In my third year of university I was given the opportunity to enter the Idott competition for a second time that was in collaboration with Cole & Son. The brief was set ' a captivating conversational design' where the print had to reflect their style sensibilities. They used the print 'Cabaret' wallpaper. I could also choose whether I would design for wallpaper or for fabric for soft upholstery.
To begin with I explored many different way of achieving my imagery. Whether it be through digital use and then through Riso. Or whether through using oil on acetate and printing through a roll press or stencils and emulsion paint. I explored many new ways of how I was going to find the imagery and the different types of imagery I was going to create through these processes. I knew that I wanted a vintage antique feel to my print. This meant that I had to change my style of drawing which had been quite flat and very one dimensional, which works for digitally designed prints if that is the intention. But I knew that I wasn't going to get the outcome that I wanted without changing my drawing techniques and physically drawing or printing the designs.
I then went back to my research to see where my interests were when thinking about the feel of the print. I came across a screen print designer named Daniel Heath who's designs like 'High wire' and 'Amazing jumbo' prints had first inspired me. I liked his vintage antique feel and the fact that he uses techniques like cross hatch in his drawings. I analysed his drawings and deciphered what was successful about them, which to me was his flow in print but also how he achieves the rawness in his motifs that they aren't completely perfect he allows for them to look and feel familiar and as if they have had a life before you have even seen it.
I also realised that I had not set myself a narrative or theme. I thought about children's book's and characters and how they intersect with each like in the print by Murals wallpaper where they have used the original illustrations from books like Alice in wonderland by John Tenniel and The Wizard of Oz by William Wallace Denslow. I was inspired by Alice in Wonderlands tea party where the idea of party became centre to how my motifs were going to be narrated around.
These were some drawing that I came up with inspired by ornaments that had been bought from charity shops or initiatives the salvage items from being thrown away. I liked the narrative of an items being rescued and beginning a new life where it is seen as inspiring and worthy of helping to create a beautiful design. I like to see it as a collaboration between artists, but it coming from my point of view and by own design sensibilities. As you can see I used at least 4hb if not higher to ensure that when these drawings were scanned that they would be as impactful as they could be.
I didn't just want to stop at drawings I was also inspired by the workshop that the fellow textile designer/ illustrator Harriet Popham put on showing us illustrative embroidery techniques using images and free needle on a sewing machine. I particularly liked from this the lines that sewing made for imagery in print.
I then wen't on to produce more imagery, scanning in confetti and drawing aspect of my motifs digitally. This project really made me stop and think about my techniques and really pushed me to think outside the box for the first time when it came to my use of medium.
To see more mood boards turn to my portfolio page.