My experience so far

My University experience so far has had its ups and downs, but generally i've had a brilliant time learning new skills and meeting great and interesting people. The lesson I have enjoyed the most, would be Knit, Professional Studies and Pattern Cutting. Although in Pattern Cutting I did struggle quite a bit at  the start, because I had never done it before. However after I went over the notes i'd made and the work I had already done, I started to get to grips with how to pattern cut. In my own personal opinion I found that Professional Studies was my favourite subject this semester, as have loved writing  my blog and learning interesting and inspiration things during the lectures and seminars. I think my blog is something that I am going to carry on after this semester is finished, just because I do really enjoy posting about my inspirations and work. 

All about feathers

In C.A.D we learned illustrator and photoshop techniques and processes. With in the 3 sessions we had  we experimented with photoshop and illustrator, then were set a task to create 3 imagines on our own using both of the programs. We had to use feather imagine, which linked in with our British Birds project, when creating images on these programs. 

 This is the first image I created using illustrator and photoshop. In this image I used feathers to create the shape of the union jack. I really like the way it came out, as I was initially worried about what to do and how to create it. I also like the contrast with the feathers and the normal outline of the union jack, it makes for and interesting effect

This is the second image I created, where I used wood-chip as texture behind a silhouette of birds. I thought the wood-chip at the back gave a great texture, which could match the colour of the birds feathers.

This is the last image I created using photoshop. It was created using an image of brightly coloured feathers, which were repeated and shaped to look like there her hair. I also changed the opacity so you could see the strands of her hair behind, which gave for an interesting look. Another technique I used was the smudge tool which helped to blend the feathers together, making them look like one. I did the same thing for her make-up as well. This image turned out better than I expected; it turned out look more like an illustration witch is absolutely beautiful. 

Its a beautiful day

"It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away"   quote from the song above by U2. I looked out of my Window this morning to see an absolutely beautiful blue, clear winter sky and it reminded me how wonderful it is to live and walk on this earth everyday. It also made  me think that even when times are stressful and you think that all hope is gone, that there is a silver lining to every cloud, things always have there way or working out. In this Industry I am going to need a thick skin,as there will probably be a lot of knock back and rejections so I  need to just think something else will come up, everything will get better.

Only dead fish swim with the Stream

"Never forget that only dead fish swim with the stream"  

This quote to me is very inspirational, it's reminding me to not go with the flow, go against the flow. It's telling me to break out of my comfort zone, do something interesting, unique and spontaneous. I don't want to be a sheep and follow the crowd, it wont get me notice, recognized or out there. 

In the fashion and Textiles industries especially, this quote is something to defiantly live by. This is because the textile industry alone brings £21 billion to the UK economy.

*£241 million is Marketing

*£205 million is Media

*12,000 clothing business's

*156,000 People employed in the 

Textiles industry 

*20,000 people work as designers

across the Fashion and Textiles Industry.

The figures above just sort of sum up the amount of people I will be up against if  I want to get into this Industry, So I'm going to have to be the best I can be and be Competitive if I want to make it anywhere. I need to ask my self :

* What… I want to do 

*Where …do i want to be 

In life you make your own luck.

In life you make your own luck. This is something I have never really believed to be true, I have always thought I am deemed to be unlucky ( bad things always happen to me). I believe this up until now, in lecture we were asked to fill out this sort of quiz sheet, which would tell us if we were lucky or unlucky. Mine come out that I was lucky, I thought to myself, this can't be true, I'm so unlucky. However it turns out the sheet was sort of right but I believe that you make your own luck in this world, things don't just fall into your lap.

There are 3 main principles of making your own luck

1. Maximize your chances. (Make contacts), don't just stand in a lift with someone you need to talk to, strike up a conversation you might end up with a great opportunity  you never knew about. Also look for opportunities , keep your eyes open. 

2. Listen to your lucky hunches, when something feels right, just do it! 9 time out of 10 your hunches will be right. Follow what you think is right.

3. Always be Persistent, even if you are knocked down all the time, you have to bounce back and try again, things will always work out when they need to. 

Luck is something that is handed to you on a plate, it shouldn't fall right into your lap, its something that you create by yourself.

pattern cutting

Pattern cutting was initially something I found really quite difficult, as I had never done it before. I come from more of a textile background so that was mainly more drawing, painting and knitting. However fashion is what I am more inspired and interested in, so  pattern cutting was one of the skills I was defiantly going to have to master if I want to achieve the skills I need to be a designer.
Dart rotation was the thing I found most difficult, as I was Quite far behind trying to keep up with everybody else, so I wasn't able to fully understand the technique of dart rotation. However after stressing out slightly and getting the Pattern Cutting tutor to show me the technique again, I was able to understand dart rotations better. After struggling in the first few weeks, as there was a mass of information to take in, I have improved in my pattern cutting quite a bit.

Layplan, with all my pattern peices on. 

Drawing who 'Figured'

This week in Visual Studies we have recently changed rotation to figure drawing. I didn't really know what to expect, when I saw this on my timetable. At first initial thoughts were that I was going to be drawing someone who was unclad, however when I arrived it turned our that I was going to be drawing other people in my group, and they were going to draw me. At first I was a little worried, as I hadn't drawn the human figure in a while. After a few minute I did get into it and started it really enjoy what I was doing.

First drawing I did, I am quite proud
of the way it turned out.

More drawings I did. These were more challenging
than my first was, as my models were sitting down,
the top one was sitting in a slouched position