Screen Print- Trail and Error

My first attempt with my designs in screen print last week...not quite right!

 

 Here is a little tester of my first print on a basic cotton material base. As I didn't know what pressure to apply to the squeegee once pulled across the screen and knowing how many pulls I need to apply for my print, my outcome came a little to bold and thick for what I was hoping for. 

Also I found it was not showing the detail and intricate mark making within my print, it didn't come through clearly.    



 I learnt from my mistake so I went back and revisited where I went wrong. Thinking perhaps for my next try I should lift my screen by not applying to much pressure on the surface.

I tried by placing two layers of cut small pieces of card either side of my frame lifting away from the surface. 

It went well showing an improvement to my printed designs as I kept trying and testing through the day.  

    

Pattern Structure

 Nearly ready to go into screen...

Excited!! I Am nearly there, ready to put my final base structure to my over all design into screen then the real development will start to begin from there. With placement, colour and how the over all design you want to your exact style and approach will happen...even finding and exploring some new and surprising outcomes that you might not even expect to use.     

 

I firstly started thinking how I want my prints to become and develop into finals! At the beginning I did find it quite difficult and couldn't find the approach easy to be able to combine my initial drawings in form of a pattern (maybe repeat!?). I felt they were not quite combing together in the way I would hope for. So I did a bit of play round with scale, placement through photocopying to see how different effects of placement would capture new and unique shaping...this really helped me!     



 

 

By experimenting with this approach I went for a completely new styling of what I want my final garment fronts to capture. Focusing on a detailed neckline where my print only placed around the neckline or around the shaping of the sleeves, building up in screen print, embroidery and laser cuttings...I am only thinking at this stage! 

 I feel by not covering the whole garment front will really pull out my intricate approach and pattern mark making within my 3 components of what I am wanting to develop into and link together.

 

As I am going through my development stages through print I am wanting to explore and test out colour and placement, I think this will really help me in how I can then develop on wards thinking about linking together embroidery and laser cuttings.

 

Adding texture which I love!!     



Sketchbook Work

 Development Stages!

My work very much reflects on how I present and build up my pages to almost give a design in themselves. 

I love combining my research within my development work showing my connections and link to where I am heading to my final approach to my designs.

Here are just a few of my development pages showing my experiments with mixed media bringing in colour to my initial drawing techniques. Getting me inspired through my designers that I have researched I am able to start thinking how I am wanting to bring all my drawing together and think about repeat, placement and overlay. 
           

 

 

 

Drawing Techniques

My starting point, through primary and secondary source in different drawing techniques...

 

Here are a few samples of how I began with experimenting with mark making, pattern and shape. I found by using techniques such as blind, continuous line observational drawing in mixed media, I  really went in-depth and discovered the unusual new unique mark making that I was creating.

It let me move forward and experiment In different ways giving me surprising pattern which I will follow in development.  

 

 

 

 

 



Colour Pallet!

 Love my colour pallet! 

So Inspired by the natural earthiness of nature I was hoping to make use of a variety to build up texture and approach a layered effect. Thinking of quite subtle colours combined with brief injection of vibrant colour to represent the earthiness of nature but also the bold hints of colour to enhance and lift focal patterning.

 

I feel I have chosen the right direction in my tone to colour by bringing together all my mix of inspiring colours through my past and future work.

I am looking forward into my journey through experimenting and testing out how my combinations in my development stages, experimenting with colour and texture through my sketchbook work in to my embroidery samples will give unusual outcomes and effects.   

 

Product Development in Textiles and Surface Design

 

We have finally arrived at are final project of the year! 

 

Having been working on it for a good 6 weeks now, intense pressure is building up as the deadline approaches. I thought I would take you to my starting point where it all inspired me to focus on...Microbiology!

 

Always been influenced my natural/organic forms in my work. I did struggle at the start of how I can take this further and have a different approach on natural elements, I was afraid I would fall back into my usual similar habits of going into my comfort zone of floral motifs but researching in depth also reflecting back on my previous work and unique style I decided to look in closer thinking detail, mark making which lead me to microscopic organisms made up of cells. 

 

I am wanting to capture the incredible mark making and pattern formations that cells can create. Through intense magnification, the different layers beneath the surface and the actual shapes and patterning of the cell structure, cluster arrangements they provide. I feel it gives a rich new world of amazing and surprising decorative surfaces which I would love to explore into.     

   

 

 

Here are a few examples of an in-depth study of microscope organisms which have really inspired me and taken me through development work with pattern mark making, shape, structure and detail.  

 

 

Vintage Bazaar- Horsley Studio's

On this weekend....A must see!
April 13th- 14th
10am- 4pm
 

Looking forward into having a little trip to the Hearth Horsley Studio's this weekend with my family as we enjoy looking round all the different stalls and seeing the unquie designs and range of new creations.       

The Hearth will be hosting stalls selling retro homeware, fashion accessories and all things vintage, which is one of my main inspirations.  

