The beginning of card and gift...

Here is some of the photographs I have taken at a reptile centre (Blaydon Exotics), I have tried to capture all of the textural qualities within the reptile skin and fish scales.

 I have began experimenting with some prints I have done using real snake skin and inks, I have been repeating, transforming, adding colour and changing the size and layers of the patterns on Photoshop to get a few starting points. 

Single layered repeat

 

Double layers with change of colour

 

3 layers, 3 different colours

Painted gold snakeskin scanned in, cropped and repeated

 

Colour change using 'colour balance'

This is my photograph of a reptile that I firstly transferred onto watercolour paper using the screen-wash technique. Then I have scanned the image into Photoshop, cropped it and then repeated and rotated it to create an all over print.

This is the above image but with 3 overlapping layers (lowering opacity) to create a blurry effect.

 

UPDATE!

My first two final A2 fabrics have been printed and I am so excited to start embroidering and foiling into them!



Sorry about the quality of the image!

I am going to add foil to the left print and embroider into the piece on the right.


Here is an update of some of my fabric samples too...

 

 

I will be continuing to work into my final samples whilst also working on my card and gift designs so this is going to be a busy project!

Inspiration for card & gift

Rekha Athi

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tom price - Designer & Sculptor

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Folding Maps Company

 

 

 

 

 

Thomas Albdorf - Sculptor and Photographer

 

 

 

I have chosen to research unusual designers from a range of different fields instead of other card designers, in order to come up with original ideas that may not have been seen in the card and gift industry before.

My aim in this project is to create texture through my drawings into development on Illustrator so I am starting to play around with thick paints, foils, foil pens, inks and card. I am not thinking too much into how the surface designs will work as a greetings card/invitation just yet. I want to experiment with applying them to this specific area once the designs are well underway.

Moving on...

Today I am blending all I have developed during the fashion module with a card and gift module.
We are working for Hallmark and have to continue our fashion theme and merge it into several card & gift outcomes. I am very excited about this and have already gathered a lot of inspiration!

Whilst looking through blogs and design websites such as Print Pattern and Decor8 I also came across an exceptional design website called "pony rider". They are an Australian based design website that make and sell cushions, throws, wallwares and floor seats.
My favourite thing on their website is the beautiful "Dark Forest King Throw" I could go as far as say it is the most beautiful textile design I have ever seen! I love the styling of the throw in the middle of a forest, it just oozes with elegance! And the fact that it has a matching cushion is just a bonus!

 

Its such a shame that the pair cost a whopping $500!

A link to the Pony Rider website 

Adding detail to my printed fabrics :)

 

I decided to try adding foil and beadwork to my screen prints to add more 'luxury' to the fabrics...

 

 

Before

 

After

 

 I've also started adding beadwork into my samples...

 

I think both techniques have worked successfully in parts, but I need to do a lot more sampling until I risk applying it to my final designs!

 

 

Kathryn Alicia - Via Pinterest

I have been following a girl on Pinterest that has really inspired me for the next stage of my project (after digital printing)... I will be embroidering into my digital and screen printed fabrics and I really love these techniques Kathryn has shared. I will definitely be trying them out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another blog...

I have created another blog to document all of the information I learn during my 'Professional Studies' lectures.
I attend weekly lectures that enable me to learn more about the next steps after graduation.

Feel free to have a look :)

http://professionaldesignstudies.blogspot.co.uk/

Digital samples...

Here I have combined my snake skin sketch with backgrounds made from a snake skin direct print (left) and from one of my elephant ear all over prints (right)

These are two of my digital collages, combining my original elephant photographs, with sketch and the transfer screen-wash technique.
























These are repeats of my original screen washed elephant ear, repeated and coloured in Photoshop.

Screen printing!

Ready to be exposed (printed onto acetate)

 

 

This is one of the images I have decided to put on a screen, along with an 'inverted' version to make a two colour-way print that slots together, I have also made a smaller screen capturing the dots so I can layer up more detail, potentially with foils.

 

 

Process

 

 

This is an image taken whilst my screen was being exposed, I have coated my own screen and exposed it for the first time. (I love how at this college you have the freedom to make your own screens whenever you want... you can get on with screen-printing as soon as you're images are ready)

 

 

Binder

 

 

Coloured inks (add a tiny drop at a time)

 

 

Trying to achieve the colours from my colour story (Very hard!)

 

 

Making the printing inks...

As this is the first time I have had to make my own inks I have chosen to start with the basics... mixing the binder with the colour and ironing it to fix it once its dried.

I plan to experiment further with dying fabrics and using the pigment and acid pastes.

 

 

Pinned and prepared fabric

 

 

 It is VERY important to pin or tape down the fabric when screen printing, especially with my prints as they need to line up exactly with each other.

 

 

 

Immediately after being printed

 

  

Collection of dried samples

 

 

These are some of my samples so far.

I am now focusing on adding foils to my prints, and plan to have digitally printed material by the end of the week that I can work into with some of these screen prints.

 

 

 

Development

 



 



Collage



 

 

Blind drawing
 

 

Snake skin sketch

  

 

Combining embroidery with imagery

 

 

Using screen wash to transfer imagery

 

 

I have drew many different objects in a range of different drawing styles and have decided to take the 'elephant ears' sketches and prints further as these are the most successful designs so far and have the elegant look I was aiming for.

Desk space

 

 

This is an example of some of the drawings and prints I have been doing, you can also see some of the fabric samples I have been experimenting with (middle right). This is a technique called "discharge". I like the technique but dislike the colours (we had to go with these colours as it was a group workshop).

I am ready to start screen printing now and I am excited to start churning out a lot of interesting designs.