My journey of textiles
Paper Collection
I finally came to the decision that I was going to create the rest of my patterns using Photoshop as it best fitted the style I was aiming to achieve. With lots f patients and time i managed to start to get the hang of things and start to create motifs and croquis designs that i was proud of.
Here are my patterns, i have also been looking at alternative colourways and backgrounds to see what works best.
Digital Stitch
Over the course of this project i have really been enjoying experimenting and creating new patterns using digital stitch.
One of my feedback comments was to try brighten the colours and change my fabric choices when using digital stitch to stick with my colour pallet. I have taken this in to consideration and have used metallic fabric and bright shinny threads.
The fabrics you can see make up the secondary and blender patterns.
I have been using different techniques within the digital software such as the repeat motif fill, and the turning angle which allows you to create smooth flowing stitched curves.
So far in part 2 of making connections i have been gathering all my motifs and making croquis designs. I have enjoyed this process of trying out new layouts and different motifs next to each other to create something new. I feel like this exercise has helped me move my project on and look at my motifs in a new light.
I have also been doing some research into space and zodiacs looking in different books to take shape and colour inspiration from.
On Thursdays i have been in the stitch workshop focusing on my digital stitch. I have really enjoyed getting back in to using the software and am super happy with the results so. We have been learning new tools with the program to give your work more edge. I feel that some of my motifs will look really good digitally stitch rather than screen printed so i am going to hopefully create lots of samples to test this.
I also attended a book binding workshop as my original end goal was to create personalised book covers that related to your star sign. With that in mind i went in to the workshop and create my first ever book. I really enjoyed the process and found it rather rewarding. I am looking in to hopefully taking this new skill i have learnt and combining it with my digital stitch samples to hopefully create a book.
The other technique that I have started to look into is Fabric Manipulation. I would like to create boarders using this technique. I have started to have a go using paper to understand how the folds work. Here are my examples
Self-set Written Agenda – Revised
1)General Aim
To create a paper and fabric-based series of samples for the stationary company ARK Colour Designs that will be suitable for females of the age 16 – 24 years inspired by a ‘spiritual journey’ theme.
2) More specific objectives
– The season for the theme spiritual journey is A/W 20/21. I will be referencing mystical spiritual astrology, star signs and the zodiac. The colour trends will be quite bright to in keep with the company’s style but also adding foiling for the extra shine and sparkle which the company already do.
The target market for my theme is based around females of the ages between 16-24 years. The theme is playful, young and quirky with a hint of mystery to it. Women like to have fun stationary as it can reflect their personality. With the theme linking to horoscopes and zodiac signs it allows the clients to have something that is more personal to them.
The theme of ‘Spiritual Journey’ is all about looking into horoscopes, star signs, the zodiac. I will be taking inspiration from horoscopes, tarot cards, the moon, sky, stars and space and maps.
My theme will be evidenced through many different medias, I am looking to explore ink, fine liner, painting, bleach, gouache, lino, sponge with ink, and paper cut collage. Through using different media, I can experiment with what works best with the theme, colours, and client persona. I am looking to transfer these experiments then into the workshops such as screen printing, heat transfer, the dye lab, stitch and digital stitch. Through using a wide range of workshops allows me to add depth texture and meaning into the pieces I am creating.
Due to wanting to foil and heat press I will be using synthetic fabrics as that’s what works best with the processes. For the paper cut work in my sketch book I will be using coloured card and then for the papers that I have created myself through heat transfer are just from normal printer paper. I will also be using different fabrics in the stitch room along with threads and yarns, sequins and beads.
The colourway that I will be using will be similar to my clients, bright and bold with hints of sparkle and shine.
The CAD visuals will be including mock-up designs on different types of stationary such as book fronts, wall hangings and laptop cases.
Your research base
Due to the nature of my theme collecting primary research is difficult however I will be looking in books of my own that are based on space and the meanings of dreams. I will also be looking in the library for books about horoscopes, astrology and space. I am hoping to find out more about the history of star signs. Water is a big part of astrology so for inspiration I am going to do use it as a primary resource, looking into the way it moves and flows.
The actual proposal/brief
The market area I have chosen is stationary as I find that It appeals to me as it’s something that I enjoy, and I always like to have funky stationary. From looking at people stationary collections you can tell a lot about them. It’s the small things in life that are pleasing such as a cute little notebook or a quirky pencil case.
The company I have chosen ARK Colour Designs is a bright and colourful company that design and make all their products themselves in the UK which is really appealing to me knowing that everything is sourced in this country and made here. I believe that it is important to keep carbon emissions down so through not outsourcing from abroad is very eco-friendly.
The theme that I have chosen is called ‘Spiritual Journey’ which is all about the zodiac, astrology, horoscopes and space. I feel that it fits in with the company as due it the theme including star signs you can create items of stationary that are personal to the client. I feel that it will fit in with the companies look as it is a trend that is current with what I believe their target market it is. It’s different from other stationary and appealing to clients who are looking for something a bit edgy.
The concept behind my theme is to create samples that are personalised to client’s star signs. The materials I will be using are synthetic fabrics for heat press and dying. I will hopefully be trying out some screen print stencils also lino printing on to card and fabric.
For my design collection I want the samples to look all uniformed and colour coordinated however the imagery to be different to represent different star signs and zodiac groups.
In conclusion working for ARK Colour Designs I will be creating paper and fabric samples that are based along the theme ‘Spiritual Journey’. I will be using bright colours with pops of shiny foils for a clean and quirky finish.
