Digital More Watercolour Drawings

So the title is a little misleading, they're pencil drawings with digital watercolour, meh it looks more impressive if you think they're all done in watercolour. Below is my final piece for Art A2 CW, under the topic 'Natural Metamorphism'; I then went on to printing off the original drawing onto fabric and embroidering into it using the same colours and shapes as below.

Similar to the first one from September, I then layered it up with leaf-patterned silhouettes as a reponse to another artist, Lena Wolff.

This was an experiment for a final piece, using various media (ink, watercolour, coloured pencils...) to try and achieve the same effect as the digital work. Well I didn't like it as much so went back to drawing just in pencil and editing with Photoshop.

On a side note I'd like to mention that this blog may become obsolete in the next few months. I made the horrid mistake of reserving this for my work only, which is erratic and - due to my apathy - rarely posted; I plan on scrapping it for a more comprehensive collective, featuring inspirational posts and my own work around the topic of design, whether that be fashion, web, art, typography, graphics, jewellery... watch this space.

Fashion Dress Bow

An addition to the yet-to-be-revealed dress, made from stiff faux leather and lace. To keep the three layers separated I joined the middle layers underneath the bow centre, and is about 8" wide - ideal for the dress' waistband.

Jewellery Silver Ships

I am so phenomenally bad at updating this blog. Made a dress last week, will be featured soon. Anyway.
This weave is called Jen's Pind Linkage 3-1 and something of an Achilles Heel for me, I've tried and failed at it many times but I eventually discovered the aspect ratio for my rings was too large so it just unravelled. After overcoming that it's a fairly simple pattern to repeat and feels like Elven Rope to the touch. This silver bracelet was made for a friend's 18th birthday so I made a little nautical box for safekeeping. Some more slender items like this will be appearing in the shop before Christmas.

Digital Digital Watercolours

So far in Art this year I've been studying the work of Esra Røise, so I thought I'd have a stab at her style. She uses mostly pencil but sometimes watercolour, and occasionally superimposition of photos using the computer. I was really impressed by one in particular, this, so went for something similar. Mine are much more obviously digitally enhanced but I love the result to no end. The original photo of me can be found here.

Sketchbook New Sketchbook

So earlier this month I decided that I don't draw enough, or at least in one space, so I bought a new sketchbook, A4 leather-bound, determined to keep it smart. So far, it's worked! Being myself I can't just stop at drawing and 'regular' techniques, so the first thing I did was gold leaf my name on the cover. For my first leaf it was quite clean, but the rough edges are rather aggravating. I love how smart it looks as well, and the fonts (Museo Slab and Deutsche Zierscrift) work perfectly together. So far I've only done a month title and one drawing but it's definitely going in the right direction.

Jewellery The Hand Web

So I was in a Maths exam musing about earning some money over the summer when it came to me - Craft Fairs. I've been making jewellery and craft-fair-suitable titbits like broaches and embroidered picture frames for a while so I might as well make a penny out of it whilst fighting my apathy. So hopefully this summer, on August 9th, I shall set up a small stall at Bath Craft Fair with my home-made merchandise. I was struck my so much inspiration that I had to start there and then. Here are some of my crazy brain thoughts scrawled and smuggled out of A2 Core 4 Comprehension:

And so it began..
After messing around with those Persian bracelets a lot I've started to use copper, a much more malleable metal than the whoknowswhat I was using before, and it's perfect for small chains. I dismantled an old silver chain necklace and gave up some of my swarovski crystals for this beautiful piece:

As you can see the silver coils around the wrist, index finger and pinkie. The copper chain then makes a Y shape with the two rings and the centre of the bracelet. As is not completely clear in the picture, the copper stem actually has two 4mm crystal beads strung into the wire which gives it a delicate and elegant touch.
I am so proud of this. It is so beautifully quirky and feels like heaven when worn - it's not at all intrusive as is only strung around two fingers and the wrist from palm-side up and the bicoloured metals balanced with the sparkly beading is complementary to any outfit. Yes, I realise I am sounding like some mental sales woman from an ad for fake tan, but I honestly think this is the start of something great. (I even though I could make one for each letter of the alphabet e.g. Y and A but then I thought about C and that idea went down the drain). I'm going to make more of these and every one will be different to the next - with semiprecious stones and other patterns and stuff. The more I think about it the more sense it makes to sell these online rather than irl but I don't really understand the whole mailing pricing system; but maybe someday I'll open an e-shop.
Oh and I christen this the 'Hand Web' because no other name really makes sense.

Fashion Some Old Things

So apparently I am too busy to run plural blogs. I try; but I fail. Anywhoo lest this be abandoned I must keep it alive with some sort of design. Here are some of the first garments I ever created:

The jacket was my very first project. I saw a similar one on the internet with a ludicrous pricetag, printed off a picture of it, marched over to my mum and she showed me how to sew properly - I made a pattern and two toiles for this; it's ever so simple and straight but fits so wonderfully.
The dress was for my 14th birthday, I was throwing a cocktail party, inspired by looking through 70s fashion encyclopaedias. Then came the layered skirt and the disco shorts. It was a time when they were on the runways but not in the shops so I got creative.
Looking back, I wish it were as easy now as it was then to just have an idea and spend a couple of days completing it- these days I have to plan and plan and then buy fabric and then I run out of time and never get to complete it.. I can't wait for a time when I can just design and sew all day instead of wasting time learning chemistry and maths. sigh.

Fashion Machine Plait

It was going to be a giant scarf, but it's taken so long to just make 3 strips that I'm just going to drape it around a barbie doll, so in essence it will be giant (well, in comparison). I plaited the strips I'd finished - 3" wide, backstitched with various needles. And then I just made a video; I was actually just trying to get the position right for a photo and then slowed the playback going backwards and it looked really interesting. Sorry about the creepy music. It's all rather eerie. The song is Machine by Regina Spektor.