Research: Inspiration Board

Looking through my images in a folder on my computer to me is not an appealing or inspiring way to spark some ideas and to help me develop my project further. So with this in mind I decided to produce a inspiration board on Adobe Photoshop which will represent the start of my final major project.

I prefer to see my work in this way and enjoy making moodboard because I find them very motivating and easy to work with when progressing through a project so that you stay on track at all times. I just need to print this out and place on my wall so as I can see this all the time.

Research: Colour

Today I spent some time looking through all my images I have already collected and began experimenting with colour and producing a number of colour palettes on Adobe Photoshop. I have now finally got a final colour palette which I feel would work well with my concept.

I chose this colour palette for the autumnal mood which works well with my Autumn/Winter 2014/15 trend research. The colours also have representation of rust and other distressed surfaces along with a few more feminine colours to represent the floral aesthetics.

My aim next is to experiment with these colours and play around with colour combinations and colourways.

Inspiration: Billy Kidd

Looking through the internet for inspiration I decided to look at the use of withering flowers in art and design. I came across a photography called Billy Kidd who has a number of beautiful photographs titled 'Decaying Flowers'

His collection of images shows that there is something beautiful and purely natural in the process of dying and the idea of flowers such as the rose can be just as beautiful at its withering stage. 

I particularly like the use of the dark background, showing the dramatic variety of vibrant and contrasting colours forming on the withering flower. These photographs will be a great source for the development of my colour palette.

Inspiration: Lyndie Dourthe

After researching into distressed surfaces I began looking at techniques to create this effect along with bringing in my floral influences as well. For my florals to blend into my concept I have been looking at more darker and dramatic hues, looking at withered flowers and foilage to represent the distressed and decaying of rust moss and metals as well as the coming of autumn and winter through decaying floral forms and petals. 

With this in mind I began looking at techniques that could represent this. I came across the designer Lyndie Dourthe and her floral collection titled 'Botanica'. Using paper and fabric she creates these very realistic flowers with the use of inks and dyes to create a kind of vintage aesthetic but with a modern twist. Each flower is delicately hand-dyed and the colours are restrained but vibrant.

I particularly like the use of darker black or brown dyes on the tips of the petals and could easily be done with dip dying of fabrics or paper giving a dramatic effect. This effect also reminds me of a withering burn effect.

restrained, but vibrant

The delicate hand-dyed papers and restrained, but vibrant colors make each flower a work of art. - See more at: http://anthologymag.com/blog3/2012/05/15/paper-flowers-by-lyndie-dourthe/#sthash.KGwHfvJe.dpuf

The delicate hand-dyed papers and restrained, but vibrant colors make each flower a work of art. - See more at: http://anthologymag.com/blog3/2012/05/15/paper-flowers-by-lyndie-dourthe/#sthash.KGwHfvJe.dpuf

hand-dyed papers and restrained, but vibrant colors make each flower a work of art - See more at: http://anthologymag.com/blog3/2012/05/15/paper-flowers-by-lyndie-dourthe/#sthash.KGwHfvJe.dpuf

I also like the delicacy of the flowers and I could simulate this using various thin papers such as tissue paper and fabrics like silk and organza.

Using these techniques as inspiration I am going to experiment with my own use of ink and dyes to create similar ideas for my project as I feel this will work really well with my concept and the style of work that I want to portray.

More of her work can be found here: http://lyndiedourtheworks.blogspot.co.uk/p/natiralia.html

Secondary Research: Interfiliere Trend Special

Interfiliere Paris is a trade show that is avaiable to visit on the 6th, 7th and the 8th of July and it will showcase trend research for Autumn/Winter 2014/15. They specialise in trends for intimates and beachwear but looking through there 4 trend themes one in particular caught my eye that relates to my own research and I feel would work in any design market. 

Found on the website for Underline Magazine one of the key trends they introduced was called Oxidized. I chose this as I was particularly influenced by the colour palette and it's links to my own concept.

Words by Underlines Magazine: The brown, copper and rust family develops strongly in combination with amazing surface & yarn treatments. It is part of the ongoing fascination of artisanal and crafted elements and a counterbalance of the technical invasion in our lifestyles, but it calls for reflection and forward thinking on how to use and merchandise these colours. The danger of ‘heaviness’ needs to be avoided even when an element of roughness is introduced, combining metallic or shiny accents and tonal multi-colour to add movement and delicacy.