Set Task; write about a journal that you found in the Library
The Journal that i discovered was called Varoom, Illustration and Fantasy, i purely chose this journal as i thought that the illustrations were so beautiful, the colours shapes and forms were amazing.
Its not directly related to my theme but when you look at certain images they reminded me of space and aliens. Space is what I what to look in to more in project 2 so I thought I could take a lot of inspiration from the colours they used to the shapes of things. There is something really quite mystical about some of these drawings that draws me.
Here are some of my favourite pages from the Journal.
Set Task; write about one book and how it relates to you
My Chosen Book – The Working Mind and Drawing Hand, Oliver Jeffers
I chose this book as in the second part of this project i want to explore and do more marking making using paint. Although Jeffers is known for being a children’ book illustrator his other work is so interesting and full of meaning. I really enjoy how every piece he creates has such deep thought behind it to make a statement or relay a message. Even in his children’ books there are adult messages being relayed.
His style of painting changes in my eyes depending on his message and meaning. I found some of his work to be so intricate and detailed and then others to be less. I enjoy this change in style. I also like how he is always collecting, rummaging and finding things of the street to then use as backgrounds for new painting or old papers for small drawings, frames to hang work.
Within the book I found pages that are related to my theme of astrology and the sky. Reading his thoughts of space was really insightful. Seeing his illustrations and bookings knowing the reasons why he created them make them even more special to read.
I have realised that to create art and make it meaningful you need to pose questions and have curiosity, don’t be afraid of what others think do what makes you happy. A line that stood out for me in the whole book was this, ‘Design makes solutions. Art makes Questions.’ I feel that this sentence is powerful it makes me want to add more deeper meaning and questions into my own work.
I feel like i stumbled across this book because i enjoyed Jeffers painting style and I have come away with a whole new perspective of creating.
Here are some of my chose images out of the book that relate to my theme and others that i felt were powerful.
At the beginning of the project I was nervous and apprehensive as I thought that designing a table and using software such as solid works was really out of my expertise. I was worried that I was going to really struggle with the project and not produce anything that would be worthwhile. However I feel that I surprised myself a little, it took me a while to get started and to get my head round the concept of only cutting and bending but in the end I felt that I actually produced some ideas and table designs that would be worthy of being in someone’s home.
I enjoyed the fact that we were working with a real client and to their wants and needs. I feel that it puts more meaning into what you are producing. When you know that your designs are going to be used in someone’s home you feel more pressure into getting it perfect. I have not yet worked on a project like this before so was excited in that respect.
I went into this project having no idea how to use solid works and being told that it was super difficult to get your head around but with some guidance and a lot of time and patience I feel that I have learnt how to use the program very slightly. I have also learnt how to use the simulation tool and how to create a sustainability report which was interesting to see.
I feel that in the future I could take a lot from what I have learnt in this project and apply it to certain aspects of textiles. I have learnt that measurement and being very precise with your numbers is key to accuracy and to a successful table. Knowing this I can take this back in to my textile work to produce more accurate prints and patterns. I have also learnt a lot about structures and how things work in relation to being sturdy or weak. I feel that it took me a long time to grasp this concept of creating a robust table that also has curves in it. From using the simulation tool, it really helped me visualise this so I could see where I was going wrong with the placement of bends and legs.
The brief we were given and then the brief from the client meant that there were a lot of elements that we needed to consider in a very short time frame. I feel that this project has shown me that in the real world when you work for clients you need to think about there every need and work fast and consistently to get the best results. I think that it is important to be checking in with your client regularly to make sure you are along the right track.
Overall, I really enjoyed doing this project, it has been different to anything I have done before. Once I had become less worried about everything, I feel that I began to produce better work.
Thursday
On Thursday we went to Dragon Laser LTD which is the fir who will be manufacturing our tables for us. We had a guided tour of the process and were shown how the equipment works.
They started off the tour in the office where we saw the designs being checked ready before they go to the machines. They make sure that before they send this information to the men who operate the machines that they are using every piece of the metal possible to ensure that there is not a lot of scrap wastage. This shows that they are being sustainable.
We were then taken over to this huge laser cutting machine and shown the basic elements to it. This machine was huge and impressive. After seeing this we headed to the bending part of the workshop where we saw a demonstration as well as shown the basics of how it all works.
Now that i have seen the equipment and the process I feel that I now have a better understanding of how the table we create will be manufactured. From seeing the demonstrations and through talking to the workers i have also learnt a few tips and tricks, what will be possible to make and what wont so hopefully i can take this new knowledge in to my design process.
Tuesday
Todays brief was so daunting, the project sounds amazing but i feel so out of my comfort zone being the only textiles student in amongst all the product design students who are way more experienced than me. I am looking forward to be doing something really different than normal and i am open to take it all in my stride. i understand that from other students that using Solidworks is a difficult program, I believe this is were i may struggle as my technical knowledge on computers is great.
The project its self is so interesting as we actually have to make a table for a real client who works in the art school. We got chance to meet our groups client and interview him about what he wants the table to be like and its function, location ect. Anthony would like it to be a free flowing, modern, organic shaped, whisky table to have in his home which is grey meaning that the original metal look would fit in well.
Knowing this information we have started to create moodboards of shapes and tables that we think may be use to help us with this journey to creating the final table outcome. Coffee Table Moodboard
As the editing of the photo could only be done by two people due to workshop sizes I wasn’t the one who was nominated to do it. This is because there were people in the group that were more tech savvy than me and had the editing programs on there laptops already.
Here are the finished Edited Photos which I am so proud of I think they look amazing and my group members have done such a good job.
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