James Weston

 Jame Weston specialise in Lino and Woodcut. He decided to work with a limited colour pallet and he like Wormell works with a mix of traditional and digital. His work features in publishing and editorial. Westons work is amazing and it is interesting how he incorporated digital and print to work together. Using plain gradient background allows for the intense detail on the Lino/woodcut, for example the women jumping into the pond. The bushes and trees that surround are highly  detailed but the women has been done using more graphic techniques with block colours and shapes , thus doesn't get lost in mid ground. Every line / shape is also in colour , back is only used in dark shadows. This is a technique that I need to get back into my own work. Black outlines are not as interesting or effective as using blocks of colour to shape the different elements of the image. It also allows as Weston has shown for the addition of other elements without making the image over crowded. Control and planning seem to be key in this. And with the addition of digital techniques and spending time perfecting these , the process with speed up vastly.

Interim evaluation 1

After trying to tackle a hard social issues by undertaking a deep level of research and working out how best to visually communicate this within context of practise. I have found that I get burnt out quickly and struggle to get the work up to a high standard that im happy with. So I want to create work on much lighter subjects, focusing more on narrative and the idea, whilst mastering the techniques I use to make the images. One of my aims is by the end of this module is to have designed a collection of silk scarves. Incorporating image and narrative onto textiles is something that I am trying to grapple with and am going to continue to do. The reason behind wanting to design silk scarves is it a simple way of applying narrative illustration onto commercial products and once it is on fabric it is easier to visualise being applied to other fashion based products. Scarves also have a simple format, they are just a square. This means that I will be able to create multiple designs that can be applied to other ideas, such as wrapping and wall paper , product packaging. This all however need to be research. I need to find a target audience, an appropriate theme and investigate how the images could work on different products. Currently it appears that the overall project will be extensive but split up into shorter briefs. From working on the ohh deer brief I am starting to develop an idea of how the scarves could be and work like. Even though the patterns used in the development don’t have any narrative, they still help with understanding how the composition could work. More importantly at this stage is how the silk acts once it has been printed on. I have found that it is better with some binders than others. Printing with too thick a binder means that the fabrics flow is hindered, but also with the ink being think and bold it doesn’t have that natural transparency that occurs within the material. Playing with the fabrics has also allowed me to see one dyed how the different colours work together. Natural dyes have a nice subtle tone to them, but depending on the narrative I find to work with , a bolder more colour using direct dyes would be better. You also get more verity with this form of dyeing. Having this time to experiment I think it vital to my practice. Your still producing work but with a less intensive subject and theme, and by doing this I am start ot really gain an understanding in the values of take that time out to explore, play and have a break from  working with the hard hitting projects.

Chris Wormell illustration

 Chris Wormell is an illustrator who specialise in Linocut. He recently designed the cover for 'The Book of Dust' recently named Waterstones book of the year. I bought this book and was fascinated in the cover instantly. Seeing that straight away it was a Linocut I was surprised. Recent book covers that I have seen for example the cover for 'A Handmade's Tale' Margret Atwood  and ' Turtles all the way down' John Green take a much more graphic approach to their design. Bold shapes and type. But seeing a cover that has been designed using Lino print and for a books arrival has been anticipated and who's author is prestigious is inspiring and fantastic to see. The process and image makes the book look and feel significant and have a sense of difference and refinement. It also links to the darker and fanciful nature of the book. In a video on Wormells website he explains his process and how it has changed from a purely traditional process to one that now incorporates new digital techniques. He still cuts and prints using the traditional methods and then edits the different prints together using photoshop. But one process that his video reminded me of and which I forgotten was Lino reduction. When you just use one block and you print the initial block cut and work back into it and re print. This allows for multiple colours for edition prints but also accurate lining up of the different layers when editing. He also explores digital brushes , one the sea in the cover this is evident as it would be hard to achieve the wispy splash with Lino as it is a bold material. I also an interested to see how he has utilised negative space.e.g. sky and trees, this helps to balance out the image and highlight the key points of focus.

Design Samples on cotton

Naturally dyed cotton and screen print experiments. These design are stronger as the are completely process driven. The strong pencil marks are a element that I really like and balance with the boldness of the mono print texture/ shape. The solid white also helps the balance. The shapes are positioned to allow that breathing space instead of a repeat sections can be selected and enlarged. I also realised that when ironed the fabric dyed with Cochineal (below) had a marble effect and this was interesting as it suited the textures larger textures that were printed onto it.

final colour pallet

Decided to restrict the pallet down to no more than 5 colours. Using anymore would have complicated the designs and some small extra colours can be made overlays. Keeping these colours bold and block solid allows for the textures to speed for themselves.