Colour palette: Bronze, rust and brown tones for the artisanal effects.

Inspiration: Alex Ramsay

Using Google images as a starting point I spent some time typing in a number of key words relating to my project and tried to find some interesting surfaces and artists or designers. 

While doing this I came across these beautiful jewellery pieces from the designer Alex Ramsey who purposely distresses the surface to give her work an interesting twist to everyday jewellery.

Using enameled colour she experiments with applying this directly onto the metal surface leaving behind some interesting textures and colour. She also experiments with layers of material, creating even more depth and shadow to the pieces.

This gave me the idea to oxidize my own metals as visual research for observational drawing as well as colour palette development.

Secondary Research: MPDClick Trends

Today I spent time looking at current and future trends that influence my design concept. I looked closely at Autumn/Winter 2014/15 and the possible print and textile trends that are going to hit the market. I chose to use A/W 2014/15 because my final degree show, which is in July 2014, will be exhibited appropriately and at the right time for this season.

I currently only have access to the online trend facilities on my university online trend hub so I have been using the trend forecasting website MPDClick who have a lot of insight into the use of trends in a number of different cultures and markets. 

The market I prefer to work in is interiors as I have a better understanding of this than fashion so I began by looking at there trend articles for this looking closely at interior, print, graphics, product and colour.

One particular article that caught my eye was a trend titled 'Parallel Worlds' which looks at space and galaxies with a futuristic twist as inspiration for design.

Images from MPDClick

MPDClick Colour Palette

I think my design concept would fit into this trend very easily has it has very similar topics for print and pattern. Both concepts have emphasis on texture and the idea of oxidized and distressed surfaces.

Mark Making: Bleach & Salt

Today I continued with my mark making experimenting and how I could represent decay, rust and erosion like marks. For this I decided to look at resist techniques and I chose to experiment with the use of bleach and salt for this. These everyday household items are a interesting way to produce expressive marks and are a good way to produce interesting layers of colour. Using my research of the artist Micheal Chase I also experimented with my scanner settings to give the images a digital illustrative look similar to Micheal's own art.

This first sample was produced using acrylic paint and bleach. Using bleach leaves behind a interesting bleed affect that reacts well to the acrylic and reminds me of growth, bacteria or moss.

This second sample was done with artists ink and salt. This has a nice crackle effect due to the salt reacting to the wet ink, soaking up the excess ink leaving behind a interesting effect that has similarity to rust or erosion. 

I continued to develop these two techniques which work really well for my concept. I began experimenting with combining the two techniques together to create some interesting and very atmospheric samples.

This final sample was done with artist inks and both the salt and bleach effect. After this dried I continued further with this by scratching the surface of the paper for a more distressed look.

I am going to continue with this and work with other mediums and techniques that could possibly have a similar effect.

Primary Research: Wentworth Gardens

For my use of florals in my work I wanted to focus on drawing styles through observational drawing and other primary research. For this I took a visit to the Wentworth Castle Gardens which had a number of beautiful, vibrant flowers hosting a number of inspirational colours, shapes and forms. 

I am going to begin by drawing from these using various drawing styles and begin on colour development using a number of artist materials to simulate the colours as a starting point for a possible future colour palette.

Inspiration: Micheal Chase

While searching for artists and designers that experiment with texture I came across the artist Micheal Chase. His work comprises of heavy image distortion, layering, and digital manipulation which when combined produce expressive and innovative art pieces. His work has so much depth and detail due to his use of photography and his research of decaying and temporary surfaces. Manipulation of these photographed surfaces and his experimentation of distortion and vibrant colours also leaves a wondering and ethereal mood to the artwork.

Looking through his website I also found myself drawn to his floral art pieces. I particularly was interested in the use of heavy textures on such a delicate object and the idea of turning the rust and distressed textures with the florals and foliage into something unique and beautiful with such an unusual surface.

I think this works well and the idea of two completely different subjects coming together in such a expressive way. This could be a possible direction for my project, giving my work a feminine touch. With this I am going to experiment with this through drawing and primary research of my own florals and foliage which I will then work from and manipulate in digital form as well as traditionally through textile print and embroidery. 

