Fun fair project evaluation

Project evaluation

We were set a brief titled ‘’all the fun of the fair’’. The overall outcome of this project was to produce a final repeat print on fabric; the repeat print had to be based on fun fairs. I created my final design by devolving research I gathered and put into a sketch book. From my sketchbook I produced two visual sheets and two mood boards, and then devolved these sheets into my final design.

Over the summer holidays and the first week of college I collected a selection of secondary research, of which i  put into a sketchbook. I also went on a college trip to Scarborough in order to collect my own primary research.

While in Scarborough I took my own photos of project related things including rides, arcades and text fonts. I found the trip to Scarborough useful because it helped me gather my own research and gave me good ideas towards developing my sketchbook and gave me ideas towards my final piece.

From the research I gathered over the summer I produced a full sketchbook about funfairs. I did this by sticking in pictures and developing then, or even just creating my own images. I looked into rides, posters and the freak show. I looked at several different artists within my sketchbook.

In my sketchbook I researched two repeat pattern artists, one textile/ costume designer and two modern artists. They were Harry Napper, Ian O’Phelan, Austin Sanderson, Tom Anderson and Carla Dentamaro.

I then produced two visual sheets, which were a collection of images related to funfairs. I then produced two mood boards. The visual sheets and the mood boards were both used to develop into my final idea.

After finishing all my sheet work, I started by drafting out an idea for my tracing. When I was happy with my idea I produced my final idea and printed it onto tracing paper so that the print room technician could use it to expose the screen I would be making my samples and final piece from.

After I had my final design exposed into a screen I started in the printroom, where I produced 22 sample prints using a variety of techniques, including puffbinder and devore.

Once I had a suitable amount of sample repeat prints, we had a class discussion where together we choose with of the sample each person had produced was the strongest print. When my final idea was choosen I then went onto devolping that one idea to include other techniques and to include stitching. I produced two sample of my final idea, both with different coloured puffbinder. I choose with puff binder would work best in my final idea, then I repeated what I had done in my sample to print my final piece. I found that I could work very well and easily in the printroom.

During this project I did my sewing machine inductions. First we went over the health and safety rules then we completed 3 sewing machine ‘driving lessons’, we did this by following lines on paper. We then completed a sheet of stiches on a piece a4 calico, and then a free handed sample. We also did a layer and burn sample. Through the sewing machine induction I greatlty improved my sewing machine skills, and this was useful towards my final piece.

I found that some of my repeat print sample didn’t work the way I wanted them to, but I learnt from the mistakes I made and used this to make sure that I didn’t make the sample mistakes again. Also I feel that I could have really improved on my sketchbook work by using my annotation, making it more tactile and including more research.

Overall I was satisfied with my final outcome for this poject.

Techniques used:

Dying with procions, dying with brusho inks, puff binder, stitching, devore.