I did not finished my piece on time.
Few reasons: 1. I was still not clear about how to do research at the beginning of this project. I used to think we are supposed to do a lot of research so it could be "in-deepth", and straightly develop from that. Now I realized that the concept is the most important thing that go through the whole project. Start with a concept, and find some research, and start making models responds to this concept. I had a concept, but I tried to develop from what I've seen which is not right and enough.
2. I've done too much research, so it delays the model making process. As shown on workflow I moved on to a movie. I spent so much time on analyzing this move and my research, but I think I've
Learnt some patron-cutting skills with Tamzin.
So basically I talked to Helmert about my inspiration film with him, but he said he didn't understand. But he said he like my initial idea about shyness which I also like. So After struggling, I decide to put the film away. Because this also reminds me of projects I've done before, that I think I have a problem is that sometimes I do too much research, and after all I lose where I started. So this time I think I will not going to do the film and just stick at the beginning. I need to learn what is enough research.
4.1.18
Task 5: Reflective writing about sustainable materials.
It's important for a designer to spare the message that we should use environmental-friendly materials and techniques. For me, I would like to pay my attention on materials which can reusable and degradable materials. I'm really glad and excited to see that there are so many companies out there developing these materials and I would really like to work with them.
As a student, this brief reminds me to keep my eyes on how designers working in other areas like fashion, footwear and bags. As I mentioned I would like to see my work on runway more than daily jewellery and accessories, I need to do more research about that area. I think it might be slightly different because it's not just about rings and stuffs like that (I do like rings and necklace and other jewellery).
Design is more and more important now. It very obvious if you look at fashion and product. People are paying more and more attention to their living quality. They buy well-designed products that can makes their life more convenience. As a jewelry designer, I think it's a brand new time for us that we can challenge the old aesthetic. I would like to develop my work into usable in some way-- for example a headpiece which could also be a interior.
After I've done these researches I realized that I'm doing it too randomly. I think I should focus on, for example, one dynasty or one aspect that they are shy about, like love or something else. However I couldn't come up with idea about how exactly they are shy because honestly, after I've done these researches, I realized that maybe they are not always shy as I thought they would be. It's a important thing for me to learn that always based on things happened and history, instead of imagine it yourself. Otherwise it would be illogical and unreliable.
So, re-start looking back to "layers between bashfulness", I decide to talk about a director who's shooting technique is quite relates to "bashfulness"-- Hou Hsiao Hsian
His work I choose is " The Assassin".
21.12.17
Before this project start:
I do know that we need to have a concept to support our each project's development, so I was quite struggled. Because when I heard layers I wanted to do somethings relate to layers of time, so that I can also say something about sustainability as well. However I just couldn't come up with a proper idea, I didn't want to waist my time, so I started do the research. What is interesting is that after I read the brief again, suddenly I have idea what I'm going to do. So I realized that it's pointless to think concept without connect it with the brief. So I think my next project would starts easier.
Now I have an initial idea about what I'm going to do: a piece could represent ancient chinese girl's bashfulness. I think I've got the basic idea about how I'm going to do research and idea develop, and I expect myself to make it more logical and clear through this project. Meanwhile, I expect myself to learn at least 2-3 skills I've never learnt before. One I think might be useful is embroidery. The others might be dealing with sustainable materials, I don't know yet. I'm expecting a very thoughtful and clear visualized sketchbook and a highly finished, sensitively and delicately control of material I deal with. I must come up the idea of final piece before the course start.
18.12.17
STRATA
Looking back this project, I didn't finish it before the crit. At the beginning of this project I was struggled about thinking a concept, so I did a lot of research about the informations she gave me, like minimalism, some architect, but I think the problem with my research is I didn't really go further with it, but go to another idea. I think it's not a good way of researching, that I've already lose my research at the beginning. So when I'm going to do next project I would n=know that be aware of the research. The second failure is time management. Because of I wanted to do more in-depth research, I've spent too much time on it, which resulted to I've got little time on idea develop and making, so I have to make a small scale piece. I should also invest more thinking in color, which i didn't really thought on this and last project. But this project I used leather so it's not a really big problem, but next time may be think about it, and maybe it would change my design.
However, there are also few things that I'm satisfied with this project. Firstly, I've invest more delicate making than the projects I've done before, which is definitely should be kept on. This is the first time I made leather work, so it took me some time at the beginning to cut and make marks, but now I've been much more familiar with the tools and leathers. Plus, drawing skills is also developed with I'd doing projects, so I hope I can be more confident on my drawing and focus on practicing the composition and different body gestures, and use more materials. At the beginning at thought I like use crayon, but then I realized that it's quite hard to use it to draw details, so I moved on to fine liners, it works quite well. Maybe I should try use ink and watercolor in large scale and liners in details. And think about color.