Mark Making

Looking at my photographs there is a lot of emphasis on texture. With this in mind I decided to look at doing my own interpretations of this by using mark making techniques and a variety of tools. Using items that can be found around the house as well as brushes and other artist tools, I was able to produce different textures and ideas for print and stamping techniques which I am going to develop for fabric sampling.

I think this one in particular works really well. By using acrylic paint and a textured piece of polystyrene I stamped the surface of the paper leaving behind this interesting texture. I experimented with colour and layering to allow depth to the work. Because of the colour combination the marks seem to blur together and leave a cluster of shapes similar to the rust photographs that I have taken.

I used the same principle as above for this painting but I used a bright yellow background so that the shapes that are formed by the stamp stand out more. Both the paintings seem to have a pixel-like quality to them but with a expressive twist. I am keen to develop these further possibly into repeat pattern ideas or manipulated more in the print and embroidery workshops. I am also going to carry on with experimenting with different tools to create texture so that I have a variety to work with.

Primary Research: Decay

While researching my chosen topic I have written down a number of words that I feel could represent my project. One particular word that I like is decay and the idea of something wearing away revealing a number of beautiful layers of colour and texture. With this in mind I took more photographs of this, looking at weathered objects from my back garden. The concept of layering and revealing surfaces could work well within textiles using the use of print and embroidery techniques. I also like the idea of the surface been revealed and built over time.

I know that rust, moss and decay is unappealing but the idea for my concept is to find beauty in the unexpected and undesirable and turn it into appealing textile design pieces.

Primary Research: Distressed Surfaces

Expanding on my idea of surface designs representing moss and growth I have been looking at other photographs that have a similarity to this. I came across a number of images of different decaying surfaces and I thought that this would link well with my other images.

These images, which I took at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, drew my attention due to there natural but artistic qualities. The markings remind me of abstract art, brush strokes and have a resemblance to paint on a canvas. Using these photographs will work well for mark making and drawing ideas in my visual diary as well as when I develop my drawings and ideas in the print workshop which I don't have access to until September. For now I will be focusing on drawing styles and the use of different mediums and mark making tools to simulate these images as well as continuing with photographing any other inspiring surfaces. 

Inspiration: Amy Eisenfeld Genser

Searching though various websites for inspiration I came across the designer Amy Eisenfeld Genser on the website Pinterest. Using paper and acrylics as her medium she creates these beautiful canvas where she rolls the paper into tight spirals to create intricate, three dimensional art works. 

Her work is inspired by coral reefs but they do have resemblance to my own photographs of the tree moss. I particularly like the use of the rolled paper and its three dimensional form, giving the impression of growth and making the detail look like it is jumping off and taking over the canvas.

89 Days!

Next week is the start of July so I have started looking at my final major project and looking at ideas and concepts to get me started. Ive been trying to stay active over the last few months by visiting museums, galleries and parks to find a variety of inspiration for possible project starting points.

When I am searching for ideas and inspiration I find myself draw to the beautiful but the unexpected with a traditional but creative twist. I have an eye for detail and I am usually more interested in the surface rather than the object itself so my digital camera is filled with these weird and wonderful photographs. 

While searching through my camera of my images so far a few in particular caught my eye straight away. While visiting the Yorkshire Sculpture Park I took the time photographing the park itself as well as the sculptors on display. But the images that appealed to me the most was the nature in the park and its 'unusual' closeups. While taking a walk around the trees I noticed the moss growing along the trunks. Taking detailed close ups of these produced beautiful vibrant colours and very detailed shapes that wrapped around the tree bark.

Using these photographs as a starting point, I'm going to develop this inspiration further by expanding on my ideas so that I have a starting point for a project. Right now I am going to focus on visual research and doing more primary as well as secondary research.

Welcome!

Welcome to the new blog page for the Surface Designer, Melissa Cullen who is embarking on her final year of university and working towards her 2014 degree show and graduation.

As I progress through my final year I will be documenting everything and anything to do with my journey along with inspiring and informing images and information regarding upcoming events and inspirational visits running up to the end of year degree show which commences on the 14th June 2014. 

This blog is a personal development blog showcasing my development of my final major project and its progress from paper to reality.