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Final Evaluation:

My theme/concept is based on the six characters I have selected from the book ‘Hogfather’. These include; Susan (the main character), Bilious (The Oh God of Hangovers), Death (The Grim Reaper), Mr. Teatime (The Assassin), Violet (The Tooth Fairy), and Sidney (The Wizard). I feel I have successfully put my concept across, and have tried to show an almost backstory into the characters and what they represent. I did this by doing a character analysis for each one, and then used my moodboards to give more insight into each character. All of this links back to my project proposal in which I outlined my project goals, and initial concept.

In terms of research I have used an array of different sources such as; the internet, magazines, my book, pictures, drawings, and newspapers. I feel that using these different sources of research has giving me many different perspectives and increased my knowledge of the subjects I have been researching which has then inspired and informed my ideas and practical work.

For this project I have created a large variety of experimental samples and prints as a form of primary research and to help me to narrow down my options. Whilst doing this I have had to solve various problems to improve and refine my work further. By exploring different techniques I have been able to identify my final choice of techniques. I really liked dying fabrics, so I decided to work solely onto white fabrics and then add colour into them later (or a pattern on Photoshop); I then added the finer details using drawing and painting. I think my samples are successful because they put my concept across well and they could effectively be used in a fashion collection.

I created an initial time plan for the whole of my project, then on top of that I regularly made checklists if I had a lot to do in one day; as well as lists to make notes the of important things I needed to remember. I think that this helped me to remain organised, not just in my sketchbook, but with my blog also. However I feel I could have planned what samples I was going to make (for which characters) more carefully, because I have struggled to complete all of these on time.

At the beginning of the project I identified the techniques I wanted to experiment with. This included; dying fabrics, embroidery, applique, and experimenting with texture. I feel that I have successfully done most of these techniques, however because my ideas changed I did not explore all of my initial ideas. For example I did not experiment with embroidery and applique, instead I found I really liked painting/dying on to fabrics so much that I wanted to incorporate this as much as possible in my outcomes. I also decided to do some repeat patterns/prints on Photoshop for some of my samples too.

I think that the overall presentation of my work has been good, but that it was lacking in certain areas. I did not annotate my sketchbook very often, and I think that this would possibly have helped me to evaluate more regularly; however I feel that it would have looked more professional to type the majority of my work up. On the other hand I am very happy with my blog, and it is by far my favourite of the three I have produced in this year. I have kept it clean looking and used a very limited colour palette, ensuring that it all links well, and that it clearly shows the development of my project.

If I did this project again I would perhaps make one entire colour palette, or create samples for all six of my characters in order to maintain a good sense of cohesion, as I have struggled to make my samples hang together as a collection. I feel that by doing this I could have been able to focus more on experimenting with different techniques; instead of just colour matching. However overall I am happy with the outcomes of my project, and hope that my concept is clearly put across throughout my work.

#final evaluation #FMP

These are my final 6 A3 samples for my FMP. I am very happy with the final outcome, as I feel that my previous worries that there would be a distinct lac of cohesion have been resolved; as I think they make a good collection. I named my collection ‘On The Night Before Hogswatch’ because this holiday in the book has a large similarity to Christmas, so only seemed well fitting.

The first sample was inspired by the character Death, and for this I created a blood stained holly motif with a dip pen and ink. I got the inspiration for this when Death dresses up as the Hogfather to deliver the left over presents, but because the character is quite dark I added a ‘gory’ element to better represent who I was making this sample based on. To add a more subtle festive element I used my silver fabric paint to do a light coat for the background; for a light shimmer.

The second sample was based on Bilious, and to make this I dyed the fabric with tea, then used my finger and a real leaf to print the grapes and leaves; then hand painted the vines all with acrylic paint. Then to add a more God-like element I lightly brushed over my design with gold paint to brighten it up. The motif was inspired by his laurel wreath crown, and the alcohol part of his job (hangovers). This is my favourite sample, and I am very happy with how it turned out. I feel this represents Bilious well.