Even having a little treat in the coffee shop is very tempting...  

 

www.thehearth.co.uk

Skills For Making 2- Garment Fronts

I hope you have a little time to have a quick glimpse...

 

Here is just a quick look back on my main approach and my inspiration for this module... it wont take long I promise...

 

 Following on from my previous work I have produced two garment fronts for my final piece. I am very pleased with the outcome I set myself for this module. I was focused from the start from my development stages on what I was hoping to explore and the direction I wanted take to build my passion and love for combining thick and thin with print work and embellishments such as embroidery, building layers within the pattern.

 

 

 

 I found in parts of the process getting towards my final garments quite challenging for me, I felt there was a few issues along the way with timeings and the design as I approached to the end but I developed and pushed my skills to capture the correct balance which I was looking for.  

Keeping my material very subtle I was able to focus more on my print designs and embellishments. I am very happy in the overall effect with this first garment front...

I do have to admit I prefur this garment front as everything to my design and placement, and decorative embellishment all connected and flowed well together.     

 My second garment front became a skirt!

 

My aim was to develop two tops for my fronts but testing out my choosen materials and how my designs were positioned on the surface area I felt the structure didnt give flexability or flow within the material or the print for this to become a top. 

I played around quite alot with this design as I was still unsure where or how I wanted it to be placed. Having alot of time testing and experimenting I decided to go for a middle pannel placement to the skirt with adding a few pletes, yet again keeping it quite simple so my design stands out from the shape of the fabric.        

 

 

In the end...

I wanted the pattern design to speak for itself and leave the styling of the actual garment very simplistic to allow attention to be drawn to the detailing of the embellished surface. I am pleased with the overall outcome.

If I did have time to reflect back and change I do feel the top is perhaps too basic in design and could have benefited from more styling to present the decorative surface in a more prominent way.

 Even though it was tough at times and not thinking I would be able to get all this finished I have really enjoyed working with a range of different techniques and developing them into my own style. Definatly thinking about taking this approach further into future and final projects, perhaps combining another development I pick up along the way.

 

 

 

Skills For Making 2

Folklore!

While I have a few spare minutes I thought I would show and talk through some of my earlier work from the begining of the year.

As I chose Folklore to be my main inspiration thoughout this module, I fell straight in love with the idea of an abstract approach to the piece and wanted to show off my skill and passion for detailed embellishment, combining intricate print techniques. 
      
Here are a few examples of my sketchbook development work combining  fabric sampling and showing layers within the pattern print, blending of colours, and introducing a structured tier through embroidery and bead work.
 

 

 

Motivated by the style of patterning discovered in my research I was keen to create a design based on simple motifs using only outline illustration of the images. I wanted to add interest by applying my interpretation of the highly decorative surfaces through embriodery techniques and beading. 
Through colour tones I kept my pallet in pastel shades within my prints as I wanted to gradually develop and build up rich, bold colour in my embriodery techniques through the addition of thread. 

 I feel that introducing embroidery in to my prints creates the decorative detailing I wanted to capture and explore in my final prints, enhancing the patterns and outlines. Using  thick and thin embroidery threads, wools and beading I was hoping to show the different levels of texture and structure to my prints.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mutuki Collection

  Finally I have managed to upload my finished products from my lastest module, its been a while I know! Been a struggle to keep on top with updating my blog at the same time as working on my other modules so my time management has been a bit of a challenge but I am aiming to keep on top and update more regularly with progress.   

 

So here we are, back to my final collection...

   I have produced a collection of jewellery called 'Mutuki'. Mutuki is the name of a sea anemone found on the shores of Singapore and represents the key influence behind my designs. I have been inspired by the natural form and structure found in marine life and underwater habitats of the deep sea especially sea urchins, sea anemones, seaweed and coral.  

 

 

 

Through experimenting with a range of  fabrics and exploring with a mix of fabric manipulation techniques and layering with different sewing techniques I am pleased with the arrangement and structure of the pieces. I did feel however that something was missing as it was all fabric based and needed a new component to create more texture and balance.  I therefore decided to combine my new skill and passion for Adobe Illustrator, and introduced laser cuttings into my designs with different media such as ply wood.

I felt this worked well with my combination of materials and techniques, it balanced out giving structure and detail which is what I was looking for in my final products.

 

 

 

Development- Fabric Samples

Hello again! Been a little late with updating my current work- so here goes...  

 

Here are some samples of my work developing my theme and concept further by taking the initial sketches and using fabric manipulation and I experimented with a range of different techniques. I tried capturing the shapes and patterns together with testing out placement in a variety of arrangements.

 

Combining together princess pleat, hand embroidery, free machine embroidery and bead work.  

 

 

 

I am really pleased with the way this is developing and how effectivly I have managed to replicate the mark makings and detailed patterning from my sketch work. I feel I need to keep progressing this further and introduce more structure to the designs giving a mixture and balance of thick and thin of fabric manipulation.