'Speed!' -Final Collection

Here is just a small insight into my photo shoot images. It was a great experience and I will definitely collaborate with a photographer again to get more of these high quality images!

They are not only great for the photographers portfolio, but they also show my work to the best of their ability.

Below is a photo I took after I finalised my display at Final Major Project hand in. 

 I fell it shows my collection working well together, with my selected colour palette sitting well with one another. I had a hot colour group within my palette, along with a cooler variety of colours.

Above is a close up of one of my wallpapers. Hand screen printed with a large scale mechanical cog motif. The simple but bold repeat really appeals to me.

So here it is! My final collection of my FMP.

All there is to do now is eagerly await my results....

A Long Time Coming...

HELLO!!

I have finally found a few moments to fill you in on why I have been absent for so long!

My last post was just before a two week holiday to California. It was fantastic; my boyfriend and I saw as much as we possibly could. From San Diego to Las Vegas. Grand Canyon to San Fransisco! It was definitely a trip of a life time.....

I was then brought immediately back to reality, as my university Final Major Project deadline was looming. I tried with all my mite to get all of my practical work completed before my trip- and I am extremely glad I managed to because I simply wouldn't have been able to cope otherwise.

I had less then two weeks to finalise my sketchbook, trim and iron all of my samples and mount them. and decide on a final display to put up on the day of hand in!

I must say it was not the most enjoyable few weeks, but the feeling I had once everything was completed, mounted, typed and presented was fantastic. I had finally come to the end of my 3rd year of my university course and I was so pleased with my final project.

.....( I will add photos very soon!)

Since then I have had a little break and trying to decide what my next step is. Next week (21st June to 2nd July) I have my degree show at The Arts University College at Bournemouth which will be great to see my fellow peers work displayed all together and it will show off all of the talent out there.

The week after (29th June to 2nd July) is the New Designers show in Islington, London at the Business Design Centre- which I urge everybody to check out! My university has a stand in the centre of the show, which will be brilliant to exhibit all of our work.  It will be a very tiring few weeks, but fingers crossed it will all be well worth it!

Wish me luck :)

Further Developments and Final Designs

 

 This term I have really enjoyed designing and using the laser cutter to create cut out pieces. They link directly to my initial paper developments as I often use hand cut techniques to experiment with my imagery.

This firework style motif was created by repeating a triple ended motorbike exhaust and making it into a star shape. I really like the detail as it is a contrast to my other large, bold imagery. It is also not immediately obvious as to what exactly it is, therefore is thought provoking.

By layering laser cut vinyl with one of my digital fabric's I can play with scenarios and begin thinking how the collection will look together in an interior.

I love this wallpaper! I know it is very simple, but I think it has just the right balance between the block colour and the detail. I also feel that the colour proportion is successful. 

This giant cog/ miniature cog design is very bold and eye catching. I would see it as a feature within a room, perhaps a large architectural space as it may be too heavy for a home environment.

Here are my successful designs being hung together to see what else is needed to complete the collection. After discussing them with peers, I decided that the dark red vinyl was the one piece that stood out as it was slightly different shade of red to my digitally printed fabric's.

 I have now sourced a brighter, more vibrant red vinyl to replace this hand cut piece. I also felt the sample was not large enough so will create a larger piece to put forward as a final design.

So here it is so far.......



Digital Wallpapers

Today I managed to have several of my digital Photoshop designs printed onto A2 card as wallpaper samples.

I am very pleased with my colour combinations and the scale.

Originally this design was too dark for large scale wallpaper but after using my lighter colours I am really pleased with the effect. It reminds me of a 50's style light blue and mustard yellow wallpaper, with a new contemporary edge.

To begin with this simple red and white design was created for laser cutting, but after gaining alot of positive feedback about the simplicity I decided to include it as an interior design. The calmer print fits well beside a busier print to balance the colours and patterns within the collection. I felt the design was too basic and after seeking some advise from my peers, I added an element of detail to attract the viewers eye.