The third sample was inspired by Mr. Teatime, so for this I did a watermark affect of a great transfer pocket knife, then used red ink to created a crime scene look. For a extra muted detail I paint light blue swirls over the design. This whole design was inspired by how he “lacks a certain elegance” within his work, and always ended up with a messy kill. In one instance he even beheaded someone then nailed a dog to the ceiling. The blue swirls then link to his eye colour, and the fact he kept trying to interfere with magic. I am happy with how the sample turned out, and I feel this shows his inner self, and how being an Assassin has made him inside and out a psychopathic killer.

The fourth sample was based on Susan, and for this I did a Photoshop print, then used heat transfer paper to iron on my cotton fabric. On the print I included; her broach (that her and her grandfather (Death) both wear), a poker, her sword, and a blue magical looking stripe. These are all things that stood out most for me about Susan, and mainly link to the new life she made for herself as a governess; but still with a touch of who she is trying to hide e.g. her supernatural abilities and who her family are. I love the outcome of this sample, and feel I have best shown who Susan is as the main character and heroin of the book.

The fifth sample was inspired by Sidney, and to make this I used my previous drawing of the scissors as a heat transfer motif, then added splatters of red and blue black ink. I am very happy with the outcome of this sample, as it outlines how he died at the hands of his fear of scissors which The Tooth Fairies Castle used against him. This was because the castle protects itself by killing people with their fears when it feels threatened. I like the outcome of this piece, and I prefer this to my original Sidney sample. My current sample has better cohesion with my other pieces also.

The sixth sample was based on Violet, and for this I used purple Dylon dyes to create an ombre effect. I then added some of the silver fabric paint for a little bit of sparkle. This piece was inspired by the shades of purples she wears and how they blended very well together on the film. I also wanted to give off a girly ‘princess’ feel to it to show how she is mainly throughout the book a damsel in distress. I love the outcome of this sample and feel this shows my interpretation of Violet, and her job as The Tooth Fairy.

#FMP #final samples

These are the first attempts for my Sidney, Mr. Teatime, and Susan samples. With the Sidney sample I was trying to achieve the look of magic and spells by paint the fabric in silver fabric paint then painted in green ink to make swirls. However I feel that it looks very messy and a bit bland in tones and shape. Therefore I re-evaluated my design to the scissor idea I previously had.

For Mr. Teatimes sample I felt that the overall design and idea did not link at all to the character in question, except for the red strip down the middle. I used Dylon dyes and red ink to create this effect, however the colours did not turn out the way I intended. I wanted the colours to be more washed out and faded, but I think I left the dyes on too long. I therefore changed my design to my current one of the pocket knife crime scene.

The final first attempt I made was based on Susan. For this I created a Photoshop repeat pattern of items I felt best represented her. I then used heat transfer paper to iron onto my chosen fabric. This did not work very well as you cannot see the pattern, and there is a white stripe down the centre of where the two sheets did not meet. I then decided to change the background to white, and feel a lot happier with this design and it look a bit more girly; which shows a hidden side to this character.

#practice prints #samples

Recently I decided to change my Photoshop print for Susan by changing the black background to white. This is because when I attempted the heat transfer process with the black background you could not see the repeat pattern I created. I also felt that the original print did not flow well with my other samples. I am much happier with this print, and I also feel that it represents the character Susan very well.

#repeat print #Photoshop

Yesterday I decided to watch the film Hogfather again to gain some more primary research of Sidney and Mr. Teatime; as I was unhappy with the samples I created inspired by them. While watching the film I noticed that Sidney drew these runes around the teeth as part of a spell to control the beliefs of all the children. I really liked these, so have decided to incorporate them into my new sample for Sidney; as well as my scissor drawing.

As for Mr. Teatime I decided on using his pocket knife as inspiration for the sample. I am therefore this of doing a watermark effect of the knife across the whole piece, then adding some ‘blood stains’ and the colour ice blue somehow.

I feel the film has helped me get some visual research that I needed to move forward in my project.

