PHIL THE METAL MAN

In my tutorial today Rianna was helping me plan out my portfolio. It is important in the portfolio that I demonstrate how the print can be transferred to garments as well as scarfs as I would like to do print design when I leave university. 

Branding was my next think of jobs to do and I went down to laser cutting and I found out metal can not be used on the laser cutters. And get a few samples of sizes and styles for the tag. However I found out the laser is unable to cut the material so I got chatting to Phil "The metal man" about what I could do and I have decided to use perspex that will be sprayed a matching colour. This was not my first choice because I did not want it to look cheap but on reflection this actually seem a better choice because of the weight. The metal could have pulled on the fabric and destroyed the fabric where as this is no longer an issue. 

From here I am going to look at swing tags, take a trip into town and review similar designers and what they have on there's and how I can create what I would like to using the mmu facilities. 

18.4.13 TUTORIAL

Started putting illustrations into InDesign to play with layout and the images are not working when they are larger and with white space around them. It dwarfs the image and that is all I can see.
Try cropping the image really close, crop some of the body out if it brings more to the prints.

The stages the illustrations have gone through to get to the end product I think shows the development of movement in each and takes them further and further away from the human form. I think that makes it less shocking than if you were to see a human falling in a photoshoot. I am able to manipulate the image through my illustration to make them seem more fashion focused than distressed.



Portfolio

Illustration Portfolio
Print Portfolio
Product Design

BASSO & BROOKE

I dont know how I have only just discovered this company but there designs are "right up my street!"
The prints seem disjointed but all work together because of clever choice of colours and shape, there is a small amount of repetition but I think this helps to bring the collection together.
On some designs you only see a very small amount of an image but it is recognisable. The bird print was the best example of this. This has inspired me to be a bit more daring with the designs and mix in different medias rather than just creating using watercolours or my own drawings.
The bright colours grab my attention and are exciting. This has given me a boost that my designs will be desired even though they may be a little wacky and daring with imagery.

11.4.13 TUTORIAL

Got my first leather samples...except they were lucy's so mine are going to be at least a weeks time till I get to actually touch them. The leather is beautiful very soft and smells great!!

Finished off my Spring/Summer 13 collection which is exciting, onto the next with Autumn/Winter 13 14...

Tutorial Notes - 

Happy with how illustrations are going, coming together so now need to start about layout and presentation. Look at websites and Magazines etc for help

Try layering up the images and multiplying the top layer and motion blur the bottom. This will help to create movement.  Distort using the 'warp" and "perspective" tool in photoshop, make them less human. 

I want to put a black streak lines as a background to represent falling. Try fading this out so it doesn't dominate the illustration. 

When scanning in the images do them at a high resolution so that they do not become pixelated if I am going to inlarge them. 

I had a friend who was doing graphic design come up with some logos. But I didnt feel he got to grips with what my brand is. Looking at other designers I have designed to have a signature of "AitchK." 

It looks good, mature and as if there is movement through the letters. 

Next weeks plan - 

Get initial pencil illustrations finished and start to distort and put background on. 

Get going on A/W 13. Have at least 2 prints finished.

Start printing off all the trial and error designs that have got me to the final ones.

Portfolio Tutorial

This are the first boards I mocked together for my print portfolio. My inspiration has come from the boards that I put together for the end of the research and development unit. The presentation is very clean and I think the white space works well to allow the story and concept to show. I have changed some images from the original boards I hung up to make the concept clearer and I feel it is better to have all my own images rather than other people in my portfolio promoting my designs.

Tutorial Noted - These are beginning and end, there needs to be the journey to how I got to where I finished. Looking good tho to start with. 

JOURNAL PLANNING IN MY JOURNAL

So after 7 months of writing it's time to get this all this text into a professional layout.

I have been looking for inspiration of layout through magazines, trend books and website to help create a journal that reflects my own style and demonstrates how my work over the year has developed and I have been able to identify my strengths and where I will be able to fit in professionally once I graduate. By doing this I have been able to translate my own work into layouts I think would work, therefore saving time allowing my time to be spent on other units.

I like crisp clean documents where text can be read easily and followed. I don't want images to overlap and have the edges bled so text can go right up to the line.