7.12.17
After spoke to Tamzin, I realized that I have already go too far from my primary research, and the information my client gave me. So I decided to go back to architects and focus on their works
3.12.17
One interesting activity is thinking what brand you would like to buy most if you have enough money. This lets us get to know more abou our clients. My client choose Dolce&Gabbana because she said she likes flowers and girlish clothes. What's more, I think one would be very confident and strong-minded women who would wear this rather than just little girl.
30.11.17
Today Tamzin told us some basic tools and techniques to work with leathers. I never learnt that before so that is actually quite inspiring. Now I start to think about using leather on my projects. She also shared some her personal experience on her own business, here are few points I think might be helpful:
Be careful if you start it straight after you graduate from uni. She started her business very accidently and at the beginning it was very had, because she doesn't know how to balance the costing and profit. It took her quite a while to figure out that a designer have to consider how much your design costs and how much a shop would pay to buy it. Shops and buyer always make it 2.8 times as they paid you to sell it.(maybe not very right). And a internship is always not bad. Be careful what you put on your instagram. A lot of people she worked with are the people saw her works on instagram, and sometimes that's how a collaboration starts. Be professional about your official instagram. I'm not sure if I'm going to start my own brand straight after my uni, but it's a really good thing to listen other people's experience and it's always helpful.
28.11.17
BESPOKE
Crit day today. I don't really satisfied by how I engaged this project. The problem is time management is not really well, I didn't finish my work because it has so many things to do on it and the scale is too big. As tutor said, I also quite like the experimentation of sale and materials, but that can just be a sample of the process. Due to the time I have and I need to start next project, I decided not to spend to much time on it. If I got more time, I need to clearly think about the location on the body- honestly it should be well-thought before the final outcome. And also think more about materials. I used metal, yarn, expendable foam,... which are too much. So I'm really glad that I had this choice to talk to tutor and have a crit, so that I can see more clearer what I can good and what I lack. And bring these to my next project.
27.11.17
I learn how to use knitting machine today, which I think is a good technique for me to make my ideas come true. I really like knitting because I enjoy the process of making it, and I just like the texture and feeling about knitting. And also how it can changed into different forms.
24.11.17
Model making for me is a important process of designing. I realized that the materials like pool noodles are not exactly what I want to use because when I'm wearing it it's wobble and too long. So I restarted to think about my design. I didn't really wanted to make a very big piece to cover the whole body, i wanted it to focus on the head and go through from head. So the piece is too big for me, which my tutor agrees with me.
Looking back this whole project, I think there were a lot of changes during the process. At the beginning I thought I would work with the idea of distorted body, but I changed when I was making models. I think model making is a really important process for my idea develop because it really got me thinking how to make it out and how to use materials. A lot of things really changed during this process after I made lots of samples and tests, so I would consider to get in this process earlier in next project. Then I focused on the personal spaces and the idea of keep people away. Because there are no one can truly understand the others, back to the quote.
23.11.17
Talked to Tamzin, choose the final idea. The material she suggested me which is pool noodles is very interesting, suit for the scale I want my piece to be. I talked to Nicola yesterday about color, after look around my place and London city, I decode to use the color of brick, which is really common.
After started making I realized that I really like develop ideas while making. I started really think about materials, I want to use tape to represent
22.11.17
What is the point of make it such big ? Is there any anther way to approach this way? Would that be the same effort? How can I improve on technique? where on the body exactly I'm going to put it?
Learnt some fabulous drawing skills for illustration, like color blocking, ink washing. I really like the one I uploaded because it's not just an illustration but a narrative drawing which explores how it's used, what is the context behind this design and meanwhile it helps the clint understand it's value. On the contrast, I leant a new point that illustration can really help me to develop my work. When I was drawing my illustration I wanted to show different perspective of the design so I draw to men. However after that I found it incredibly help me to think what if this is a piece for two men? So it's a really interesting and inspiring develop method rather than just drawing sketches. But it absolutely takes time.
20.11.17
Model making process was fine, I just need to think about the box. Honestly I was quite confuse at the beginning of the day because I've done a lot of research but I have no idea how to develop them. When I was making my model I aimed to make something has texture and structural, to express the feeling of being lonely. But helmert also find a potential of my models which I didn't realized is that the distance the wearer keeps from other people. It gives a sense of isolated and lonely, so I decide to work on this point.
16.11.17
Viewing these photo test of objects on the body, I think it's questioning what is beautiful and how we define it. I'm trying to use this kind of distorted and incomplete face to express the inner emotion. This reminds me of Frankenstein, who became a totally monster because nobody want to talk to him since his ugly face. How do we feel when our body squeezed and covered? PRESSURE? NERVOUS? I ODNT THINK IT'S POSITIVE FEELING ANYWAY. People do liked to be close to the places or objects they're familiar and close to, but in the meantime they want to keep a way of distance, which means personal area and don't want to be stranger interrupted.
14.11.17
I shoot these flowers at my home. At the beginning I was fascinated by the contrast of bight color and black background, but when I review these photos it's expressing a way of chaotic, madness and sense of willing to escape the cage.