Ohh Deer pillow fight finals

Mark making and development Ideas

 In order to get my ideas out quickly, I decided to use ink and a large A3 sketchbook. Not thinking too much about I was aiming for I just experimented with the paintbrushes. Played around with different sizes and techniques, but the one that seemed to work best was a medium square-shaped brush used dry in the ink. This example here shows the same brush and technique being repeated, but everytime the quality of the line is different.
When the line becomes dry and you see the finer detail the texture produced by the individual hairs in the brush. An example below to using the same techniques and materials but drawing circles works well. Every circle is different but spaced out on the page as they are, forms a pattern.

Final Design

I initially screen printed onto fabric hoping to take strong photos of the samples or scan them in, however, the fabric I used was silk and would not take or scan on correctly. I did still have the scanned on textures and shapes I used for the positives for screen print so quickly made the designs digitally. In order to avoid this next time, I need to think ahead and focus on what they want specifically. From my personal project within this, I wanted to print on silk and I this was an ideal exercise to get me out of my comfort zone and into experimentation and play. I found that it was initially hard to begin working in depth on the project as I didn't set myself a direction or theme. Working without this is hard and not that enjoyable and with the addition of the theme could have improved the work. The process of making was the opposite. Naturally dyeing different fabrics and printing onto these was valuable. It gave me chance to experience printing on textiles and working with the combination of colour and texture. The final ideas for the cushion covers came about very quickly and found it successful. I definitely overthought this project, trying to hard to come up with an idea when I had the elements to make a successful design already made. I need the kick this habit of overthinking and take time to step back and think.

Quick mockup digital idea development

 

• Experimental, overlay works to add depth and variations of colour. 
• Too crowded still and not sure how it would work as a repeat. 
• The quicker line work well, and dry brush strokes.
• Black as well is an interesting colour that could work. But it could distract from the other layers. 
• Below however without the darker tones it dose look over blended. 
• Good experiment to do but still not happy with it , not hitting the right note. There needs to be more breathing space between elements and I am starting to consider scrapping the idea of a repeat and just making experimental sample motifs and submitting them. 

Digital Developments

Using cut paper textures from monoprints I scanned in and mocked up this motif.  Aesthetically in this format, it looks okay but when repeated it is far too crowded and flat.  this design did take me some time to make and it feels too safe for a project that's key aim is to be experimental and bold. Working using the process of monoprint cut texture/shapes quicker than other traditional print techniques however it feels to control and neat for a textile design.
Boring as well. Really highlighting and using the textures and playing with scale could be a better approach. Become less conscious about how the final product could look but getting consumed in the process and enjoying that.

Certain elements are too bold and this feels, it to cause separation doesn't balance the design out.

Frankie magazine

Big fan of this magazine. Frankie is a Australian based magazine that is targeted at women and men ' looking for a magazine that's as smart, funny, sarcastic, friendly, cute, rude, arty, curious and caring as they are.' It covers a wide range of cultural subjects such as art, design , photography, fashion , music and craft. They aim to 'surprise and delight' their readers. http://www.frankie.com.au

They also support young artist asking different designers to create a cover for every quarterly issue. The whole magazine has a fun comforting feel to it. Even though it sources its stories within Australia the relevance of the dissections is international. In a podcast that is supported by the magazine , Wowee , has discussions with artist around the subjects of ethical design , start careers, dealing with clients, approaching design and building businesses. Listening to a podcast that they record with Abbey Rich they went into a in depth conversation around sourcing ethical materials, the expense of them and the impact this has on the products pricing and making. http://www.woweepodcast.com/episode-11

oliver bonas

 Oliver Bonas is an independent British lifestyle store. and specialised in designing fashion and homeware.
The company has a team of in house designers and their designs are inspired by how design has a positive impact on how the consumer feels. Oliver Bona has 63 stores across the UK. They also promote ethical trading.
The cushion designs are bold and playful and there product appear to target a similar audience to Anthropology however this is not stated. It is cheaper than Anthropology but it could be said that designs and colour pallets are that of high quality products. For example the Camo splatter cushion below used a similar colour pallet to some clothing and ceramics in Anthropology. Natural pinks, gold and whites. But as above desings can be more playful with the addition of blues and greens. Cut shapes and quick line/ mark making exists in a to of their product example below shown in gift wrapping.

Design Board Ideas and colour pallet

• From this board, I have identified the direction I'm working towards is Women's accessories and homeware.  So incorporating the ohh deer cushion design brief I am going to create a range of designs for scarves,  ceramics, and throws. 
• The designs will use the colour pallet I have created based on the designs I have looked at from a range of brands and artists.
• I am aiming to work towards the high end of the market and specifically aimed at women aged 20-35.

