Working on my sketchbook / 24/0316

These were drawings I did in the Manchester museum. I like the mummified cat as it such a unique shape. It has given me ideas to do unique characters in my work. However it is not very detailed and there is not much you can do with this idea. The cats I drew are very simple faces and I want to focus on drawing the bodies and the movement of the big cats. I like the shapes of the shapes, they have really inspired my work. However I like the lines and the texture on the faces.

 I like this drawing of a piglet because it is the full body sketch rather than just a face. I really like the patches on the piglets I drew and this could give me inspiration for printmaking or embroidery. I like the shape of the horns of the goat. I like all the lines on it. The horns are a really unique shape that will inspire my development. I really think I should use more colour in my sketchbook.

I am not that happy with this drawing of a cat. I don't think it looks very realistic. However I am glad that I used coloured pencils as this gives an idea of what colour fur the cat has. I drew the cat and the cow because people usually treat cats very well yet cows are killed and eaten. In my development I will do prints exploring this idea. The drawings are also just basic outlines and I want to do more details in them so you can see the details of the ears and fur.

What I want to do next:
- create more comparisons of cats and cows and use other animals
- do close up drawings focusing on one area of the animal rather than just drawing it's face. Do close up drawings.
- Use different materials in my work other than just fine liner drawings.

Reddish vale farm

On Sunday I visited Reddish Vale farm. I wanted to draw and take lots of pictures of the animals that were there. I wanted to see the different variety of animals at the farm and look at their features and furs. I also wanted to choose animals to do contextual research about, especially the pigs, cows, chickens etc that are slaughtered for their meat.


At reddish vale farm I was inspired by the prints of the animals, such as the piglets and the cows. To develop on from this idea I could do some printmaking.


I was inspired by the snouts and the curly tails of the pigs. I have done some drawings of them but I am not that pleased with them because I am not that used to drawing pigs.

I liked the cows because of their ears and snout, and they are very gentle animals. I am going to do contextual research into the meat and dairy industries that involve cows.











The wool of the sheep was so big and fluffy. So much so that they got some hey in their wool. Because I was so inspired by the sheep, I will research into some different types of wool and the sheep that produce them. I could also practice my knitting and create a knitting sample.

These are goats. I really like the variety of different colours on their coats. Their horns are their best feature and they really stand out. I could create a headpiece based on the goats' horns. I could also make some 3D sculptures.

I really liked the rabbits and the farm. This one at the top had cute floppy ears and the one at the bottom had long tall ears. The one at the top had very interesting movement as it was hopping about. I like the rabbits big eyes, tiny little noses and whiskers. I really like the shape of the rabbit at the bottom and how big it is.

I will do contextual research into how rabbits have been used for animal experimentation and combine the cute visuals of the rabbits with the horrifying facts of animal testing.

Visit to Manchester Museum

Today I went to visit the Manchester museum. I thought that the animals exhibition would be perfect for my final major project. I wanted to look at the animal bones and skins and look into why animals have been killed for their skins. I also wanted to look at the things in the museum where s have interfered with animals, such as butterfly catching and killing for sport.

I had heard about an exhibition called animal mummies, featuring animals that had been mummified in ancient Egypt. I wasn't sure how this would fit in to my research, but I still thought it would be very interesting.

The mummified animals gives me ideas for making 3D sculptures. I could do some fine liner drawings in continuous line. The mummies and the statues show how important cats were to the ancient Egyptians and this was their way of remembering them.

This is a tigon that lived at Belle Vue zoo. Her skin was moulded in to a shape so could continue to be admired by visitors of the museum. Even though this tigon died of natural causes, in my contextual research I will look in to big cats who have been killed by hunters.

I have been inspired by these stuffed taxidermy animals. I could create some cuddly toys, however I am not sure if this is too similar to a previous project. I could create an applique textile sample. I could develop on with the rabbits and cats in a childrenswear style. I like the difference between the big and small cats and will look at the difference between the two. I will also do some contextual research into rabbits and how they have been used for animal testing.

Here are some furs of animals being displayed at the museum. They had previously been sold at a market in Manchester. I am going to do some research into the fur industry and maybe collect some faux fur fabric samples and create textiles with them.