Colour from the Future...

After a tutorial yesterday with one of my lecturers i feel alot more on track! I now have more of a direction with my project and i know what i need to do to reach my goals for the next few weeks! Today its all about the colour! The colour palette i used for last semesters work is actually more on trend than i thought it was! I still deffinatley want to use that gorge 50's limey green colour in my designs, but after looking at the up and coming colour trends for A/W 2014-15 there seems to be a lot of pale and pasty colours involved, with occasional bright flashes of bold colours, like oranges and corals. I intend of building a new colour palette by the end of today, using my research from WGSN and other trend sites and magazines, Inc. Elle Decoration and MIX.

This is the colour i definatley HAVE to use!!! Im in love with it at the moment and feel like it has to be included in all my designs..which of course it doesnt!! Infact....i really should find out what its called!

Todays Progress...

So today the plan was to draw up a few worksheets of patterns with my dads pens! At first i focused on drawing bulb shapes in my sketchbook. I loved the intricate insides of the plant bulbs and decided to interpret this with geometric pattern on a worksheet. I felt a bit lazy using the magic markers after a while, so i decided to paint the worksheet with gouache. I like the overall finish of the sheet, but i think the colours are a bit muted and dull, they looked ok when i mixed them, but they seem to have dried darker than i intended them to be...

Initial drawings of bulbs from an old diagram i found in a 1950's gardening book.

Trying out the Watercolour and linear technique i used yesterday, inspired by Holly Trill

My worksheet, apologies for the quality of image (i will scan it in tomorrow at uni). The colours looks even worse on here!! Im pleased with the geometric shapes and overall feel to the sheet, however im not keen on the colours or the rooty buts at the bottom.

Dads Magic Markers...

Having a Dad that has a background/career in Art & Design is great! Yesterday after a good old moan my dad cracked out 2 huge tubs of 'Pantone TRIA' graphics pens...apparently they used to be called magic markers, but i don't think that sounds as professional! Luckily the colours (that are still working) all link to my chosen colour palette...

Today im working from home, so im focusing on drawing up some geometric shapes and pattern worksheets to develop my theme further. Il post them up later...

Struggling...

Despite all of the research i have done and all the artists i have been inspired by, today i have some serious artists block! I just tried to paint a courgette and it just looks like a big blue sock! For some reason this always happens to me when i should be getting as much work done as possible! I'll get artists block, don't do any work, get behind and then get depressed because im behind! Its like a vicious circle, i really hope i can break out of it in time! Im hoping a big hot chocolate and an episode of Miranda will help!

Hello Holly...

Today Ive come across the artist Holly Trill a freelance illustrator. I absolutely love her beautiful, fine and illustrative line drawings and have been really inspired to create some in my own style. I liked the idea of the line drawings, but i wanted to introduce more colour to mine...

 

Holly Trill's Vegetable illustrations, which particularly inspired me...

A commission for Quaker Oats Packaging...

  

Another commission, for a private autumn wedding print...

A page from my sketchbook with my own line drawings in my own style...

 

The Wee Beasties...

Whilst researching possible final products and patterns i came across this print company Timorous Beasties. Initially i was looking at their lampshades, but i had a browse at their other products and was really inspired by the broad range of colours and patterns they stock, also a lot of there print evolve around nature (hence the name of the company itself.) I loved the wallpapers and fabric prints, but fell in love with these lampshades. The rich colours and bold patterns made me think of my work last semester, and where i could take it this semester...click on the images below to take a look at the website for yourself...

This is my favorite lampshade, from the collection. I love the rich colours and this thistle pattern.

A selection of other lampshades, in various colourways from the collection.

The original wallpaper thistle pattern, used to create the thistle lampshade above.

I loved this modern and contemporary take on a tree wallpaper, i think it has a slight Japanese feel to it, with its pretty apple blossom and unusual tree shapes.

Todays progress...

After a chat with my CAD lecturer I have decided to go for a white clean and crisp business card and logo with elements of bold colour and geometric patterns. We decided that in doing this, that my design would be less likely to date, and would keep its modern appeal. I was really inspired by Kirath Ghundoo's logo, and have been since she came in as a guest lecturer last year. I love her stunning geometric patterns and i decided to try and incorporate some of her creative talent into my logo. I wanted to keep the colour palette bold and familiar, using colours and patterns that are related to my work as a designer, Below is my development from today...