Anthropologie

• Anthropologie is another large company but on a smaller scale compared to Burberry. 
• Their target buyer is the 'creative-minded woman, who want to look like herself, not the masses.' 
• ' Our products offering consists of women's apparel and accessories, intimates and home furniture...'  They also cover products in beauty, gifts, and decor. 
• They say that each caters to the lifestyle of 'our five muses: soft and delicate; boho chic; easy cool; elegant classic; and modern sporty. I like the mode of synthesis they have put in to ensure that they are making with the customer in mind first. The two that stand out to me the most are boho chic, which is based on bohemian and hippy dress influences. This is a style that I tend to personally find most appealing when I shopping for clothes and decor myself. 
• The style tends to use quite lightweight, flowing material which is usually embellished with embroidery or additional material to help form a looser shape. see figures 1 and 2 below.  
• The second lifestyle that interests me is the elegant classic. The style of clothing that is designed is much more muted soft colours. The design of the fabric is simple but still bold. It is a lot slicker in it fitting as well both clothing and decor. see figures 3 and 4 below.
• Within their company, they are interested in sustainability. The store is connected to a wider company that house Urban Outfitters, Free people and Vetri Family. 
• The clothing within Anthropologie for example dresses ranges from £100 - £400, shirts - £50- £90. The homeware £60 - just over £100. The products they sell are of a high-quality standard, so would last and the prices do place it on the higher end of the market. 
•  I really like what the store produces and stands for. Their designs are contemporary and have a calming, comforting quality/ feel to them. It embodies all the qualities I look for when shopping for myself and I believe that it is a form of design that is up and coming. 
• The best step for me next is to probably come up with design boards of others work that interests me and research the links into who the designs are aimed at and the price/ market range they sit in. This will help me narrow down and market area and consumer. 

Vidio, below taken from 2011 autumn collection and the interaction between colour, print and the consumer. 

(figure 1)

(figure 2)

 (figure 3)

(figure 4)

Burberry - Scarves.

• Looking into the more mainstream high-end textile design. I am interested in this scarf design by Burberry. Burberry obviously works on a much larger scale compared to the small independent designers/studios I have already looked at. 
• Burberry in its origins was dedicated to outdoor clothing has since vastly expanded to cover fashion, accessories, and beauty. 
• The company designs are made by in-house designers, but an abundance of other teams including in-house legal, business and heads. 
• It has stores that are international and in large numbers. 
• Price range for this scarf is around £300. and is a mixture of silk and cotton so fairly lightweight.
• But the reasons I decided to look at this scarf is it has qualities that I liked in the other works I have looked at previously but it does have a point of difference.
• Similarities lie in the simple shapes and marks but the order of them is much more rigid and controlled so in some ways could be said to be less experimental. However, because the market is so high-end and the scarf has to fit with the Burberry aesthetic the design must emulate this. 
• It is a very bold and contemporary design but I'm not so keen on how structured it is. 
• I need to find definitions and opinions on what defines high end fashion. 

SlowDown Studio.

• Slowdown Studio is a collective project of designer Marc Hendrick. Within the collective Hendrick selects home and international illustrators and artists to create woven blankets.  The blankets consist of 100% cotton with the aim of being versatile for a verity of uses. 
• The studio is only small so can only run a limited number of blankets and these have a selling price of around £175 each.  So the studio runs as an independent studio. But their stocklist is highly international.
•  The blanket above, designed by Tom Abbiss Smith - UK based illustrator, is one that I particularly like. His practice is mainly collage based and as such is highly experimental. The main reason I like this design is mainly the colour pallet. The mix between softer pastel colours and then the bold black rips and marks is an interesting balance that works. The darker shapes elevate the design and help to highlight certain features, for example, the pink flower shape. 
• The different textures, in the ripping of paper and varying marks aesthetically are gorgeous. They give the product a strong tactile nature.
•  The tactile and experimental feel is something that I am aiming for in my practice as it is very process driven, this is a good example to take note from. 

Abbey Rich

• Abbey Rich is a textile and clothing designer from Melbourne.
• She has her own independent online store where she sells her clothing.
• Rich has a small collection in collaboration with Frances Cannon 'flesh and bone' - it is subtitled a Self Romance collection ' To last and become part of your wardrobe for many years to come whilst celebrating yourself as you wear them.' 
• Her practice revolves a lot around sustainability, finding fabrics that are ethically sourced and will last. This is an interesting ethos. It is very logical in its approach in that you as the creator know that it is promoting an ethics with fashion/product, however, as she notes herself it is hard to find the right places that source these materials.   
• Riche's practice also works around the themes of the self and connections with that. Another example of one collection she did again in collaboration was ' lifeblood'. 
• Riche's work interests me because of the connection to an ethical practice but also the colour palettes and shapes she uses within her clothing. I love the simplicity of them! The trousers showed in the image above, the line quality feels free-flowing and the pattern is designed it think as such that it doesn't overpower the construct of the garment. It incorporates this feature in and makes the design holistic. It is elegant and still holds that experimental edge.  
•  The video below goes into more detail about the 'lifeblood' collection. 

