Evaluative report

This module allowed me to explore the definition of ‘sketch’- what classifies as sketching, and what can be considered as an ‘innovative’ approach to it. I looked at book-binding techniques and made some of my own books and a drawing ‘device’; as well undertaking drawing experiments and sharing some of my ideas with the group through a mini presentation. 

I’ve learnt new technical terms and techniques related to making books- for example, a bone fold is used to create crisp paper folds, and a ‘signature’ is a group of 10 folded sheets within a book. I also picked up some basic movie-making and editing skills to record and present my drawing device experiments. Presenting sketchbooks from my current textiles practice with the group, and receiving positive feedback from them, helped me see the value in each step of my creative process. This led me to include some of my development sketches in my final lookbook for my textiles assessment, effectively helping to communicate the flow of my ideas from my initial inspiration to my final pieces. It was discussion in this module about how interesting it is to see the journey of ideas that are recorded by sketching, that prompted me to display my process drawings like this, and at our exhibition many people commented on how cohesive my work felt- so I’m grateful for the influence of this TOP on how I developed my studio project! 

I enjoyed looking at my peer’s sketchbooks and specialism work, as this is the first cross-course module I’ve experienced. Being exposed to different styles of working helped me become more relaxed and experimental in my own work. For example- when I made my drawing device, I tested lots of different variations, rather than just trying it once. I enjoyed the freedom to fail- as innovation often happens through mistakes and unintentional outcomes. This sense of freedom then helped me in my textile practice work when I was creating my final jewellery pieces- I spent a week experimenting with placements and photographing them all- and all my final designs developed out of those experiments.  It was also exciting to see other people’s approaches to tasks, for example Winnie’s bin drawings. I felt really inspired by this concept of using a mundane action to create something beautiful; as I’m interested in organic/recycled approaches to design, I feel like this could inspire future work in my practice. 

After learning some basic bookbinding skills, I could improve by developing these further. I didn’t have time to try out all the techniques I researched, such as Japanese ‘stab-binding’, so it would be a good challenge to continue with this. I could also improve my time-management, as at points I researched or visited/saw things that inspired me for this module, but I couldn’t record or blog about them all, as I needed to split my time between my textiles work and other commitments, too. This module has also made me keen to work with people from other disciplines again- there is so much to learn from other areas of design, so I shall try to remain attentive to what people from different practices are doing. If I could change anything about the course, I’d add in a 'book-make-along'  where people each present different bookmaking techniques, and everyone tries them out together. (Blue Peter style!)

Researching into developing technologies, such as 3D printing, has opened my eyes to a whole new area of innovation in sketching, that isn’t simply contained to a flat page. I think that this ability to literally ‘draw’ useable things- for example, clothing, using a ‘Fabrican’ spray can- has the potential to liberate many people from the mentality that they ‘can’t draw’ or design. As 3D printing technologies become more widespread; and rapid, physical outcomes can be created through human marks and gestures that are translated by computers; drawing and design has the potential to become accessible in a new way to all types of people, regardless of their skills, training, age and physical abilities/disabilities. If the cost of these processes fall, then perhaps new technologies can encourage further innovation and creativity- as people will only be limited by their imagination, at the type of sculptural, real-time, three-dimensional ‘drawings’ they can create.