Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

How are you today? I hope you're feeling really good, and I'm very pleased that you're here.

My name is Ms. Afzal, and I'll be your art teacher for today.

I'm feeling very pleased about this because we've got quite an interesting subject matter today.

I hope you'll find as well.

Our lesson is called "Thematic development: designing cohesive and expressive textile art." A lesson comes from the unit of work: Foundation Workshops: Developing Skills.

So I hope you're interested in developing your skills in this area.

And if you are, and if you have energy, focus and enthusiasm, we'll begin a lesson.

The outcome for today's lesson is, I can develop a textile artwork that is both cohesive and expressive by exploring a theme and combining techniques thoughtfully.

We have some keywords in our lesson.

Let's go through them.

Thematic, cohesion, and expressive.

So what do these keywords mean? Thematic is relating to a unifying idea or subject.

Cohesion, how well the elements of a design link together.

And expressive, showing feelings, identity, or ideas through design.

These are our keywords: thematic, cohesion, and expressive.

Let's look out and listen out for them.

They'll be coming up in our lesson today.

Our lesson is called "Thematic development: designing cohesive and expressive textile art," and it has two learning cycles.

First of all, research and visual development, and next, experimenting and technique application.

Let's begin by looking at research and visual development.

Artists often begin their design process by exploring a chosen theme.

They collect images linked to that thematic idea and bring them together on a collected images page or mood board.

This helps 'em see patterns, colors, and ideas more clearly.

And we can see a collection of images here all related to Japanese culture.

Visiting galleries or museums helps artists study imagery in more depth and connect their work to cultural traditions, giving their designs richer, more expressive meaning.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false.

Research isn't important to the making process as art should be spontaneous.

Pause here and decide, is this true or false? Well done if you selected false.

And now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this.

Research is essential because it gives your work a clear direction, connects your motifs to your theme, and helps your final outcome feel more cohesive.

Without research, your project risks looking random or disconnected.

Research builds a strong foundation for design.

Collecting images, textures, and stories helps artists notice patterns, find cultural meaning, and gather ideas.

This can then be developed into more cohesive designs later.

Artists who research specific topics to inform their work include: Rie Wenham researches the beauty and intricacy of spiders, and is well known for her embroidered goldwork spider designs.

Mr. Finch draws inspiration from nature and folklore, transforming them into imaginative textile creatures and stories.

Karl Rangikawhiti Leonard researchers his Maori weaving heritage to create works inspired by culture, mythology, and a natural landscape.

Luke Haynes takes inspiration from architecture using its forms and structures to shape his quilt designs.

Elias Sime is inspired by urban life and discarded materials, transforming electronic waste into intricate works about connection and community.

So we can see here some artists who research specific topics to inform their work.

Let's hear from Aisha.

"Drawing and painting from my research page helps me explore my sources in more detail.

I always leave space on the page for sketches and drawings as these studies support the development of my ideas later in the project." Pause here and share with someone how has you research informed and supported your projects and your artwork.

Thanks for sharing.

Let's have a check for understanding.

As a textiles artist, drawing is not important because the focus is only on fabric and technique.

Is this true? Choose from these answers: A, yes, because textiles only require practical making skills; B, no, drawing helps explore ideas, record details, and develop motifs; C, yes, visiting a gallery to look at a work is enough; or D, no, drawing is relevant to all disciplines.

Pause here while you decide which of these statements are true.

Well done if you selected statements B and D.

Indeed drawing helps explore ideas, record details and develop motifs, and drawing is relevant to all disciplines.

Photography plays a key role in developing thematic responses.

Instead of relying only on found images, artists take their own primary source photographs to capture details that are unique to their perspective.

Closeup photographs often highlight textures, patterns, or small shapes that might otherwise be missed, while wider shots give context and atmosphere.

Visual research through photography supports the design process and ensures the work is rooted in firsthand observation.

Pause here and share with someone, what's something in this closeup photograph that really catches your attention.

Perhaps some small detail, shape, or pattern.

I'm really taken with the markings, the small dark dots, and the contrast against the yellow and white background.

Exploring these sources through drawing and painting is an important stage.

Artists use drawing not only to record what they see, but also to slow down and notice finer details such as the curve of a line, the structure of a pattern or the relationship between shapes.

Painting and drawings or tonal studies all help to translate research into thematic ideas.

By drawing, artists begin to select and emphasize elements that could become central to their designs.

Pause here and share with someone, what's an element of this drawing that you think could become central to a future design.

Thanks for sharing.

And now it's time for your first task, to draw from your research.

You should look through your research and photography pages and select a source you would like to carry forward to support your thematic journey, produce a drawing or a painting from this source.

You could simplify your drawing to create a motif.

So pause here while you have a go at this task, a drawing from your research.

Enjoy your task, and I'll see you when you're finished.

It's good to be back with you.

How did you get on with that task of drawing from your research? There are many possibilities, but you may have come up with something like this.

Let's hear from Jun.

"Drawing from my photography and research has helped me understand the finer details of shapes, colors, and forms, and has made my work more expressive." Thanks for sharing that, Jun.

And now I'd like you to share with someone nearby your journey, so showing them where you started with your photography perhaps, and then the drawing or painting that you have created since.

Thanks for sharing.

