We began this workshop with drawing activities using our personal objects to draw from on A1 paper, using many drawing strategies:
Negative space
Texture
Line/shape
Tone/shadow
Blind drawing
Continuous line timed drawing

Using a variety of drawing strategies is really helping me find a style and forcing me to use different scales and unique techniques. I enjoy timed drawings to then subsequently add and work into them to create more considered, delicate marks. I want to build a sketch book using these techniques, layering different drawing techniques with tracing paper, acetate and contrasting textures.

Today we combined the groups drawings we did individually with bold black pen using different strategies to create a large A1 collage of line and shapes etc, filling in spaces with and marks from our objects to ensure it flowed. We then cut through the A1 collage in a wave. Ensuring the wave was not too dramatic or high to create the subtlest repeat as possible.

Today I started 2nd year Textiles and began drawing straight away. We were briefed on Ba2a and then started a drawing shop that informed us on repeat printing.
Using different drawing strategies like continuous line and timed drawing we observationally made drawings from decorative and vintage objects.
We had rules put in place:
-Black thick pen
-A1 paper
-Hold the pen with like a paint brush (loosely)
-Stand up and don't bend over the table when drawing
-Continuous line

Having had a very busy summer I feel as if I have neglected drawing. I have spent my day researching ideas and themes for BA4 as well as looking at the last years BA4 brief to give me an insight. I have a collection of shells from my summer breaks so I chose to use these to observationally draw from them as I know this is the best way. Using simply chinagraph wax pencils and 0.1mm fine liner I have studied the textures as well as the lines and marks of various shells.
I also used photographs from London Zoo to "warm me up" and begin my drawings.

Visiting New York City in May was a trip mainly organised so that textile design students at NUA could visit Surtex. Surtex was a show full of (mainly) textile prints . I liked how the prints were shown in context on some of the stands. We had the opportunity to talk to the exhibitors which enlightened us with the work involved and expected of us. The show was huge, I noticed I started looking at the stands that really stood out and caught my eye after a while. I became aware of the similarity between many stands which proved to me that my work must be unique to stand out and gain attention.
We also visited the National Stationery Show and The Furniture Fair which were in the same building. I personally enjoyed browsing the stationery show the most as there was a larger variety of prints, illustrations and patterns. Visiting The National Stationery Show enlightened me and introduced me into the broad range of different styles and opportunities in the stationery industry. I was inspired by the fonts an graphics used and this has encouraged me to practice my photoshop skills. This will enable me to create photoshop designs from my drawings, which I have previously done in my first year of Textile Design at NUA.