sketching beauty marks.

For my fashion drawing class I've been sketching many ideas for the collection Beauty Marks. This collection is for the final project where we have to produce 5 final sketches. Maybe eventually I can take some these designs into production.

I've been trying to develop a character that best suits the type of clothing I'm thinking of for this collection. I've started to become interested in this 'plain jane' type character but with a little quirkiness. Here are a few sketches placed in order. The character definitely starts to evolve into more of that 'plain Jane' ideal.

I have a week left to continue sketching ideas and to produce the final 5 illustrations.

Back to sketching, sketching, sketching.

static in motion.

The main concept of this series is motivated by the general intention of a camera. The camera has the capabilities of capturing and presenting a fraction of time; it can stop motion. Without a quick shutter speed, when the camera takes a photograph a moving subject, the result will usually end up with a blurry and soft subject. For this series I want to work in reverse, creating a sense of motion to static subjects. This series will require a lot of trial an error and experimentation. I will be shooting with a medium format camera, and I would like to shoot outdoors where my subjects will range from landscapes, buildings, store fronts, etc. I intend for the final series to be complete of approximate 11 photographs printed on 11x14 paper (cut down to the square format of the negative). I hope for this body of work to have a soft and almost painterly quality, and portray a sense of motion. The challenge of this series will be capturing 11 interesting images that work successfully as a group and on their own. The inspiration of this series evolved from a previous project that focused on documentary photography, and more specifically the blurred and out of focus images of subjects that were in motion. This final series will inverse this observation and experiment with the idea of the ‘static’ in motion.

Here are a few shots from the first two roles I have taken. I'm still trying to decide on how abstract I want the images to be.

Shot with 120 B&W Film ISO 100.

fashion draping: documentation of the final garment

For the final project of my fashion draping class we are to make a garment of our choice. I have decided to use this opportunity design and create a dress to wear to this year's Team Brother Bear Annual Gala.

Dress Details:

Black light suit fabric

Ruffles in black chiffon

Sleeveless

Fitted across chest

Casual/loose fitting around torso

Waistband

Ruffles in front continue to back

Open back

Seamless skirt

Slightly gathered in at waistband

Above knee length

Invisible zipper down centre back of skirt

Slit up front of skirt -- undecided

To solve construction problems before beginning on the final dress, I decided to make a mock-up in unbleached cotton. Since the mock-up was made in cotton, the dress is more structural than how it will look in the actual fabric. The ruffles will definitely be softer in the chiffon and lay/fall closer to the body.

The design is still being finalized, but I hope to begin on the final dress this week :)

beauty marks.

For the final project in my fashion drawing class we are to design our own collection. This week we began by getting inspired and building our mood board, colour palette, and fabric story.

The main inspiration behind this collection is skin. The soft colouring of pale Caucasian skin guides the colour palette, keeping it primarily to nude, blush and white tones. While the colour scheme remains quite neutral, there is contrast and variety within the choice of fabrics; heavy knits, chiffon, jersey, denim, and leather. Beauty marks is another element that adds to this collection, inspiring the accent colour of a deep chestnut brown that will reveal through the hardware used in various garments, such as buttons, belts, and accessories. The calm colour palette and subtlety of the accent colour, allows for unique pairings and play between the selected fabrics.

The next stage is to sketch, sketch, sketch. Starting to design and think about the garments that will build up the collection.

I need some space.

Continuing with my 'Break-Up' photo series, I decided to go back through older negatives to see if I could pull any images that would be appropriate for this concept. I found a couple that I think mesh nicely and could work with the photos I took specifically for this series.

For the text I had various individuals hand write different 'break-up lines' so I would have a nice variety within the series. I am at the stage now where I'm pairing the text with images, and playing with the placement of the text. By planning everything out now, it will save me a lot of time when making the final prints.

Here is a little sneak peek of what I have been working on.

we need to talk.

Context is a tool that can influence the perception of a photograph. One way to create context is to have a reference point that either supports or refutes a position taken in the photograph. I'm currently working on a series that juxtaposes text and image to create context.

My series is based on 'break-ups' and the common 'starter lines' or words used to end a relationship. I have been brainstorming are various lines, but I have not selected what ones I will use. Once I have my photographs I will pair them with the appropriate text. So far these are the lines I have come up with:

We need to talk.

It's not you, it's me.

I don't love you anymore.

I've met someone.

I think we would be better off as just friends.

I don't want to be the one that holds you back.

I need some space.

I think we should see other people.

The photographs are to act as the canvas for the selected text. When shooting my first role I wanted to create simple and appropriate images.

the complete judy.

We spent many hours and days together, but Judy is finally complete. I actually completed her before I left for spring break but I never got the chance to take pictures until this past weekend.

Say hello to Judy.