Even more digital.

So far this week I have continued to work on my digital designs. I have been looking to 1960's fabric prints for inspiration, the ogee style pattern was very popular during this decade and I have tried to recreate this though my floral forms. Bellow are two examples of some 1960's designs I have been referencing. Following these are my designs.

My designs:

Today I have produced these fabric designs. They are all built as block repeats and I have ensured that I have only used images that are not included within my other designs. I am considering producing a range of linear style designs as a spin off collection. I am pleased with the way these designs have turned out, but I will review the colours used within my linear design as the ones I have used are not well considered as this is just a test piece.  

Today's Designs.

Today I am working on more refined designs. Here is a finalised version of my first design. I have tested this design by constructing it into a 52cm wide by 7ft drop template as this is the standard size for a drop of wallpaper. I have also produced this design in two colour ways, I really like how the black background makes the blues and purples stand out. 

Back To Digital.

Tonight I have finally plucked up the courage to have a go at placing some of my designs into a design. I have managed to create an ogi style design by warping some paintings of branches and adding leaves and flower heads around to fill the space. The first image shows the built tile before I structured it into repeat. The shape I created was complex and it wasn't easy to structure into a repeat, because of this I am worried that this design does not work as a true repeat.

I wanted to add some variety to my collection without moving away from the expression of painting. Yesterday I had the idea of creating paint stokes in a bright colour pallet and I decided that I would scan them in and see if the strokes in the paint could be picked up by the printer. I was really pleased with the quality the scanner captured and I decided to try making block repeat patterns this the painted squares. This has provided me with four different colour ways to add to my collection. I am hoping that when these designs are digitally printed onto linen or cotton, they will look as if the design has been painted straight on with a brush.

Today's work.

I'm continuing with drawing and painting all this week, I aim to complete 3-4 more large sheets of painting. Today I have focused on observing vegetables. I have decided to do this because vegetables are also often found in cottage gardens and they present more interesting shapes and colours. I have chosen to include vegetables because I think they will add more variety to my work and perhaps give my collection a tounge in cheek twist. 

I have also begun to look at pattern layouts from different companies and designers as inspiration for my own structures. Looking at existing pattern designs will help me to gain a better understanding of repeat layouts and colour. As a starting point I have put together a mood board of floral designs. 

A Day In London

Yesterday myself and 5 friends managed to organise a trip to London to visit the Surface Design Show and the Business Design Centre in Islington. It was very inspiring and all of the exhibitors were very friendly and enthusiastic to meet us. I didn't want to take photos as some exhibitors and designers consider in rude. The show had a range of areas covered from sound inserlation, exteria solutions, to wall coverings and interior decoration. Two companies I found particularly inspiring were Space Innovation Ltd and ObjectsInGlass.com.

Space Innovation Ltd specialised in bespoke wallpapers for both commercial and residential spaces. The company supplies their own in house designs but also offers clients to supply them with an image or pattern they may wish to have produced as a wall covering. Space Innovation Ltd utilize digital printing and CAD in a big way to produce limitless designs.
For more visit: http://www.spaceinnovation.co.uk 

ObjectsInGlass.com manufactured and fitted specialist glass panels with objects such as fabric and plants laminated inside. These products were very impressive, beautiful, effective and were suitable for both commercial and residential use. I particularly liked the panels with grasses inside them. 
For more visit: http://www.objectsinglass.com/

Couldn't resist a photo of the impressive and very old Liberty's store!

A sneak peak.

Here is a glimpse at some of the pieces I have been working on at this point. I really need to pick up speed and get as many paintings finished as possible. The more good quality paintings I have to choose from, the stronger and more varied my collection will be. I am pleased with what I have so far, I just need more! 

Back to it!

After a long and very busy Christmas break, my final ever semester is now in full swing! My full efforts are now working towards putting together my final collection, ready to show at New Designers in June. As a starting point I felt I needed a few more images to paint from, but this time of year isn't exactly great for flowers. So I had to turn to garden centres and Horticultural magazines such as Bloom. Here are some of the photos I collected from the garden centre.