I love this grey and red bike chain print. This was my first digital design, which I later developed into a lighter colour scheme to brighten an interior. I feel this colour combination will work well as a fabric, to go alongside the matching wallpaper.

This design was constructed from a motorbike exhaust,which I put into a star shape motif and repeated to create another digital design. This works really well with my other designs as it has added texture, whereas others in the collection are bold, flat graphic images.

Laser work!

This week I will be reviewing the work that I have produced so far and I will have to make an informed decision on which paper print designs to take forward into final wallpapers and fabric's for interiors. It is really helpful to seek the advise of peers to help make a final decision.

Here are two paper designs that I feel have worked well and combine simple line drawing with block colour. The grey pattern below creates a great texture which adds depth and interest to my layered print.

Today I was able to take a huge step forwards into transforming my paper designs into fabric's. It is only the beginning and lots left to do, but I am very pleased with my first laser experience! 

This large piece of equipment is the laser cutter...

I always use hand cut papers when developing my drawings into ideas, therefore the transition to laser cutting is the most natural progression. Using the laser I am able to combine my drawings with the cut through technique I enjoy using.

Firstly I produced a repeat pattern, in Photoshop, using my small drawing of a cog and then exported it into Illustrator to create a file suitable to use on the laser machine.

After the fabric was cut I took out the cog shapes and was left with this fantastic fabric. It will be great for layering over more complicated patterns and prints. The cut out pieces will also be used in another sample, so there is no waste.

Here is another paper printed design, which allows my chosen colours to overlap and form visible layers. I like this effect and it can be translated into different layers of fabric/ papers with see through sections.

This laser design was cut into a thin sheet of plastic. I have tried sourcing fabrics that are slightly masculine to suit my classic car and motorcycle theme. I will use vinyl and experiment with other interesting fabric's to create a new and exciting collection for interiors.

The plastic worked extremely well and by using a double sided print I have created a design that has multi purposes. It will look amazing with light shining through it, or perhaps as a room divider on a larger scale.

I also tried etching/ engraving the vinyl to create a subtle background detail.

By using the flash on my camera I am able to see how the engraving shows up when the light hits the fabric at certain angles. This is a great technique that I will experiment with further, maybe using a large scale image and thicker lines. This will make the pattern more visible, yet still keep it quite subtle.

More...

Here are a few images from my sketchbook showing ideas and potential elements to take forward.

I am attracted to the patterns within the mechanic's of classic cars and motorbikes, rather than the vehicle as a whole form. I have already used the line of cogs for initial screen printing- small scale.

I often use paper cut outs to experiment with over laying patterns. These lead automatically to laser cutting on fabric and hand cutting into wallpapers, which I will sample with.

I like the busy texture in the background and the calmer block motif of a bike chain. I am currently making block shapes to go onto my screens to achieve this effect. The texture can also be created by etching into plastic's and vinyl- I will trial these techniques.

Drawing Developments

A recent drawing day was extremely useful to loosen up my hand and work more on mark making. It also helped me to become less precious about my work. This means I'm able to experiment, without trying to make the outcome perfect.

First of all I drew without looking at the page with charcoal to create an abstracted drawing of a rear light on a vintage car. I never enjoy not being fully in control of the image I'm making, but this drawing is fun and has energy, which I wouldn't have been able to plan.

Similar technique used in this drawing and I started to slowly introduce one of the colours from my palette.

This set of angular rear lights and wing to a car form the Haynes International Motor Museum is very different to my other collected imagery as it is very geometric. This drawing concentrated on the negative space and covering sections with textures.

This drawing used one shape taken from an image in my sketchbook and explored the different patterns I could create with just that one shape. I found it challenging as my eye was drawn to the same repeat patern's, but I feel I used scale and texture to add depth to the drawing.

Colour proportion experiments are very important and essential to play with before dyeing fabrics and printing papers. I found this exercise very useful in previous projects and will relate back to these colour combination pages in my sketchbook before deciding which colours to layer in my prints.