Reworking the classic nylon! Lesson 1 - 11.10.2011

We started off by creating a foundation on which to mould our nylons and mutton cloth. Ours was comprised of one one chair balanced precariously on top of another in opposite directions. We wrapped them in cling film to not only protect the chairs but to also assist in creating a new and unrecognisable structure.

We then went to town with our nylons and mutton cloth, wrapping and weaving them around the structure in an organic way..... almost like a spider weaving it's web. I like the colour blocking created by the three shades of tights along with the natural colour of the mutton cloth and feel they all complimented eachother.

We decided to drape some of the mutton cloth, create plaits/twists, ladder the nylon in places...... as well as introducing two cardboard tubes to the structure to further manipulate the fabric.

When finished we coated the whole thing in watered down PVC to set the shapes created ready to drape on the stand. So from this...........

To this.............

I'm pretty excited for the next session!!

Lesson 3 - Rule Based Art Blown Up!

Taking the shapes we created last week, we were to blow them up to a large scale, large enough to wrap around the body and create a structure. I wasn't happy with my initial shapes/rules so decided to start again, this time using the rules: Add a circle, take away a triangle, take away a circle and add a triangle.

I was much happier with the new mini 3D forms so scaled up the most complicated and started moving around the body to create interesting silhouettes.

I threw a few of my simpler shapes into the mix and am pretty happy with the results..........

Much to my dismay we were later asked to crush our structures (after how much love had gone in!), then uncrumple them and experiment with them on the body. But from this.......

.........to this........

I feel I can definitely use this as a starting point to further develop in sketch form.

Lesson 2 - 27.09.2011 Rule Based Paper Folding

We gave ourselves rules to create a sequential series of 2D shapes, my rules were "add a fold", "take away a square" and "add a traingle". Here's what I came up with:

We then traced each piece to manipulate them into 3D shapes. I noticed the further along the sequence you go the more intricate and interesting the shapes become.

Lesson 1 - 20.09.2011 Paper Modelling on the Stand (Part 2)

We then removed our mould from the stand by cutting through the centre back seam and carefully cut out each pattern piece. These were then traced and seam allowance added.

Each in our group took turns to re-arrange the pieces on the mannequin to create a new silhouette, here's mine:

I like the slight 80's feel to it and the way the lines move your eyes around the body. The shapes actually reminded me of a Picasso painting which inspired the first page for my sketchbook.

Here's another I like done by Sajj using the same pattern pieces:

I like the fluidity of the curves in this silhouette, and compared to my creation shows the endless possibilities of using this method. Overall I enjoyed the lesson, it's a new way of pattern cutting for me that I will definately continue to experiment with.

Lesson 1 - 20.09.2011 Paper Modelling on the Stand (Part 1)

We began by 'mummifying' the mannequin, which funnily enough ties in loosely with the Explore Research module and my word Wrapped. This entailed covering it with paper and wrapping tight with sellotape to create a solid mould of the body.

We then thought about design and in our groups added style lines, taking into account where on the body we needed seams for shaping. Once happy we drew in balance points on each connecting seam and arrows to show direction.