From this I found that I could improve my time planning methods by perhaps printing elsewhere as the university computers would always be taken and logged into by other students doing thier work, in which having my own computer or just printing work from a USB would be much better of wanting to save time. 

Lenses based media day 2

On our second day of lens based media, we were asked to bring in 5 personal ephemera that we would use as an inspiration to create a story. In our groups we would create a narrative that involved out objects, and present it to the class.

Reflecting: 

From the lens based media I found this task to be the most difficult to grasp the concept off. When me and my group members showed our personal ephemera we found that we had many similar objects and that there were only 2 different objects that not everyone had. With the ideas we had, we found it difficult to describe our story ideas in 6 frames, by creating the characters, problems and worlds. At the end of the task we feel that we achieved a potential idea, which was one group member losing a personal item when waking up and then waking up to find out that losing the object was only happening in a dream. We felt that it was somewhat successful but not completely. However because of the way we pictured our character it was not obvious to others that our setting was a dream world. My group did not receive any feedback from this task, as we finished it slightly late due to printing issues. Overall I learnt from this task that thinking outside the box is very difficult especially when it comes to telling a story, as it has to be surprise and unassuming to have maximum impact.

Analysing:

I think that the most successful aspect of this task was that it wasn't over complicated, but very simple yet difficult to see the ending of the story. However the unsuccessful aspect was that it was extremely difficult to come up with our story, and this is what most of our time was spent on. Because of this we almost rushed the idea that we finalised, as we were quite confused by our tutor that we had to keep questioning the characters, settings, and decisions that we made for them. Ofcourse coming up with the story was the most challenging part, however photographing our story was very easy once we for the idea in mind.

Time management:

Concerning the time planning we spent on this Project, we spent no time planning or coming up with how we would achieve this task, and this was mainly due to the reason of us having to question out motivations for the worlds and characters that we put in place. As a designer I beilive that lens based media is an extremely difficult area of design as large amounts of time are required to analyse pictures, and think of a suitable narrative for telling a story.