PE Task 2

Throughout the sampling unit i have been thinking about how i could use my prints on a larger scale and for interiors. I like the idea of having the prints on different products such as bed linen. As the brief was on data i was able to create different layers. 

 These mugs by Marimekko are simple and show the print clearly. I wanted to show simple motifs in my work on plain backgrounds. I found this more affective than a busy print as my colour palette has different tones of blues.I didn't think i would like digital print as i have found it difficult in the past to use photoshop and illustrator but i found that i enjoyed it. Creating my own brushes worked well and having my own colour swatches linked better with my colour palette. I can see how my digital prints could look on a larger scale on different interior accessories. I've looked at scandinavian designers as they use simple designs with a minimal background. Maija Louekari creates prints using simple motifs and can be seen clearly without a fussy background. Marimekko does this also.

The designs can be layered or left simple, i like the boldness of the designs. My motifs are similar to this and can see how they work on digital and screen. Even though i like the simple prints my digital prints are quite busy as i changed the opacity on a few so they aren't too harsh. The digital prints would look better on soft furnishings such as cushions. Being able to use my own brushes on photoshop from my drawings works well as the digital prints link with my drawings and the two techniques go well together. Looking at my digital and hand prints they are quite different as the digital ones are busy, i like the contrast and i'm able to see the similarities with the same colours.

Throughout my research i have used circle shapes for my motifs as i started to draw with hole punched papers, i feel that this shows data well because there is a large amount of circles.The contrast between some of my motifs work well as i could print a more hand drawn motif with a more digital one over the top using different tones of colours.

I didn't use the motif which is dark blue in my prints as i realised it didnt really link, i created it by using the draw tool on illustrator and repeating it to form a circle. i like how it looks over the top of the other hand print. I can see this print working well on bed linen as it isn't too over the top. I looked at ikea bedding as the designs are simple and i like the colours used in most of their designs.

This is similar to the motif on the print and shows data as all the little marks look like circles.The colours are dark and are lightened up by the light blue colour which looks good overlapped with the others. After looking at this i created some digital prints with just a light grey background and a hand drawn motif. it shows repeat pattern with the main colour being green and a few small orange ones. This links to my colour image as it's really dark colours with hints of bright.

 overall my work shows a good colour palette, this is what links all my prints together. I can see most of my prints would be good on a larger scale and would like to progress my printing skills further and experiment with different techniques.



    

Sampling: week 6/7

Experimenting with discharge and reactive dyes. I think this technique is so nice as the dye is in the fabric rather than on the top like a normal pigment dye. 

 I used reactive dye for the dark green and dark turqoise then over the top i used the purple discharge dye. I left this sample in the steamer for slightly too long and the reactive dye ran a bit as this doesn't need to be in as long as the discharge dye. but I think it looks good as its in the background.

 Carrying on with my screen prints i wanted to do one which wasn't as busy and only using two colours. this shows the motifs better. I like the hand drawn affect to the background one and is great to add texture.

 I also progressed my digital designs to add more colours but make the designs more simple and not as busy as my others with lots of dots. I enjoyed creating the digital designs and would like to do more in the future.

Context

I am really interested in things for the home and interior. For example: Ikea. Ikea is a great place to by fabrics and unique looking soft furnishings even though it is highly mass produced.

I love this design on the bed linen, the hand drawn quality to the design adds depth and texture. I think the colours go extremely well with each other. The repeat pattern has been layerd over in places creating different tones to each pattern. I can imagine some of my simple digital prints on a larger scale such as bed linenand think its a great way to show off a design.

 
I've always been interested in soft furnishings especially cushions. I feel that its a great way to add colour into a room without being too over the top.The simple line design is effective and with the varied amount of colour.

Sampling:week five

This week in the print sessions I started mixing pigment dyes for my screen. I have a varied amount of shades of blue in my colour palette. Using everyone's pigments we printed onto a large screen.

It's quite nice once the screen has been printed to use the squeegee again onto a piece of paper. It creates a different texture to the screen.

Using two shades of blue I printed my screen for the first time! (See screen print test)

This weeks drawing day was all about creating different mechanical tools to Crete marks with. Without motors this was quite difficult but found other ways to create marks using elastic bands (winding them up) pegs and sticks. I like how it was easy to repeat marks that went over in the same place creating layers.

For this I place graphite through the elastic band and used my finger as a middle point and drew circles. I also used  an elastic band and two pegs to wind up, dip in ink an let go.

This didn't work too well as the pressure on the page wasn't enough but I still like the marks it made.