Panelled tops experiments

I have been busy developing my print designs on Illustrator since I was last on here. I have decided to use the line drawings of the shells, etc as a starting point for my range of print designs. My print designs have developed quite a lot and I have started to create a style and look which I feel will define my prints. I am liking the effect of the clean and simple line illustrations layered in a variety of colours on top of a bold background colour. This way I feel the detail in the line drawings aren't lost and the overall print doesn't look too busy.

At the moment the biggest trouble I am having is trying to define a colour palette. I love combining and using a variety of colour and shades, although I am going to have to think about creating a defined colour palette in order to create a more cohesive print range and one that is more fashion lead, as some of the colour combinations do lend themselves more to interiors at the moment.

As you can see, I have also been experimenting with how my prints would look on a garment and simultaneously the use of printed panels within the garment. My idea behind the panels was that I could possibly make my prints more wearable and appealing to the mass market, as I wasn't sure if giant shells covering an entire garment might be too much for the average high street consumer. The panels also add an extra design detail to the garment, enhancing the unique designs.

Emma Cook for Topshop

I came across these designer edition t-shirts on the Topshop website. Even though the placement prints on these t-shirts are just black and white line drawings, they do still create a striking effect which I think is helped by placing a thicker line around the edge of the image.

However what really struck me was the cool coat hanger designs, which are made out of card and incorporate the illustrative prints into the shape of the hanger. These hangers really help to make a statement of the print, and adds overall value to the product when the packaging has been created with this much care and attention. This is an excellently createive way of extending a print design and estalishing the brand of the product, and has got me thinking about designing my own coat hangers for displaying my printed garments.

                                                                                                  

Placement print ideas

I have started experimenting with some placement print ideas, using my illustrations to see how well they translate. As my line illustrations are quite simple and clean, I have added layers of my illustrations around a larger central image to create more variety and interest for the eye. I have also added a background layer of some paper marbling to the inside of some of the line drawings to add another dimension and replicate the textured look of an actual shell. Although I think my line drawings work well for repeat prints they don't seem to have enough impact for a placement print, so for the meantime its back to the drawing board with these.

First Print Experiments

These are my first repeat print experiments, and as this process is all new to me you can see I still have a long way to go!

Initially, I just wanted to do some experiments of how the repetition in Illustrator works. I have found out that prints are created using a tile with an image in which is then repeated in all directions. I have learnt that the spacing of images inside a tile is very important; the more complex the better, otherwise the print comes out in lines and makes the tile image very obvious. Clearly this has happened in my case, although it is best avoided, but I think this will come with practise and confidence when creating print tiles. I have also started playing with colour combinations, background colours, layering images and scale of images. I like how the light colours stand out on a darker background, which creates the most eye catching effect.

Using Illustrator

These images have been developed using the Adobe program Illustrator, which is used in industry when creating print designs. All the images originated from drawings and sketches I have worked on from first hand recordings and reference books. To create these effects I have scanned my drawings into Illustrator, and then used the 'live trace' tool to create the different colour combinations and effects.

This is my first experimental use of using Illustrator, and although they aren't actual prints, I wanted to see how my illustrations would translate and could be manipulated in a digital program. I like the freedom and control of creating your own colour combinations, however I think for now I will only progress with the line drawn images, as I think the others are too full on to create into repeat prints.

Bournemouth Oceanarium: Primary Research

As part of my primary research, I have decided to take a visit to Bournemouth Oceanarium to get a detailed and firsthand look at underwater life. This visit has been a great source of inspiration and I have been able to get some good recordings of a variety of sea life; that is when they weren't swimming around too fast of course!

Learning Agreement

Now that I have the theme for my print designs in place, I have written a synopsis of what this project is going to entail and the direction I intend to take.

For my Major Project, I am interested in exploring the processes of fashion fabric prints; especially the creative aspects such as colour combinations, fabric manipulation and experimenting with scale and repeat prints. I believe that I have the qualities required for creating successful fashion prints, such as a strong eye for colour and knowledge of the computer software, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop which are used at industry level. 

For this unit, I plan to develop these skills within the process of print design, and also gain a wider range of technical skills for translating my print designs onto fabric, such as screen printing and digital printing. In order to create a range of fashion prints, I intend to take my inspiration from underwater life as this reflects my personal design philosophy which focuses on the beauty and diversity of colour throughout nature. Primary research will generate the starting point for my print designs, from which I plan to experiment with incorporating my own illustrations and artwork into print ideas.

To make sure my print designs are successful and relevant to the current fashion industry, I will need to explore existing and future print trends and designers. I am most interested in targeting my print designs to the younger, contemporary end of the high street market, as I feel my personal design aesthetic is more suited to the commercial and less conceptual sector of the fashion industry. Throughout this project, I intend to produce a body of work which will effectively promote and present my print designs in a clear and professional format.