Module 1 Chapter 3 Research for design: Texture and Surface Relief Study

Many different relief surfaces or textured effects were made related to my research theme on cotton.

Various media were manipulated to try to reflect and provide accurate surfaces, from original resources, photographs and the Internet or books.  Reference was also made to work completed during Certificate 3 work - Module 5 Chapter 2 related to paper relief methods and Module 4 Chapter 4 for paper making.

There are many items that use cotton, so I have narrowed the research and using A5 sketchbooks, set up:

Sketchbook 3: Production of cotton - From seed to ripe cotton boll - processes - threads - fabrics
Sketchbook 4: Selection of household linen as found in different rooms - laundry - house of the future

The books are still developing and include sketches from actual objects or photographs of actual objects then converted using Windows 10 package accessible from Pictures collection on the pc into black and white images, sometimes enlarged and cropped for the purposes of this chapter.
The sketchbooks will also contain later the detailed areas sketched as required in Chapter 4.

I tried to be selective, choosing items that were particularly textured and varied.

In Sketchbook 3, I have started with 3 different textured surfaces, whereas in sketchbook 4, 16 household items. 
These were narrowed down further into a selection of Zig Zag books to show the manipulated texture methods, as well as including in an A3 notebook some samples showing the range of techniques used overall.

In Part 1 of the chapter I will be showing sections from the Sketchbooks with some sketches.
In Part 2 selected items, with accompanying black and white photographs with sketches leading to the manipulated techniques

Part 1 Sketchbook 3

Cross section of an unripe cotton boll

Two sketches of a ripe cotton boll, one on white the other on black paper

Pack of skeins of Egyptian cotton thread

 Sketchbook 4
Here are some of the textured surfaces found around my homes, over the years which I mostly still have.

Hardanger traycloth

One of the dishcloths

Bathroom towels

Another bathroom towel with different patterned edging

Rag rug seen on a recent visit to the Isle of Man. Never owned one myself and love the texture

Bedroom twisted cotton rug or for use in a bathroom

The back of the same twisted cotton rug - quite a different texture

Sketches from a wash board as seen in the Isle of Man, a memory of past laundering at my home in the 1950s

 From the above sketches I then went on to produce different manipulated surfaces.
The techniques used included:

• Selecting embossed Anaglypta wallpapers reflecting the different surfaces (Anaglypta is one of the oldest wallpapers still used in the UK today and was originally made from wood pulp and cotton waste over 100 years ago)
• White papers glued on to background paper or card (used both white and black backgrounds)
• White manipulated fabrics
• Sewn papers using cotton thread
• Sewn fabrics using cotton thread
• Selecting other white materials such as bubble wrap
• Tiling adhesive to harden surfaces or to make textured surfaces
• Hand made paper, embossed or embedded using cotton Khadi paper pulp, Andrex cotton based toilet paper pulp and Anaglypta cotton based wallpaper pulp
• White emulsion painted papers, fabric and ready stitched cotton items such as napkins, tray cloths used to enhance the whiteness of samples
• Heated glue gun lace effects

Each technique was highlighted in my A3 notebook, but then a series of Zig zag books were made for each chosen area of the house

The different books are;

• Zig zag book 1 showing Unripe cotton boll and Egyptian Cotton thread
• Zig zag book 2 Tray cloths
• Zig zag book 3 Dishcloths
• Zig zag book 4 Towels and net curtain
• Zig zag book 5 Rugs
• Zig zag book 6 Laundry items

Unripe cotton boll using pipe cleaners, tilling adhesive and handmade paper embedded with bits of towelling

Anaglypta, scrim stuck to paper and manipulated to show seeds, string stuck to card, bubble wrap stuck to card

Books in order

Zig zag Book 1

 

Zig zag Book 2

Zig zag Book 3

Zig zag book 4

Two different towels

 

Net curtain

 

Zig zag book 5

Zig zag book 6

Wash board

Victorian Flat iron showing the rusted pitted surface

There are many more developments of the different techniques and it is hoped as the design process develops I will add to the samples including more complex methods. initially this will include samples using Hot glue gun lace effects.

Module 1 Chapter 2 Research for design unit: Use of sketchbook

Late last year, I made two series of sketches for future work which I put into small booklets.  As the research progresses I will be using different booklet making techniques.

Sketchbook 1 Cotton reel (A simple object used for stitching)

Sketchbook 2 Victorian Flat iron (A rusted item used in laundering)

Sketchbook 1 was made up of pastel papers in different colours, the booklet pages joined together along one edge using a blanket stitch with thick cotton yarn

I worked through a 10 day course, spending about 15 minutes each day trying out different techniques, with some catch up time.
The different techniques are noted on slips of paper at the start of each daily session, and included loosening up exercises, and closer observational reference to the object.  I used different materials to make the sketches.

Here are some of the results:  (other day's repeated techniques are shown in Sketchbook 2).

 

Day 4

 

Day 6

 

Day 8

Day 10

 







 

The use of a wooden skewer dipped in ink for the left sketch is very like stitches and it was interesting to see how effective it was using bleach on ink.  Different sketching tools also gave various textures.

 

Sketchbook 2 was made using two different papers in different colours and backgrounds using acrylic paints or rubbings.  The pages were joined together using plaited cotton yarn

 

 

 

 

Here are some of the sketches from this book:

 

Day 2

Days 5 & 6

Day 6

Day 7

Days 8 & 9

Day 10

It was interesting how I became more aware of the object, its shape and form through repetition, but using different drawing techniques.

 

Ref 'Drawing on the right side of the Brain' by Betty Edwards