Action Plan.

Action plan of briefs -

• Ohh Deer - Pillow fight - deadline 20th November.
• Penguin covers - non fiction and children's fiction - 6th March 
• Folio Society - Sherlock Holmes - 
• YCN -
• Own briefs.
• Hookworms -March .
• V and A?
• 
  

Rational - 

While C.O.P is going on i'm going to tackle the briefs that have the simpler outcomes, so that is the pillow and penguin covers. They are good briefs to gage an idea of where I would potentially like to go next in terms of my self breifs . Do I do more design / pattern based briefs or word and text? I am however going to have to schedule time where is dedicate to this work. Thinking Thursday afternoons and Friday's. 

Confessional statement.

In my practise the go to process is lino print that is digitally edited then screen printed into the final image. This is very time consuming and required a lot of strategic planning. However it was giving me strong results and my skills in it improved as I repeated it. But I would say that my biggest fear lies in fear of getting things wrong by making work that is quick ,simple and experimental. A process lead practise is key to how I work and I am not making enough use of experimentation and play opportunities that I have with this approach.  I now feel that this is hindering the development of my practise. Normally I like to take time to plan an idea but I have realised that there are definite hesitation and a lack of confidence in making work that is quick and using experimentation as a key part of this. I also never use block shapes and bright colours together, so a more graphic approach to image making. But after the second 7x7 task, where I set myself the challenge to apply a new technique that forced me to use all of the new approaches above, but to a time constraint of half an hour. I was surprised to find that I found the process successful and enjoyable. Working with bright colours and shape is very different tone wise to what I normal make and it is perfect for making an image or pattern more light heart but more crucially appealing. Like I said in my statement of intent, I want to explore printed textiles more. So, carrying on this method of working quickly and through experimentation could be a good approach. While using this process I also felt free and less constricted. And it made me think in a different way and helped to move away from the more representational approach that I fell into towards the end of 2^nd year, which I am please about as I felt the images where quite dull. The new approach, even though still print based it is more exciting and fun to do !  I am not going to completely discount lino print as I feel I have a high skill set ( a potential USP) in this ,but I will now be using smaller amounts of this process and increasing the amount of experimentation I use to create work. A new aim for my practise is to create an element that is exciting, experimental and fun.

Statement of intent.

The themes and subject matters that I tend to address in my work cover the topics that relate to social and political issues. I normally take the approach of doing in- depth research into subjects and from this I develop ideas. Working with these subject areas, you must consider the audience, possible reactions and the content of the image. Tackling social subjects that are related to race, class or religion are very heavy going and an aim for myself in the module is to try and step away from the serious and go toward lighter subject matters. With the practical development of these ideas I use print processes such as lino and screen which give successful results. However this is very time consuming and with one sector of illustration I’m interested in , editorial, and using my current process ,the turnaround wouldn’t be quick enough. Within my approach to documenting the work and research I find having a material with which I can write and dot down ideas helpful. The blog is useful for this however writing too much is an issue. Taking the writing out of the blog into book form could be a good alternative and help me to condense down the key points. But the blog is still useful for posting development images. It makes it easier to look back pick up failings or ideas that could be taken further. However, going back to point of a more light heart approach, within this module I want to add a more experimental approach to my practise. I want to explore printed textile and more ascetical driven ideas. As I am finding, working constantly with difficult subjects can make my ideas dry. By creating and making for ‘vanity projects’ I’ll be able to play around and develop technique more, with the aim of improving the images I make. Process lead practise will still be essential to how I work. I find using process to develop ideas very effective and by the end of this module and as a practitioner this is something I would like to be identified as. My aim at the end is to be an illustrator that is able to create ascetically pleasing designs for commercial use e.g. textiles and product, but also still work in the editorial sector. Not in political and social issues but more creative magazines and articles. Currently I still feel like my practise is wavering slightly and I haven’t settled yet on a process that I am happy with and can be applied to different sectors and keep its core visual signature. One way around this is to simply play, have a re brand and develop work that had an identifiable continuity.

 My plan in for project management is to section certain days a week to work on the different modules and projects. This may however change due to factors such as external meeting with clients , so then I will need to schedule in catch-up time. 

My aims for this module:

·      Work with light heart subjects light hearted.

·      Do more ‘vanity porjects.’

·      Develop through play and experimentation a flexible and consistent visual signature/ process that can be applied to the different sectors of illustration.

·      Increase professional identity.

·      Build an effective network from sectors mentioned above.

·      Have confidence in my process.

·      Have fun !