Unconventional Batik

Assignment 3

For this assignment, we were asked to form a group of 4. So I pair up with Yasmin, Cherry and Mishu. We discussed about the theme we wanted and in the end, When we show to Ms. Lisa our ideas, she absolutely love the lantern idea suggestion, but she said that we can also combine our other ideas together too.

Our ideas:

 I suggested to my group members that we should do scenery and this is what we both agreed on.

 Mountains and Cherry blossom

Cherry blossom tree and pagoda

Lanterns

I've also suggested that rather than doing daytime, maybe we should do night time instead,

Sketches:

In the end, our theme are lanterns with a pagoda and mountains at the background, and also cherry blossom.

Since this is a group work, we were told that the batik is basically A3 size and each one of us has one. Since we are 4 in a group, we have 4 piece of the A3 batik. We decided to do a long horizontal piece. Ms. Lisa also mentions to make sure that our design, even if it is separated, it’ll still looked the nice. She even told us that we can just draw on A4 first and then print it into A3 later. 

After we show Ms. Lisa our sketches, she asked us to extend the tree branches a bit and such, to make it all balanced. 

So, my friend told us to do each design and then let Ms. Lisa choose later and this is what we come up with. Some of our design looked similar. 

In the end, Ms. Lisa choose this.

After that, my group decided to discuss about the colour scheme.

Since one of my friend bring colour pencils that day, we start colouring.

Since we choose a night scenery, Ms. Lisa reminds us that our cherry blossom colour is also different, So, we did a quick research

BATIK TRIP

It took quite a while till we reached the batik place, and when we do, there’s a lot of beautiful batik design inside. There’s huge one hangs on top of the ceiling. 

They show us how batik was made and the process before we start doing our own. What surprise me that they use free hand when drawing out the design. It was amazing. 

After we find a spot to do our work, we start on tracing our design first before canting

This is the canting process,

The wax is hot and we need to keep on refill it again and again. It was tough. 

After that, we started to test out the colours they'd provided for us in the cups.

 We even try to do some gradient effect.

Rather than doing individually, my group did everything at once. Colouring all the sky first, then the trees, the pagoda and others. Some of us in charge of the blending technique and takes turn to hold the cups. It was tiring but we work well together. We also ended up not doing the cherry blossom flowers because none of us are confident enough to draw it. Since it took a while for us to do the canting. 

After we finished, we were told to pack up and go into the bus. The moment I sit down, all my energy drained. I was working on the batik non-stop, while some of my friends did take a break for a while and I’ve been standing the whole time. Not to mention everyone is super hungry at time. The morning bus ride, everyone was so noisy and then, the afternoon bus ride everyone was so quiet. It had been a tiring day. We will get back our batik by next Tuesday.

Presentation day:

During the cut-out and batik presentation, Ms. Lisa asked us where is our cherry blossom flowers. She said we should have told her that day and can ask one of the workers to draw for us. She also did asked is this the first time we work together as a group and does we find the batik-making experience was enjoyable or not. Ms. Lisa also mentions whether we would do batik again or not in the future. 

I think batik is not as easy as it seems and the canting part was the worse for me because it not easy and it was so frustrating when we did a mistake, since we can undo it. However, the colouring part was my favorite. I really do enjoy doing that.

What's Your Square?

Week 4 - Week 8

Our next assignment is paper cutting again. But this time around is slightly different, rather than throwing away the leftover we did before, this time we need every piece of the leftover to create an artwork. For this assignment, like usual we need to do symmetrical and asymmetrical cut-out. This time we have a limit, using a square of 4.5 inch. We were told to decide a theme for the cut-out and present the idea to her after an hour or so. Ms. Lisa told us to show her at least 3 ideas with sketch and everything. 

some of my sketches I did

"What's your square?"

"My square is hungry"

After presenting my ideas to Ms. Lisa, she picked my Noodles theme in the end, because it seems fun and different from I usually do. 

Because its a cut out, I need to do the noodles line thicker so it'll be easier to cut later on.

 I keep the leftover of the cutout organize, so that it'll be easier for me to know which part at which.

(somehow this looked like a Chinese lion dance face)

Final outcome:

Final outcome:

The hardest part of this assignment was re-arranging the leftover because I can't decide which to which. 

Ms. Lisa said that she like how I managed to arranged the paper like that. However, she said that both of my cut-out was symmetrical. I didn't even realise that. Despite that, she told me that my cut-outs looks yummy. 