And now we're onto our next learning cycle: experimenting and technique application.

From their studies and drawings, artists create motifs that are simplified and adapted.

They might choose a leaf, shell or geometric detail and reduce it to its essential form, removing unnecessary detail.

Simplifying a motif makes it easier to repeat, layer and adapt into textile processes such as block printing, applique, embroidery, or dying.

This shift from a complex source to a clear motif allows artists to create thematic designs that are cohesive across different stages and technical processes.

Pause here and share with someone how has this artist simplified the design of the dragon from the more detailed original to the image we can see on the right.

Thanks for sharing those observations.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false? I don't need to experiment with techniques; I could just go straight to making my final piece.

Pause here and decide, is this statement true or false? Well done if you said false.

And now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this.

Experimenting first is important because it lets you test how your motifs look in different processes, compare results, and refine your choices.

This makes your final piece more confident, cohesive, and expressive.

As artists build samples, they combine and refine techniques.

Layering processes such as printing with stitch or dye with applique adds richness and creates more cohesive outcomes.

Through sampling, artists discover which techniques best capture the mood or message of their theme.

A block print might emphasize bold shapes and repetition, while embroidery could highlight fine detail or add texture.

Pause here and share with someone your impressions of the various creations that we can see on our screen.

Some wonderful examples of sampling.

Thanks for sharing.

Each method reveals something different about the motif and helps the artist decide which direction feels most expressive and cohesive within their thematic work.

Let's hear from Aisha.

"Experimenting with different textile techniques help me see what works best.

Having samples to compare makes it easier to decide which ideas to take forward." Artists that experiment with different textile techniques include: Nour Hage experiments with textile techniques by blending, weaving, embroidery, and patchwork with unconventional materials and digital methods, reflecting identities and cultures from West Asia.

Tau Lewis uses experiments by repurposing found fabrics and materials, piecing them together to build new narratives in her sculptures, creating layered works that explore memory, ancestry, and black female identity.

Monica Leitao Mota experiments with various textile techniques, combining weaving, stitching, and layering to create textured sculptural representations of aquatic forms. So we can see there are a number of artists experimenting with different textile techniques.

Pause here and share with someone.

Do you know of any other artists that experiment with different textile techniques? Pause here and share with someone if you do.

Thanks for sharing.

Artists keep a clear thread from research to final piece, ensuring each stage connects and the outcome is cohesive.

Let's have a check for understanding.

When creating a final outcome, the creative journey documented through your supporting work is, A, not important, only the final outcome matters; B, vital as it shows how your ideas developed and links your outcome to your theme; C, irrelevant, exploring and sampling are just wasting time; or D, important, a project should mostly show experiments as the final outcome doesn't actually matter.

Pause here while you decide.

Well done if you selected answer B.

Indeed when creating a final outcome, the creative journey documented through your supporting work is vital as it shows how your ideas developed and links your outcome to your theme.

The process of planning your outcome can look like this.

So we have the motif of the dragon, which has been simplified.

We have a sampler of the flower, and there we have what our final design will look like with both the dragon and the flowers.

Look through the sample pages in your sketchbook and consider how you could combine two or three techniques in a cohesive way to support your thematic ideas.

Pause here while you do this.

Thanks for taking some time to look through your sample pages and see how you could combine two or three techniques in a cohesive way to support your thematic ideas.

Once you've selected the motifs and techniques for your final outcome, begin planning your design.

Consider composition, scale, color, and process order and show how your chosen techniques will create a cohesive, expressive outcome that communicates your thematic journey.

And now it's time for your next task.

I would like you to plan your final outcome.

You should look through the sample pages in your sketchbook and consider how you could combine two or three techniques in a cohesive way to support your thematic ideas; illustrate your final outcome, including the motifs and techniques you plan to use in your final outcome; use the elements of art with purpose to create an expressive response; add annotations to your plan, justifying your creative choices and explaining your ideas.

So pause here while you have a go at this multi-stage task of planning your final outcome.

Enjoy your task, and I'll see you when you're finished.

It's great to be back with you.

How did you get on with that task of planning your final outcome? You may have created a wonderful design as we can see on the screen.

Let's hear from Aisha.

"I finished illustrating my final outcome and it shows the motifs and techniques I developed through my research and sampling.

Following my design process has helped me keep a clear thread so my plan feels thematic and cohesive, ready to take forward into my final piece." Love your thinking.

Love your attitude.

And I hope you enjoyed planning your final outcome and that you're excited about how it will all turn out.

In our lesson, "Thematic development: designing cohesive and expressive textile art," we've covered the following.

As an artist develops their ideas, they often work with a unifying theme that guides their choices and makes the work thematic.

They collect images, sketches, and references to focus their research and then adapt these into motifs.

By repeating shapes, balancing colors, and layering techniques, they create cohesive designs where all the elements connect.

This process also allows for expressive work, as artists use color, texture, and composition to communicate feelings, ideas, or cultural meaning within their textile work.

Well done, everyone, for joining in with this lesson.

It was great to explore thematic development with you, looking at themes, ideas, processes, exploring, creating samples, and then of course planning your final outcome.

I hope you've enjoyed this lesson.

I've really enjoyed teaching you, and I'm looking forward to seeing you at another art lesson soon.

Until then, stay creative.