Talking Colour / Talking Pattern – Amaanya Bose
REFLECTION – Talking Colour and Pattern
When approaching the Talking Colour and Talking Pattern task, I decided to take advantage of the vibrancy and diversity of the city. I explored different parts of London to extract colour combinations and abstract forms that are observed in its mundane contexts. The vivid palettes used in the street art around Shoreditch, and in products sold by vendors at Old Spitalfields market served as inspiration for my initial outcomes. Other sources of inspiration came from other areas of London; I used pastels which referenced the iconic painted houses of Notting Hill, and saturated colours taken from sunsets I had captured from my bedroom window.
Throughout the task, I utilised a mixed media approach to ensure that I would be left with varied results that demonstrated experimentation. The media I used included acrylic paint, paper quilling strips, coloured pencils, paint sticks, and oil pastels. I believe that using coloured paper as a background as opposed to only white was particularly effective as this allowed me to explore colour theory by enhancing or reducing certain colours that were used.
I found that this task helped me to abandon my perfectionistic tendencies; not fixating on the result of my work enabled me to utilise a range of techniques without hesitation, to produce unexpected outcomes. I believe that this approach helped me to deviate from what I am usually accustomed to producing as I was not restricting myself to certain styles of working, or a certain medium.
To further improve what I have done, I would work on a larger scale to help my work have a greater impact, as a lot of my drawings and paintings were not any larger than an A3 size. I would also combine techniques to refine my work, as this would add dimension and more visual interest due to added texture and variations in opacity. I also believe that I would have benefitted from “zooming” in and out of my sources to achieve a different composition in my work, particularly for Talking Pattern, to explore proportion and detail in greater depth.
9th November 2025 @ 8:36 pm
I think her works are great. There are a lot of techniques, such as paper-cutting and tape application. The richness of materials is also one of her strengths. I like the collage effect of the first painting, some of which used gradient washes, and the whole picture looks harmonious and beautiful. For the sixth painting, I like the sense of lines and the usage of different colors. Only one type of line was used, but the whole effect is so complete and full. The seventh painting is also a style that I like very much, which makes me feel the passion of using those colors. The rubbing technique was used, and I really, really like it. The colors and materials in the eighth painting are really interesting, but I think it’s a little chaotic. The tenth gives me a sense of regularity, yet unique. The color matching is also very good. The color used in the twelfth painting is also very interesting. I guess it was achieved by using a roller and ink. I also like the seventeenth painting. It gives me a kind of feeling of naivety, just like the doodle of a child, which gives me the excited feeling. In the nineteenth painting, it is simple for the lines on the paper-cut, but through the continuous superimposition, it gives me a great sense of layer. And the twenty-first painting uses some magazines to create a collage pattern. I think this is a great attempt and can be continued by rotating and splicing, making it look more complete. Generally speaking, what I need to learn from this student’s works should be the collage technique. All these diversities are worth learning from.