At the end of the screen printing tasks I wrote a mini review whilst things were still fresh in my mind and it needs to be read in tandem with this work.
At the start of Part 2 I'd never used any dye apart from the occasional bit of Dylon and I was pretty apprehensive. I didn't really know where to start and I spent a long time trying to decide what sort of dye to buy. I chose to buy Selectacine from George Weil but later on realised I'd made a mistake by not getting Procion MX which I came to know is much more versatile and goes into the fabric as opposed to on it.
Almost by accident I slipped into looking closely at stripes and grids. Whilst not everything I worked on followed this theme it informed most of what I did and I became intrigued by the variation available to the designer with a "stripes" brief and the effects that could be obtained with screen printing.
Along the way I've given time to developing my knowledge of colour. This was partly because I was getting many interesting things happening particularly when I was screen printing using vilene. Some mixes were completely unexpected like when I appeared to have created gold on my tea towels.
My trip to the Harrogate Knit and Stitch Show introduced me to Ruth Issett's work and I was completely bowled over. I've used Colour on Cloth almost every day since I got it at Christmas and it's been a tremendous inspiration. My interest in colour prompted me to find the Pantone website and this has opened up a new area for investigation. Working with dyes means there's a need for lots of colour mixing and I've found all this background work very helpful.
I tried discharge printing which seemed to contradict the whole idea of screen printing at first. It was yet another revelation. To date I've only had one try but I think I could pursue this in the future.
The design element of Part 2 led me down lots of different stripy tracks (and some dead ends). I particularly liked the development of the card print and I developed it as a bit of an addition because I had time.
I've probably learned more on this part of the course than any other. I'm certainly less fearful of dyeing and colouring fabric.
My sketchbook
Part 2 is remarkable because for the first time I've filled an entire sketchbook and then had to add more. It's slow progress but I'm beginning to use my sketchbook as a resource and refer back not only to what is recent but to A Creative Approach as well. My return to A3 has been a relief. The small images I used to make seem a lifetime away.
Demonstration of Technical and Visual Skills
I started from zero knowledge of dyeing but managed to find some confidence towards the end.
I am now in a position to make choices about which approach to printing and dyeing is appropriate.
I now see stripes and grids all over the place - I have a wider visual appreciation of their application.
My use of colour has improved as my reading and research has widened.
Quality of Outcome
I don't give up.
Some of my best work is in the planning stages rather than the end result.
I still have a lot to learn before I can comfortably predict what will happen when I'm dyeing.
Demonstration of Creativity
I am able to develop an idea sometimes from almost nothing.
I'm happy to take a risk and am starting to recognise when it's not viable.
Context
My research into both designers and colours has enabled me to expand my thinking.
I've focused on a stripes and grids theme and been able to find lots of work from it.
I'm looking at the work of established artists much more closely and understanding their techniques.
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