#runes #visual research

These are pictures from when I was experimenting with block printing for the Bilious inspired sample. I used a sponge and cut out circles to make a grape print to symbolise wine. To print I used acrylic paint mixed with a base to help the paint dye it better. However I did not like the outcome of this experiment, because the sponge would soak up the paint to much and also just looked messy once I tried it on fabric. To solve this problem I tried using my finger to print the grapes instead; and this worked so much better.

#block printing #experimentation

These are some pictures I took as primary research for my Death and Bilious inspired samples. I decided to focus on leaves, as that adds a sense of cohesion to the two pieces. I really like these pictures, as they have good shapes and colours to work from. I used the last two pictures as my main inspiration for the samples I created for the characters I chose.

#leaves #holly

Chiaroscuro:

A while ago we were told that if Chiaroscuro linked to our current project that we should look into it into more depth. Even though this does not link I decided to show my findings.

Chiaroscuro is the treatment of light and shade in drawings and paintings; e.g. an effect of contrasted light and shadow. The technique is sometimes used in oil paintings developed in the renaissance art movement, using the strong tonal contrasts of light and dark for a different 3D appearance.

This artists painting technique does not link to my project, because I have not looked into the theme of shadows and light/dark, and have not researched the renaissance period either.

#artist technique #renaissance

These are my refined sample swatch tests for the different colours I was considering. I am overall very happy with this colours, as they all have a more muted hue to them, and correlate well with my chosen characters for my concept. I used a collection of Dylon dyes, inks, fabric paints and even tea all on the same white cotton to get the variety of colours I needed for my FMP. The fabric to all of the dying extremely well, and so I plan on using this fabric for all of my samples. The only other test I need to complete is the heat transfer printing for the Susan inspired print, so I am going to try and do this either the following Wednesday or Thursday.

#swatch testing #sample colours

These are pictures I took on the day I did some colour swatch testing for my final samples. I felt as a whole the day was a success and it gave me the opportunity to get a general idea into whether my samples would work well together or not. I found that they did exactly this, but with the exception of the red swatch. This is because a lot of the colours I have selected are very muted, whereas the red is quite vibrant and bold. Therefore I am going to try and wash the colour out a bit, meaning it would be left with a more pinky hue to it. The colour I am hoping to achieve is already evident with the sample experiment I inspired by Mr. Teatime; however with this I used water colours, so I would need a way to get this colour without it running.

#swatch testing #colour

These are my final moodboard and final fashion lineup based on the book Hogfather and the six characters; Death, Bilious, Mr. Teatime, Violet, Sidney and Susan. I really like how my final moodboard turned out, because it contains a little bit of everything that has inspired me all into one piece. The board contains my overall colour palette, three fabrics I have looked at, the book cover, a dress by Elie Saab that inspired my ombre experimentation, and finally the background which is a drawing I completed that I really wanted to incorporate into my work somehow. The board still gives off a rather eerie feel which correlates well with my chosen book, but still has a festive element with the sleigh and presents along the top.

I like how my final presentation board turned out, because it shows how I hope all of my samples would not only be cohesive but how they would work on clothing and in a collection. I feel my designs work well together, as they all have a muted colour element and all have different dying techniques. I hope in reality that they work as well as this together, but there are some tweaks I would make. For example I would change Bilious' sample slightly to make it a block print, and I am going to change the fabric to cotton for Sidney's sample; instead of fabric. I plan on using a white cotton for all of my pieces, then dying the variety of colours required to symbolizes each of my chosen characters.

Overall I am happy with the outcome of these two boards, and I feel there is a clear link between the two, and that these boards will hopefully put across my chosen theme/concept well.

#final moodboard #final presentation board

Book Review:

When picking a book for my FMP I chose to read Hogfather by Terry Pratchett. The plot was basically that an Assassin called Mr. Teatime was hired to kill The Hogfather, and because of this presents were not getting delivered; which is where the character Death comes in, as he carries on delivering the presents. His granddaughter Susan is the one who has to save Hogswatch, and ends up with the help of Bilious, The Oh God of Hangovers. The story follows a few different story lines throughout the book, showing how each group of characters are affected by what the others are doing. Near the end however most of the characters end up in The Tooth Fairies Castle where Susan seems to have saved the day. She then saves the Hogfather from The Auditors (Who hired Mr. Teatime to kill The Hogfather), meaning that the sun does actually rise on Hogswatch morning. Though, when she gets back to her bosses house she finds that Mr. Teatime is in fact not dead; and tries once again to kill Susan and those close to her. Thinking fast, Susan throws a poker through Death to kill Mr. Teatime once and for all.

