After experimenting with photoshop in prints, I felt confident enough to begin the process of my child perception.
As a group we all addressed each other with a designated area within Cardiff City, I had chosen the train station.
Shakia Thomas – Morgans arcade
Melissa Macdonald – Merry-go-round on Queen street
Erin Joynson – Queen street
This is the image that I will use throughout all ages.
From the beginning I was certain that I wanted to include stitch within my work, for the train station, I began by thinking of different ways of how a train could be perceived, although I think a train station for a young child could potentially be fun, I didn’t think it would come across as much as a perception of child if I had slightly change the image of a train, I knew I wanted to change the train station drastically and create a scene.
I began by drawing boats and submarines as a way of creating an under-the-sea theme. I experimented with different use of materials to try and capture the best resemblance of a childs drawing, using the castle drawing from my cousin as an influence. From this I found that continuous line drawing with just a biro pen looked the most like a childs drawing, I then thought it would be a good idea to then transform that into free machining stitch, as I believe the two have a similarity.
I had decided by this point that the submarine would be a fun replacement of the train.
As I feel like the continuous line drawing and free machining have a link, I used the free machining to create some applique work of the submarine. I used child like materials again to capture the essence of a childs perception, perhaps these would be suitable materials for a childs bedroom, this was how I associated the link.
I prefer the second image of the submarine with just the body of applique, but when scanned in photoshop and then placed over the train, the first sample of applique will work better as it will appear more significant and bold.
Photoshop Editing
To start this process off for my final piece, I began by setting the scene, to create the under-the-sea scene, I used blue and green tones. To create the water effect, I used filters within photoshop. I finally decided to go with the watercolour effect and then adjusted the paintbrush size to enhance the strokes, to give it that fuzzy look.
Once I had experimented with the applique version, I then began to adapt that version using different filters. For this I used a graphic pen filter. What I liked about using the applique submarine to then adapt that using other filters was that you were still able to see the mark making of the stitching. The reason that I had settled for the colour yellow in this submarine was due to the influence of the Beatles.
Nevertheless I still continued to experiment with more colours of the submarine. As I continued, I found that I liked the colour green more, as a result of this I decided I would use this as my final perception of the child. However this is not completely finished yet as I feel it looks empty, but as I used the applique and like the effect of child like fabrics, I will continue to use this within this and use other techniques in stitch.
To complete the scene, I appliqued some bubbles using floral blue fabric and grey fabric, yellow felt fish and re-created some coral using applique and cording. I also used free machining to outline the submarine of its original stitch.
I thought it was a good Idea to stitch into this as It was a good way to add textures that I had previously researched, also as a textiles artist I like to touch things as well as visually see them.
What was good and I feel that the graphics learn’t within our group was that paper can be used as a textiles base to stitch into, its not necessarily all fabric. This then encouraged them to stitch into their work of Cardiff city.
Undertaking Textiles 