UNIT X weeks 1 and 2 (Farm to Fabric)

 Following on from the Unit x launch, I have decided to do one main project for this unit, alongside applying for live briefs and opportunities, such as the Vertical Gallery and New Designers.

After completing my embellished wallpaper project based on imagery from Lisbon for the Practice unit, I knew I wanted to continue working with bright colour, shape and embellishment. Additionally, I wanted to look for more nature inspired primary research. This led me to looking at fruit and veg and markets. I am especially keen on the textures and details of fruit and veg and the way they are displayed in markets, in grids of crates. This creates a juxtaposition of the organically shaped food in a rigid grid-like system which I think could translate interestingly into print designs.

Fruit and Veg primary research

To begin my research I have been looking at food photography and going out to look at the way fruit and veg is displayed in markets and shops throughout Manchester. I have also been taking my own compositional photographs of fruit and veg, then editing these in photoshop. This process has really helped me think about layout and lighting in food photography.

Compositional photoraphs of fruit and veg.

                                     

Edited photos of fruit and veg.

After taking and editing the photos, I began drawing from them in my sketchbook, initially using watercolours, gouache and pastels. This has given me a varied combination of effects, which do help to bring out textures in my drawing, however I feel like the watercolour and gouache painting works better than the pastel as it gives a more graphic effect.

Whilst I liked the painting on its own, I felt quickly that this became quite repetitive, and too literal for my style. Therefore, I decided to begin working with collage to incorporate layers, areas of relief and a more abstract style of drawing into my work.

I feel that collage lends itself really well to this project. I have worked with painted paper to give the collages a very hand-made, textural effect.

Sketchbook collages.

Over the next few weeks I am going to continue doing lots of drawing and collaging to produce a large variety of shapes to work with. I will also experiment with cutting up my collages and rearranging them in smaller, grid-like configurations in order to replicate fruit and veg in market stalls. I am also planning to do research into patchwork, as I feel that this could be useful when translating my work from paper into fabric.