I feel the protagonist was Susan (A governess and Deaths Granddaughter), because she is the ‘hero’ of the book and saves The Disco World also. Therefore I feel she is the most important character. Susan is more of an ‘anti-hero’, because she is not necessarily what is considered a nice person, but behind her frosty exterior she is actually good at heart. On the other hand I think the antagonist is Mr. Teatime, as he is the only character to conflict with Susan, and is seen as the villain of the story. He becomes quickly easy to hate as he wants to kill a beloved children’s figurehead, and is in general very creepy.

When reading the book I really liked how the book followed many story lines, as it showed the different perspectives of all the characters. Also I found the character Death was my favourite, because even though the he is seen as a rather depressing character the writer added a quite refreshing comedic aspect to Death. A nice touch was also writing what he said in block capitals, because it replicated the volume and lack of humanity to his words which I felt was very cleverly done. I could not find anything I particularly hated about the book, but I was disappointed when the Wizard Sidney died as I felt that he wasn’t entirely good or bad; meaning he essentially died for no reason other than the fact that The Tooth Fairies Castle felt threatened.

#book review #FMP

These are the experimental fabric samples I created all on white Muslin based on the characters; Death (x2), Mr. Teatime, Sidney, Violet, and Bilious (in that order).

The first two samples that I created inspired by Death are painted on Holly branches/leaves with acrylic and watercolour paints. These are based on an observational drawing I did a couple of weeks prior. I prefer the drawing, because it has more finer details and the colours are bolder also.

The sample inspired by Mr. Teatime is three colours ombred together from my colour palette for this character. This reminds me of a rag that he may have used to clean up the mess after he killed someone. I really like how this turned out, because the darkness of the colours and how the red stands out well. I therefore plan on doing this as the final sample for Mr. Teatime.

The next sample I made was based in the character Sidney, and for this I attempted a green tye dye then painted on golden accents. I again went for a magical feel as he is a Wizard, although I am not entirely happy with the outcome. This is because the colour turned out a light blue instead of dark green, and the gold paint made the fabric a rougher texture; loosing the flow of parts of the fabric. To improve on this I would use a proper fabric dye instead of ink, and use fabric paint for the golden parts.

My favourite sample I made was the one inspired by Violet, and for this I ombre dyed the fabric in purple ink. I am very happy with how this turned out, and I feel this would well put into ruffles with glitter accents along the bottom of each row. However I am planning to use a different fabric for all of the samples such as cotton that is slightly thicker. By doing this the designs would be clearer and brighter looking. Next time I am using Dylon fabric dyes to ensure a better colour; subject to testing them.

The final fabric sample I made was based on Bilious The Oh God of Hangovers. For this I used watercolours to paint grape vines and laurel leaf vines up the fabric, and then keeping the white colour of the fabric to link to the white toga he wears throughout the book. I do not like the outcome of this sample, as the colours were constantly running leaving a very messy look. Therefore to improve this I am going to do block printing with acrylic paints to try and achieve a more precise overall look.

#samples #experiments

These are all of my first fabric sample experiments based on the characters; Susan, Mr. Teatime, Bilious, Sidney, and Violet (in that order).

With the sample inspired by Susan I was trying to use the sequins as symbolism for her true hidden self behind the pleats in the fabric I painted black with acrylic paint. I liked my idea for this however the execution was not what I had hoped for. The paint made the fabric very stiff, and the sequins added a rather childish look; therefore not what I was going for. To try this again I am currently working on a Photoshop print to make into ruffles bunched together. I feel on a lighter fabric this would look a lot better as a whole.

