Texture using paint.

My collection focuses on texture and how the shapes within my motifs make up that, however I've taken a step back to look at drawing and the use of texture through paint.  When researching artists work at the start of project I came across a really inspiring artist called Azure, who uses mixed media to produce urban paintings. He used the paint and emphasises the brush strokes to create depth within his pieces.

Azure's work

Using this idea and my colour palette, images I had taken and key shapes I have been working with, I started to produce a couple of abstract pieces. I've always enjoyed working with paint in a abstract way, so one of my regrets coming up to the end of the project, is not using enough of it. Nevertheless, I suppose it means I've moved on from what I would usually do. 

Responding to my images

Looking at movement and shapes

The paint itself builds a texture, however I thought it would be interesting to see what it would be like to work on top of the paintings within Photoshop. Would it be too busy?

I think the answer is yes! I think the colour and levels are quite effective, however as an overall print, they're a bit too much. Maybe if I extracted parts and then worked with them as a fuller, less busy print. Having said that, my aim was to create texture and I've definitely done that!

Creating texture through my digital prints

My tutorial on Monday really made me think about the placement of my prints; not just on the garment itself but also within the design. What repeat pattern should I use? Do I use a mixture of repeat techniques? What is the style I'm wanting to create? I then decided that I wanted my prints to look like a fabric. I know the designs will look textured when they're printed on fabric (obviously) but I wanted to create a texture through the motifs. I therefore started to think about weave and the patterns created through the yarns. That's when I started to place my motifs as if it was a woven fabric; experimenting with the size of the motifs. 

I'm not too sure about these designs as my final pieces, however I feel like it has helped me visualise how I'm going to progress. I think some aspects of the second design work; the aztec style background is soft and looks very textured, however the placement motif doesn't work amazingly well on the foreground. I tried to change the opacity to make it work more effectively, but I think the woven design works better on it's own. After creating these initial designs, I then started experimenting with other pieces. 

I really like the last design as the gradient creates a sheen effect. I think this is going to be one of the designs I print out onto fabric as I think it'll work really well on silk habotai as the faded areas will look really elegant. 

Why didn't I think of it before?

As I was feeling very lost and not quite sure where my work was heading, I designed some more motifs to incorporate within my work. At my tutorial this week, I shared my feelings on my work and my frustration within the group and this made me feel a little better! A couple of people mentioned how they thought my development work reminded them of lace, especially the art nouveau styled elements. My tutor mentioned laser cutting and I really like the idea so I started to experiment with tracing paper to see how it would look. 

I know this example is a bit rubbish, however it made me realise that I would like to have a go with laser cutting...I'm going to make a few enquiries! 

Anyway...back to developing my motifs...whilst experimenting with my design on photoshop, I realised that instead of producing the same things: image with my motifs on top, why not create a interesting pattern with the actual image and also bring in my motifs? So that's what I started to do... 

This is exactly the sort of thing I was wanting to produce; each design is different, however they feel like they're part of the same collection. The night-time theme comes through, bringing the motifs forward with the striking colours. I would say, this point is where I've started to fully enjoy the project and like the work I am producing; I can imagine my work on garments. With this drive I going to keep going!! 

Collecting more images

I've started to realise that I really needed more images to work from and with. Therefore with the mood I wanted to create, and the structure of the images in mind, I went out at night into Manchester city centre to take pictures. I was really pleased with the images I collected...

The colours captured in the photographs really portrayed the mood I was looking for. I took a range of images; some still shots and some incorporating movement. I definitely prefer the photographs that were either taken on the move or by moving my hand quickly. The lines created through the movement work really effectively and add more texture with the aspects of light captured. 

I then started to use my motifs within the images. Some designs worked reasonably well, however I felt that most looked awkward and unpleasant. I think it's because I was trying so hard to produce designs like the previous one, so I started to feel lost within my work; I knew  what I wanted my work to look like, but for some reason it wasn't working. 

I felt that I was just producing the work for the sake of it; nothing good was coming from it so I took a step back and concentrated on more motif development.

Art Nouveau

I love the style of Art Nouveau especially when it comes to architecture; the fluid lines within the natural forms and the elegant colours used. Without thinking, my work has turned towards a more of an art nouveau theme. When I started to work with the circles created by the streetlights my motifs started to form elegant, art nouveau styled shapes. 

I transferred one of my designs on to an existing model to see what the design would look like in context. This image changed the way I started to look at my work. I started to see my designs working really well for fashion. Experimenting with the brightness of the photos I had taking and then working on top of them with my motifs created an elegant yet mysterious print. With the context of my work in mind, I started to produce more work.

Circles- Simple yet effective!

   

Edited- two of my own images merged together

   The thing that stood out for me from these images were the shapes that were created from the streetlights. When taking the photos, I did a couple where I moved my hand whilst taking the shot. This meant that it added movement to the lines; effectively producing elegant and quite striking bright orange shapes. Looking at the circles of the lights and the lines coming off them, I started to produce quick drawings, trying not to think too much about the composition, so I could capture the free movement of the shapes. 

Looking At Colour

   When talking to my tutor, I realised that I needed to start bringing colour into my work. Even though I found it useful in my design process to start producing patterns in black and white from the sketches I had drawn, if I didn’t start to use colour, it would becoming increasingly difficult to bring it into my work. 

   So…I had to start getting my head round colour, sounds simple, however I find it important to get a striking colour palette. As I said before, my inspiration for my palette is looking at Mary Katrantzou’s Autumn/Winter 2013 collection, the colours and lights when looking out the bus window and also from the magazine ‘Bloom’. 

Inspirational 'Bloom' image.

   With all of this in mind, I started to respond to a couple of pictures I had taken in and around Manchester. I took them in the dark so I could capture the silhouetted shapes of the city and also the colour of the light. Using water colour I started trying to capture the mysterious mood I wanted. Alongside I worked on Photoshop to pick out the colours for my palette. 

I've looked highly into colour trends for Autumn/Winter 2013 and it was interesting to see what's out and about. There is wide range of colour trends within one time, which I found really interesting, however I suppose, if there was just one set of colours to use, everything would look very bland...so thinking about, I'm not quite sure why I was so surprised! Anyway...I came across  the use of 'lilac blue', 'botanical darks' and 'warm reds'. There were many more, however these fit in with what I'm looking at. 

Lilac Blue

Botanical Darks

Warm Reds