Old Business Card (2012)

Kirath Ghundoo's geometric print logo.

  

My first geometric logo, inspired by Ghundoo's work, containing some of my own prints, within the triangle shapes and familiar colours. (Unfinished.)

Feeling like a real designer...

Professional practise today. I'm going to try and whip up a few new business card ideas. I designed my current one last year and as my work has changed since then I feel it needs a re-model!!! So when people pick it up then can get an idea of my style :-) Il post up a few pictures later...

Snow & trade Shows...

Well after an eventful morning of snow and coach travel (yes im sure you can imagine...) we finally got to the Interior UK Show. It wasn't really what i was expecting. I thought they would be a lot more textile, tactiley things there! I felt a bit scared to touch things!! The highlight for me was the Birmingham University New Designers Stand. It was interesting and inspirational to look at how designers at a similar level to me were working and exhibiting. I also enjoyed looking at how all the stands were presented, some were very elaborate and others quite simple, but it was good to get some sort of an idea for New Designers! I have got a few images of some really nice business cards i picked up, but my PC wont let me upload them, so hopefully il be able to post them tomorrow!!

Spring colours...

I was browsing in store at the new 'NEXT' spring collections on Thursday and i have to say, im loving the fresh citrus colour palette there using throughout there 'Good Life' collection. The collection seems to have a sort of natural, fresh, summary, french kitchen theme about it. This lemony green colour has been a favorite of mine for a while now...

 

 

 

 

A day out...

Tomorrow were all off to the Interiors UK Fair at the NEC in Birmingham. Im really looking forward to being inspired by all the stands and products and taking lots of photographs...Plus everyone loves a trip out! I'll keep you updated and let you know it goes tomorrow evening!

Sofa.com

As you know i entered the sofa.com competition a few weeks ago. Unfortunately i didn't make the shortlist, but here are a few of my favorite designs that did...

By Ruth Duggan, Textile Design at Nottingham Trent University

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Sky Proctor, Textile Design at Nottingham Trent University

By Emily Thompson, Textiles for Fashion & Interiors at Bath Spa University

Research, research, research...

This week has been all about the research! Ive been looking into possible final products, new artists and designers and at various colour schemes and patterns for 2013/14 trends that can help me update my collections and colour ways. I have decided that this semester i would like my work to develop a more graphic, Scandinavian style. Simplistic,with bold colours and shapes. Whilst researching i came across the artist Lotta Jansdotter. I really loved her graphic printed style and the way she has incorporated nature within her work. I also love the bold contemporary colours she has used, which gives her work a contemporary edge. Here are a few images of her work below...

Sofa.com Competition...

Happy New Year!! After a lush Christmas and New Years break I’ve finally decided to get back to it!!  I wanted to write on here over Christmas, but I wasn't sure what to put! During the break I received a message from my lecturer telling me about a new and emerging designer competition. The competition was with a company called ‘Sofa.com’ the names pretty obvious, so it’s not hard to tell what it was about!!

The Brief:-

‘the creative challenge’

 “We’d like you to create a brand

new print design for an upholstery

fabric to join our range of exclusive

designer fabrics.

We’re looking for a design that our customers

will find striking and innovative, but not

intimidating or bewildering; something that

they’ll be bowled over by but that they can also

imagine in their home. The winning design has

the potential to become one of our most popular

patterned fabrics.”

I used the patterns I had created last semester as inspiration for the project. I created several designs and then placed them onto the sofa templates I downloaded from the competition brief. I really enjoyed using cad and putting my fabric designs onto sofa templates, I was quite pleased with the final sofa design that I chose to enter. It’s quite a modern pattern, but I do feel it could look good in a traditional environment too. Below are some of my designs…

I was asked to also include up to 5 Moodboards to show how i was inspired throughout the project. Above is one of the Moodboards i entered containing several artists work Inc:- Mark Herald & Angie Lewin.

The first CAD sofa design i created. I like the simplicity of this design, however I didn't feel that it would quite suit to the tastes of the companies client base.

This is the completed sofa design that I entered into the competition. I really like the colours and the pattern. I feel that it looks quite traditional, but with a modern quirky edge.