Getting Somewhere..

Okay this project is officially driving me insane! Surface design, no matter how concise your idea is, so so broad. i change one tiny thing and ive got a whole new idea of how i can make something.. eurgh!

So basically i am trying to get the look of water-colour and the sketchbook look onto fabric with a screenprint, using methods that would be commercially available. id love to sit there and paint each small part individually but realistically, i cant!

I am using a techinique called Halftone. Its usually used to built up shading and shadows on a print, with a screen. You can use a program that changes a colour picture - a poster for example - into four halftone images, so you can print a bit like CMYK. anyway i quite like the look of halftone and it looks graphic, and it picks up detail that a block shape cant..

I didnt know if i wanted to halftone the birds over digitally printed splodges.. or what... infact im still not sure i just need a cup of tea and to look at a whole bunch of designs! But i could make hundreds of different ones!

This is the first image that i have made all day that has kinda made me sit here and be like.. okay we are GETTING SOMEWHERE! yay!!

I know the blue doesnt really go with the magpie but the plan is to make it like a colour palette - a large splodge and bird in blue, large in purple, and a slither or line of orange, that sort of thing, so that it is in keeping with the colour palette but in a different way. it could go completely wrong; i wont know until i burn my screen tomorrow and give it a test run!!

The result of todays work - after lots of hand drawn and photoshop work, i made this using paint and microsoft word (giving up on understanding abobe)

The thing that worries me is this is not like anything i have done before. I dont see any links or patterns in my work.. apart from drawn line. Ive never done anything that looks this digital before!

Colour Splash & Technique work

This week i have been trying to figure out my colour palette and also figure out what my pinpointed technique or subject matter is.. urghhh still not very excited at the thought that all the work i have done so far is for nothing so this aspect of the project is kinda going nowhere!!

Here is my first colour palette.. in splash form! Im going to do them all like this because its pretty and my 'thing; is watercolours.. even though these were Acrylic paints.. watered down.. because i can ever get watercolours the right colours.. if that makes sense! TOO MUCH COLOUR!

I dont know what the call this one. I also dont think i will even use it, It is too bright and in your face and also as im writing this ive remembered i forgot to even do a splash of the main background colour i intend to use..

:(

This is todays work :)

Very Summery Colour Palette; Too bright i think but might mix some colours in the print room and re-decide :D

Project Development

Today i had a tutorial with Kathy, our head of the Decorative Arts course and a specialist in all aspects of Textiles & Colour. This happens weekly and sometimes i leave feeling stressed out and even more confused, but sometimes i leave feeling like.. okay you know what, i know what im doing!!

And today i came out with a whole new view on my project.. not good with only three weeks to go! So the screen i was going to be creating tomorrow; yeah thats straight out the window; instead i need to go back to the drawing board and draw some more little birdies; doing something more interesting apparently! I need to choose whether i want my birds to be all on branches, all in flight, all hunting, searching, building nests etc, so that i have something a little bit different in my work, different to all the millions of other bird prints out there!

I think this will take me another week, then i can create my screen and get printing!

Also digital printing is now unavailable as one of the machines has broken down and the other one is fully booked til the end of the year. woopsy!!

Ill write again when i have some drawings of my new work; hopefully this should help with colourways too!!

In the mean time, i am making a toile for a weekender bag in calico. I am using Amy Butler Weekender Bag pattern at the moment. I know its not my own pattern, but its one that i love and i know it works. i need to start with something kind of simple, something someone else has designed first so that i can understand more about pattern making. If you cant beat them, join them! For now anyway. I need to create this perfectly, including feet, poppers and piping, before i use the fabric i have created... Urgh i just know something is going to go wrong :(

New Project - British Birds

My new project is self-driven. We had to create our own brief.. which is kinda scary!
I am currently working from drawings to create my second fabric collection. I thought i would share a few of my drawings and ideas! Im thinking classic british birds, onto eco-friendly unbleached linen, with screenprint and resist dye techniques. Im back into the studio next week where hopefully i can get some techniques started and hopefully have a collection sorted by the end of the month! Things move too quickly for my liking.. But i cant work properly until i have the pressure of a deadline looming! Really bad habit i know :c

Kingfisher.. with fish!

Kingfisher Colour-ways in ribbon.

Embarressed to say that i dont know what bird this is! I just found it in a magazine and it didnt say!

One for Sorrow; Two for Joy.

Some quick ideas!

The Travel Collection

I think i would like create travel collections with my fabrics; there is something luxurois about designer travel cases, whether its travel wallets, makeup cases or full weekender bags. It all adds to experience of a weekend away! I think some of this has something to do with the way i was brought up to be honest! My Mum is a woman who always travels first class and refuses to go on the London Eye without a glass of champagne (Okay, this one is my fault, i took her on a champagne flight for her birthday and now she cant go back to a normal flight!). She always has lovely weekender bags and accessories.. It really does complete the experience!

The plan for these fabrics, i would like to make two weekender bags and perhaps some travel accessories. I think i will only have time to create one, i always set myself too much work for the timescale. But we will see how it goes, and how annoyed a get with my sewing machine!!

Thanks for looking at my blog :)