Textiles and surface pattern: drawing and design development
Course Code: VX119
Duration: 6 sessions (over 6 weeks)
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What is the course about?
You will explore drawing for textiles and surface pattern and the journey between drawing and design work. If you are unconfident or frightened about drawing, welcome to an exciting course where playful experiments can enrich your design work.
If you have experience with drawing, delve even deeper into this inexhaustible resource by picking up some new skills and diverse ways of thinking.
What will we cover?
You will develop a body of experimental drawings (applicable to textiles and surface pattern design) exploring texture, line, mark-making, scale, layering, surface and mixed media. These drawings will be inspired by a collection of your personal objects. You will begin working in black in white and progress to using colour.
We will discuss the importance of sketchbooks and investigate how to collect lively and imaginative research. For beginners you can start a sketchbook and get advice on what to put in it and how to keep it going as part of a regular practice. If you keep sketchbooks already, this is an opportunity to share your approach with others and reflect on what methods are useful for your personal development of ideas.
Lastly you will start developing your drawings and sketchbook work into design ideas. Using the photocopier you can explore placement, repeat, layout, scale and one-off motifs. You will use collage techniques and drawing to develop design ideas. You will be encouraged to pursue a personal direction, but the design process itself may help to lead you to surprising and exciting results.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
As a beginner:
- Explore a range of drawing techniques and media
- Start a sketchbook with drawings and inspiration references
- Experiment with mark making, scale, collage and layering
- Develop initial design ideas
As an advanced student:
- Build on existing drawing skills, developing imaginative responses to your starting inspiration
- Develop new ideas on how to keep and use sketchbooks
- Push use of mark-making, scale and layering in a personal direction
- Develop a range of design ideas building on existing areas of interest and ideas.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
For all levels, including those who wish to extend their skills.
You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information, and will be invited to take part in group discussion. You should be able to make basic measurements and calculations.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
The course will be hands on, with a bit of theory thrown in to facilitate the understanding of why we do things in certain ways. There will be recommendations for books and information on contemporary artists and designers.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Basic materials included. You will need to bring a collection of personal objects as inspiration to work from. It is good idea if these objects have an element of texture or interesting surfaces.
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When I've finished, what course can I do next?
The techniques learnt on this course can be translated into a variety of textile outcomes. There are a range of classes in Contemporary Textiles and Crafts where you can explore possibilities
Please browse the website to view our upcoming courses.
General information and advice on courses at City Lit is also available from the Student Centre and Library from Monday to Fridays 12:00-14:00 then 16:00-18:00.
Lara is a printed textile designer, with a passion for colour, pattern and mark-making. She holds a degree in Fashion and Textile design from Brighton University, and a PgCert in teaching adults. Lara draws inspiration for her designs from landscapes, gardens and foliage. Her colourful and joyful hand-printed fabrics are lyrical and abstracted representations of this environment. She has sold work to major fashion brands, printed scarfs and hangings, and exhibited her intricately printed designs. Lara uses her eclectic repertoire of print, dye and design knowledge to research contemporary printing with natural dyes. These experimental prints inform and shape her current professional practice. Lara is a founding member of Ceres; an eco- conscious trio who collaborate on environmental and sustainable design projects. Lara enjoys sharing her creative ideas; and is short course tutor at University of the Arts London, West Dean College, and other education venues. At City Lit, she teaches a range of specialist courses that include; shibori and indigo, drawing for textile design, dye techniques, and natural dye printing.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.