Reitsma has been one of my main influences because of his ability to create fabrics that look worn and aged, like they have been found and then later forged into clothes. He used processes like discharge painting and devoré. As these are not available to me, I have experimented with techniques and unconventional media to achieve samples that are inspired by the textures and looks of Reitsma’s work.
A costume for the film “Noah”. Textiles provided by Reitsma.
His work for the film “Noah” has been especially inspiring, with the textiles featured in that film communicating the same ideas as the Troll or Mulgarath’s characteristics and lifestyles. The Troll for example, lives in a mossy river in the darkest part of the forest as sunlight burns his skin. This means that his clothing will be ragged and ruined, possible with a heavy component, protecting him from the sunlight. In “Noah”, Reitsma gave the characters fabrics that look durable, but worn, as if they had lived and worked in those clothes their whole life. They also live in harsh conditions, meaning that they can only repair their clothes when they have torn. Although I cannot replicate the techniques that he uses, I can take inspiration from the rugged, textured fabrics that he has produced.
The first sample I produced was influenced by Reitsma’s work, my primary images and some real bark that I collected. I was focussing on the darker characters of the Troll and Mulgarath as these characters are referenced to live in muddy conditions and would therefore have rugged clothes like those that Reitsma designed for “Noah”.
In the book the troll is said to have a nose that is “gnarled like a branch”. This is where my inspiration for my first sample based on bark came from. I carved raised shapes from florist block and arranged them together. The florist block is quite smooth and grainy, so doesn’t give the texture that I was aiming for. To secure the surface of the grainy florist block and to add more texture, I used PVA glue and muslin to cover the whole sample.
I am really pleased with the texture on this sample as it doesn’t look accurate to the real bark, but still has great texture and composition. I think that this technique would suit a heavy garment, matching the bulkiness of the florist block. The bark pieces could be concentrated on one area and gradually thin around the garment as if it was growing there naturally.
I developed this sample by using the less grainy florist block that is used for fake flowers so that it doesn’t break up as easy as the florist block I used for the original sample. To alter the colour to a more realistic depiction, I sponged fabric paint onto the surface using a combination of brown and green representing the damp bark and moss.
The next samples I completed were directly inspired by the fabric that Reitsma produced for “Noah”, whilst linking to the shapes and colours in my primary images.
Costume for “Noah”. Textiles provided by Reitsma
As I do not have access to the chemicals and techniques of Reitsma, I have created my own techniques to try and create my own version inspired by my primary images.
On a piece of brown cotton, I rubbed in green and yellow acrylic paint, influenced by the moss and yellow tortoise shells in my primary images (the tortoise shells are from the Manchester Museum). By adding this background colour, it created depth and a stained look.
After this, I dipped the whole piece in wax, making it matte and stiff, inspired by the garments on “Noah”. Also, the wax could have a deeper meaning; the troll lives in damp, wet conditions, therefore waterproof fabrics would be a practical choice.
For one of the pieces I bent the fabric, causing veins to appear, the position of which was inspired by the shapes of the bark in my primary images. The other, I also bent, but then carved more definitely the pattern of bark which I then rubbed more yellow acrylic paint in to emphasise the veins.
The sample with just wax on it looks much more natural, but slightly dull. However, the sample with the more defined yellow veins does give an interesting texture, but looks more deliberate and unnatural.
Because of these reasons, I decided to develop this idea with stitch and muslin. I used the same base fabric and dipped it in wax, bending it to create natural veins. Then, I dyed some muslin brown, (acting as the bark) and stitched it onto the waxed fabric, using free hand embroidery. For this, I used green (like the moss), but made sure that the tension on the bobbin was quite loose. This made the stitching leave loops of thread, acting like fluffy moss in the cracks of the bark.
After I had finished sewing the muslin onto the waxed fabric, I used a scalpel to cut the muslin close to the stitching, causing a fraying texture. I didn’t use scissors as I didn’t want a clean cut edge; The muslin needed to be frayed and textured, like the bark’s texture.
This sample worked well in creating texture and different surfaces. However, the muslin that I dyed was too rich of a brown, making it stand out too much. This technique could be used on sections of the clock that I have been designing for my final design.
Project Research 