I never liked doing paper cutting because I’m a little bit scared of sharp things. However, I still can manage doing it. Doing something you loves make the assignment even more enjoyable and for a noodles lovers like me, it was fun. Cutting the noodles lines is a bit hard and sticking the leftovers is torture, but it all worth it in the end. During the presentation day with the batik assignment, I actually lost one single piece of my cut out after seeing my cut out looked a bit odd. I search for my lost piece together with my friend and when I couldn’t find it, I began to panic. I even told Ms. Lisa beforehand. After a few min, I saw something tiny yellow on the ground and I pick it up. And then, I realise that I found my missing piece! I was so happy, even though it has gotten dirty, I don’t care. I quickly glue it back on and I was finally able to relax. 

Unconventional Self Portrait

22.8.2014, Week 1

2-Dimensional Design

Semester 2 is finally here and we already have our first assignment; Unconventional Self-Portrait. Ms. Lisa wasn't able to come to our first day of class because she's not around at the moment. She did gave us assignment through facebook to do. This assignment is a 2 weeks time.

I sketch out my ideas to show her on week 2.

However, Ms. Lisa told us that she wanted us to do our Unconventional Self-Portrait somehow 3D. I had to change my ideas all over again. It was a bit challenging for me to think of something in 3D as I hardly do that. It took me quite some times until I was managed to came with an idea.

This is just my rough sketch idea.

Ms. Lisa like the my idea and I got her approval.

My progression:

The mannequin 

I measured the container I bought before I did the mannequin to make sure it fits perfectly. 

 This is the stand for the mannequin.

I just use a stick and some wires.

Making the base for the mannequin.

I just use mounting board and some foam which I found laying around the house,

After some minor adjustment, the stand is complete.

Now, for the mannequin body shape.

It was a bit hard at first because I wasn't able to construct it the way I wanted it to be. But after a few hours later, I started the know what to do. By using mounting board, I did the base of each of the mannequin shape would looked like and I divided into 5 parts. Each side of the parts, I’ve measured where the holes for the wires to go through. 

 After I’ve managed to connect the stand with the body, I’ve finally done with my mannequin. 

 I sprayed both of the container cap and the mannequin black

 And I'm done with the mannequin.

Butterfly dress:

I was inspired by the butterfly dress I seen since my younger days and always wanted to do my very own style. Because of my obsession with butterfly, I decided to dress up my mannequin with a butterfly dress for this assignment. 

colouring the butterfly wings I drew. 

I did a bunch of the butterfly wings in different shape and sizes. 

Because the wings I made is flat, I wanted to create volume underneath so I cover with some black tissue paper.

 time to stick the wings onto the dress.

 For the top of the dress, I cut some of the wings.

The completed butterfly dress,

The roses:

 for the rose, I discovered an easy technique to do.

The final outcome:

(It was a bit hard to put into the jar since the dress are too volume.)

When we were asked to do unconventional self-portraits, I keep on thinking what should I do? What represent me? It was difficult because there times people see you the way u didn’t notice about yourself. 

I will know explain what I did for my self-portrait for this semester. 

The mannequin is part of the fashion industry when doing clothing, a doll with a perfect figure shape, a shape everyone wanted to become, a shape we all have in common. It works differently on different people. As for me, it would be due to the fashion industry and I always wanted one. 

I love butterfly, because they symbolized a powerful transformation and it’s true. From a fat caterpillar, into a beautiful butterfly. It makes me believe that everyone can be beautiful too. I’ve colour the wings purple because it my favorite colour and it hold a lot of meaning such as royalty, nobility, luxury, power, and ambition. 

As for the roses, different colour of rose holds different meanings. The colour I chose also represents emotions.  

As for the jar, it’s actually a part of my life, even since I was small, I have a lot of restriction from my parents, for example, I can’t go out to the playground with my friends to play, I can’t even go outing with my friends. It’s not that I’m complaining, I understand they don’t want me to be involve with something like that as I was still a child. Even now I’ve grown up , I still have curfew. I’m not really completely free but not completely caged either. That’s why the jar is transparent. It’s a part of my life. 

Presentation day:

During the presentation day, I was so nervous until I can’t speak at all and I’d embarrassed myself in front of the class. It was the first presentation for semester 2 and I messed up pretty bad. Even Ms. Lisa told me to work on my speech better in the future. 

This assignment was fun and I enjoyed doing the butterfly dress the most, rather than doing the mannequin. It was good experience, doing something on 3D. I haven’t craft for so long and this makes me realise how fun it was again.