Inspiration

I like the idea of having a plain background with bright prints over the top. for some of my prints I want to keep the backgrounds white. I'm using a heavy cotton for my prints as I think the print looks more vibrant. Bluebell Gray is a textile design company who use bright floral patterns which look like watercolour on white backrounds.The contrast between the white background and the colours able the product to really be a focal point for any room. I feel that to create a good print I have to work layer by layer starting with a plain backround, this way i can see the potential for the print to be used on a larger scale.

 Maija Louekari is another example of bold designs on a simple background.The Scandinavian designer creates repeat patterns using motifs which look hand drawn.

I prefer a hand drawn affect for my motifs as it adds texture and more depth to the print. I also like the colours with the black lines.In my colour strip there is a lot of dark colours and hints of bright. I would like to work on a larger scale to create the prints as this would able me to use more colour which doesn't have to be squashed onto one small sample looking too over crowded.

Marimekko is another great example of this.Her work is very similar to Louekari's and they have collaborated to create prints which are equaly as lovely. The idea of having a plain backround makes me want to use minimal prints and not to over fill the fabric with busy designs. I like the simpleness of some of my motifs and i'd rather enhance them by using a colour range which go together well. I still want to layer some of my motifs but only slightly creating different shapes.

I love how the bold black lines work in contrast to the background and each one is easily seen. with no fuss the coloured image still works just as well by using a minimalistic colour palette. I can see how these prints could work well on interior based items whether it be as small as a tea towel or as curtains, as with my prints. On the mugs the simple red dot adds a colour burst which goes so well with the black hand drawn lines of the design.
  

Screen print test

I made the first print from my screen. By mixing the colours I wanted  from my colour strip I was able to test the screen and see if the colours were suitable.

 I love the contrast between the sharp edges from the more digital motifs and the hand drawn motif.

Sampling: week four

In this weeks print session I worked on heat press printing using the technique 'Mono print sublimation'. Using disperse dye I mixed colours then design is painted onto paper, dried then heated under fabric leaving a vibrant design on the fabric.

The colours turn out so much more vibrant and brighter than when they are painted on the paper. This can be deceiving as the end design isn't how I wanted it to be.

To generate a colour palette I selected an image which I found the colours worked well together and created a colour strip using gouache. I selected each colour from the image and mixed it to the exact colour. The strip helps with selecting colours for printing with, digitally and screen.
I created motifs using illustrator. Some of the motifs have a hand drawn quality and some are quite sharp and look more digital. I used some of these motifs to apply onto a screen which I will use to print with in the next coming week.

I used my hand drawn motifs to scan in and create 'Brush' tools with on Photoshop. I used my colour strip to create a new swatches of colour. This abled me to create digital designs using my own motifs to repeat and the right tones of colour. 
 

By using the brush tool I was able to repeat motifs and have each layer different opacity's which give the effect of a physical screen print using dye.

Sampling: week three

This week in the print sessions we worked on hand printing onto silk screens using reactive dyes. The technique has a nice quality to it and designs are easily painted onto the screens. I found that to my advantage the prints turn out bold but still with the hand drawn quality.

I liked how when the paste is used to print the design, it takes some of the colour out (due to the paint not being dry) it adds to the design and creates texture. The paint has to be applied onto the screen quite thin in order to let it fully dry before printing. At this point I didn't have a colour palette so stayed with colours i thought worked nice together.

In the second print session we used dip dye to dye fabrics using thin cotton and dye. 

For the rest of the week I carried on generating ideas using data and the hole punch technique. The negative space from where the holes were punched out show a different element to the holes and create more of a 'motif' design. I want to use some of these for my motifs to then take on further and print. 

We started to look at illustrator and learnt how to use it so then we could create digital motifs.