The next sample based on Mr. Teatime was one I had tried to dye grey with splashes of red (for blood), and black as a contrast. The look I ended up with was very washed out and pale, as I think I washed off the dye too quickly. I do like this sample an the mix of colours, but it wasn’t quite what I was going for. When recreating this I plan on doing another dying technique called ombre. I feel this will look more clean and professional.

The sample I based on Bilious was dyed dark blue with ink, then painted on laurel leaves flowing up. I liked this sample because it was a more understated interpretation of a god, although I feel that the colour blue does not go with the character I have chosen. So to improve this I would dye the fabric green instead. To recreate this I plan on using lighter colours, an incorporating wine/grapes into my design.

When creating a sample for Sidney I decided to focus more on his magical abilities instead of his fear (that I had previously looked at). So keeping this in mind I got some clear thin plastic and painted it silver, then added green swirls and cut up sequins. I am quite happy with the result, because it looks very fantasy based and goes with my selected colour scheme. However I think that the sample looks a bit messy and childish in a way. Therefore to improve on this I would paint thinner swirls, an work on the placing and angles of them also. To try this again I feel I would try to incorporate his fear of scissors for a bit more depth of inspiration of the character.

(I have analysed Violets fabric sample experiment in more depth on another page).

I did not create a sample inspired by the character Death at this stage, but had a plan to use hourglasses a part of the design/motif, as they are a key element of the character and the book.

#fabric samples #character inspired

Bibliography:

Books:

Terry Pratchett (1992) Hogfather

Judy Allen (2005) Fantasy Encyclopaedia

Films:

Vadim Jean (adaptation), Terry Pratchett (Film) (2006) Hogfather

Newspapers/Magazines:

Newspaper, The Daily Mail

Fashion Magazine Hello Fashion Monthly

Exhibitions:

Somerset House, London, Fashion Exhibition

Internet:

IMDb http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765458/

Pinterest https://uk.pinterest.com/india_hood/ 22nd March 2017

Amazon Reviews https://www.amazon.co.uk/product reviews/0552167584/ref=dp_db_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1 (No Date)

Google Images https://images.google.com/ (No Date)

(Alexander McQueen) Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_McQueen

(Ellie Saab) Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elie_Saab

(Vivienne Westwood) Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivienne_Westwood

(Ralph and Russo) Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_%26_Russo

(Paolo Sebastian) Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Sebastian

Trend Forecasting Website https://stylebubble.com

Fashion Magazines Website http://vogue.co.uk

This is my most recent bibliography.

#bibliography #coursework

These are three Photoshop prints I made today in our computer session based on the character Susan from 'Hogfather'. The first one is an observational drawing I did in my sketchbook, then altered today. The second is based on pictures I have cultivated whilst researching this character. Finally the third is a repeat pattern I made based from the first two, on what did and didn’t work. Even though these patterns are all very different I feel that bother represent the character well. I like the darkness of both patterns, as I feel this shows Susan's icy exterior, and then the colours within the prints show who she really is; genetically and mentally.

However my favourite print is the repeat pattern, because it looks more clean, professional and is more complex looking. I also really like the colours of the design, and it makes clear links to her grandfather (Death), and what she relates to in the story.

#Photoshop #patterns

This is the work I have produced for the 7 day challenge based on the character Sidney’s experiment I had made previously. I like these outcomes, because I have been able to look at my experiment in a variety of ways and prospectives. My favourite photocopy that I worked back into was the cutout page where I used an artist scalpel to cut out the swirls then stick them back on the page below. This has created some really interesting lines and shapes, and because I printed a colour and black and white copy I have been able to try a different mix of colours to see what else might work.

On the other hand I am not a fan on the weave photocopy experiment I completed, because the design and shape of the picture clashed with the straight lines of the woven tissue. Therefore to improve this I would think of a way to weave in swirls or curved lines to create a better cohesion between the materials.

I am quite happy with the rest of my experiments and drawings, however I feel they have not giving me any new inspiration to help with moving forward with my FMP final samples.

#reconstruction #experiment

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