Royal Blue - Summer Research

Well looking back I realised I should have started my project as soon as summer started,but I cant change that now. I worked so hard at getting my sketchbook up to a good standard, as if I dont like, and feel good about it, I wont hand be happy handing it in.

I feel this is my best sketchbook yet, but thats just my opinion.

I started looking at Cuffs, Collars and Corset. Then I realised we made cuffs and collars for productions in practice for making our white shirt, so I photographed them and put them in there as primary research.

I decided to use trimmings throughout to give my sketchbook a united feel.

I then looked at garments from the TV series Strictly Come Dancing, as they are all very costume like and relate to this project. I also looked at Shakespeare and outfits used in his Globe Theatre.

I then looked at designers collections. I looked at slightly costume-like collections and single colour collections to understand how they used texture and print to create a garment that was exciting and not bland, and boring.

I then looked at European history, and I can tell you now, for my theme a lot more visits to the library will be needed. I first began looking and Italy and Spain, places close to England. Then I looked at Iceland, a place where we dont know much about here in England, and this is where I found my theme. I then went on to Russia and different eras of British History.

This is an overview of my sketchbook.

Enjoy!

Change Of Theme - Iceland

Whilst doing research for this project, I came upon an episode in European history that I found interesting, and something that isnt that well known in this country.

I wanted to do something that I dont think anyone else would do. Queen Victoria, and things like that are just too obvious for me, as too many people would be instantly drawn to that.

I choose to look at 'The Turkish Abductions' of Iceland.

The Turkish abductions were a series of raids that took place in Iceland between July 4 – July 19, 1627. Both Austurland (the eastern edge of the country) and Vestmannaeyjar (islands off the south coast) were raided by Barbary pirates from the regency of Algiers.

At this point Iceland had relinquished the right to the crown, and their right to initiate and consent to legislation to Denmark, howeven Denmark did not protect them.

In 1627, Jan Janszoon hired a Danish “slave” (most likely a crew member captured on a Danish ship taken as a pirate prize) to pilot him and his men to Iceland, where they raided the Icelandic city Reykjavík. They only managed to steal salted fish and a few hides, so they kidnapped people and sold them as slaves. The number of slaves kidnapped from Iceland is disputed, with figures as high as 400, and as low as 8.

Anyone who resisted a life of slavery were killed on the spot. The pirates only took people with good health, so they would make the most money possible.
When the pirates invaded Vestmannaeyjar, a minister and some people left for a cave in the mountains, but later that day, the minister went see if it was safe, when the pirates saw himand killed him. They then found the cave with all the people. Those capture were sold into slavery on the Barbary Coast. The most notable captive was Guðríður Símonardóttir who was sold as a slave and concubine in Algeria before being bought back by King Christian IV of Denmark.

MCQUEEN!!!

HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE MCQUEEN?!!!
I fell in love with the theatrics of this collection, when I saw it!!
Its also really relevant to the Royal Blue Project.
Just AMAZING!!!

Improving?

In the last project I got told that my illustrations in my sketchbook needed to improve. I know they werent the best, you cant hide that. So I recently bought some drawing ink (Royal Blue), to keep in with the theme of the project.

Lets hope I improve??

Inspiring

On Tuesday, I went to Alton Towers with my mum and sisters, and was shocked to actually get inspiration for this Royal Blue Project.

It was whilst on the ride Hex. When I got home, I researched more into this and realised it is based on a true story, and that this tree really exists, not far from Alton Towers. I would have liked to see the tree for myself, but it would be a long and expensive journey back there.

Heres a picture we took of the doors.

The ride tells the story of the Charles Talbot, 15th Earl Of Shrewsbury. I think an Earl is classed as royalty, well I hope so. The story says that one day on a ride home back to this mansion, he passed through a forest and his carraige was stopped by an old begger woman asking for him to spare some change. He refused and told his servants to keep riding. As he rode on the old woman, yelled a curse at him, pointing at an old oak tree.

"For every branch of this tree that falls, a member of your family will die."

That night, there was a huge thunder storm and a member of the family suddenly and mysteriously died. The next day he went to look at the old oak tree and saw a branch lying on the ground. He was so shook up about the occurence, he ordered every branch to be chained to the tree.

The tree was then chained up completely, but he was so distraught about the curse he went back to the tree, collected the fallen branch and took it back to the castle, and hidden behind a bookcase, was a secret laboratory. There he conducted experiments trying to counteract the effects of the curse.

From then on it was 'science versus the supernatural'.

Stencilled Illustration

Well over the past few weeks we have been doing fashion illustration with Jeanette Prole. At first I thought this lesson was a big waste of time, as I just couldnt get the hang of doing a collage illustration. My stencil illustration just wasnt working for me and I ended up making 3 different stencils for my illustration before I actually began to work into it with media. Here is my most successful illustration.

I am quite proud of this illustration as it is readable yet has some interesting shapes and a very neutral colour scheme. I also like the contrats of the loose thread defining some areas and the blocks of colour contrasting with it. A big difference in volume.

London!!

Haha, almost like a week after we went i'm finally blogging about it, but London was amazing! I was a bit disappointed at Graduate Fashion Week though. I think my expectations were a tad too high, to be honest. Also when I went around looking at different universities and options for my future, there werent many prospectuses on offer, just mainly leaflets. I still came back with a bag full of stuff, that was too heavy for little old me, so Mikey carried it. :)Some of the garments there were amazing though, it has to be said. That last dress of the whole show, it made my day it was that amazing.
And how can we forget VIVIENNE WESTWOOD!!!!! I cant believe I was sat in the same room as her, I was like Oh My Gosh!!! I made me realise how much I want my work at Graduate Fashion Week.
Then off to Kensington Palace, after lunch of course, and a McFlurry from McDonalds. Did you know Happy Meals are £2.19 there? I was in shock.
Then Kensington Palace, which was gorgeous, it was a REAL PALACE!! I was thinking there would be beautiful royal dresses from the ages, but there was only one dress in sight. A beautiful dress by Vivienne Westwood, but of course thereis always a catch. NO PHOTOGRAPHY!, how can you got a place like that and not take pictures! Im glad I have a photographic memory. :)Some amazing facts pictures and insightful rooms though, so it wasnt that bad. I learnt a bit of history. Overall, an amazing day and I would do it again, except the memory card on my camera got full, so not as many pictures as I wanted, hope you like the pictures I did take though. :)

KENSINGTON PALACE!