9.4.13

It's my last term at uni and last student loan :(

I spent the easter practicing my illustrations. Last term I knuckled down and got organised and realised the only way i'm going to produce good prints is by focusing on one thing. That is why one collection is based around the twin towers. I wanted the illustrations to show off the designs and make sure they tie in with the project. Ive been looking at magazines for inspiration to draw posture and layout.
An advert caught my eye of a model with a silk scarf wrapped around her head.
I first recreated the image using a pencil and then took it into illustrator, I did this to make the illustration less human. Taking away shading and layering I think achieves this. I was able to practice on illustrator and look at other methods to illustrate with a more "modern" style. I don't think this is the direction that I want to go in terms of style. I don't feel that it challenges me enough and my own skill. But from here I can import my drawn illustrations and bring in colour on the computer. The strengths of my work from this week are trial and error of style and presentation. From here I am going to keep illustrating because I want to create an illustrated lookbook but look at more website to get some inspiration of how to make the drawings less life like. In tutorials Alex has advised me to distort and contort the body so it becomes less human, I am going to look at dolls and there small features and see where it takes me.

PAPERTRACE

Started getting the bags in a 3 dimensional shape. This has be done including pockets and zips to get the right idea of how it may look. The shape will change as I do more prototypes as I work out what works together and doesn't. I have my idea of what I want the bag to look like but only once doing this will I truly be able to see if it would work.

LAUREN BOWKER

I have a found my inspirational icon...and her name is Lauren Bowker.

This afternoon I had the most inspirational tutorial with Lauren Bowker, an ex TD4Fer who graduated 4 years ago. I walked back to my desk after chatting to her for an hour and felt so excited and pumped for the degree show that I felt like I wanted to air punch.
She inspired me to push myself harder and see that 2 months is actually quite a long time to really get stuck in and produce something great.

I began by quickly explaining my concept and she said 'sounds great and F*** the external examiner!'
This is just what I needed to hear to give me a boost.
Although that was a long time ago I think I still lacked a bit of confidence showing how much I like this concept incase I offended people. But Lauren gave me the hard shake that I needed to realise does it matter if what im looking at isn't flowers and bubbles but I produce some great work that achieves what I set out to do.
From the beginning I said I wanted to provoke an emotion and if anything I definitely did that!!

She gave me some great designers and artists to look at. Encouraged me about my idea for a drawn lookbook, Im excited for this because I think if I really spend the time on these they could look pretty cool. My concept will flow through my prints and illustrations.

I went on to chat about my design for the bags that I want to produce. She understood what I am hoping to acheive but said that the strap along the arm has been done. The bag I will produce will be completely new but the idea is not. I should think about how the concept could travel through the product design. I ghave been looking at falling bodies in my print design. Why not look at how they held there bodies and could htis be something to develop in my design? I loved this idea!!
It all started after all with people holding there bags without straps and impractically. Why not make it impratical but completely new.

Im heading home for easter today and have been flicking through the telegraph magazine and started looking at how people hold 'things.'...It made me think, what about looking at bodies once they have achieved rigamortis...what does the hand do? Although this is a slightly gross thing to look at it could be quite beautiful.

QUICK CHAT WITH ROBIN KERR

I need to get working in full size. Prototypes are good but you don't get the true feeling of the bag and how it can work.

How will it be put together.
Seams - Will the leather be put side by side and secured or be a french seam, this is something I need to investigate. This needs to be done by going and looking at already made bags, feeling them and finding out how each of them have be produced. An afternoon at Selfridges and Harvey Nic's is in need!

Start looking at suppliers for hardware, zips, buckles, lining etc...

Most importantly he said it would be a great skill to have if I was actually able to make the bags. In terms of employment afterwards the likelyhood is higher because there are only 3 universities with leather making courses so a smaller number of people to complete against once I graduate.

4.3.13 TUTORIAL WITH RIANNA

Ran into uni to speak to Rianna and whirled 100 questions at her.
I need to think about durability of the stitches, leather, zip and lining. The bag needs to be able to with stand having phones, wallets etc thrown into it. Usually stainless steel zips are the most durable.

She recommended that I start planning the bag more thoroughly. Start with a small prototype made out of tracing paper. This was a little fiddlie but helped to see the bag in 3D and how each compartment would work and fit together.

She advised me to put together a book of street style to show that I am looking the men and women of my target market, looking at how they dress and what accessories are popular. By doing this it reconfirmed that the style of bag I want to design to allow men and women to carry there bags fashionably but it remains functional.

Sophie Hulme I feel is the most similar to the work that I would like to produce. The bags are structured, allow plenty of room for storage, simple but elegant. They remind me of a reinvented tote bag for women who like luxurious leathers and gold hardware.

CLARE VIVIER - SPOT ON!

Clare Viver has got it spot on. She has mastered the clutch bag!
Simple colours but amazing attention to detail, using two colours on the zip is something that I have never seen before and I think is a fantastic way to give something seen everyday a bit more life and colour. I am going to research into this option.
I had initially thought a concealed zip would work well however they are not as durable as a stainless steel zip. I also need to start researching a durable lining that will last having a phone, purse and glasses case thrown into it.

Below is an image that I found on Etsy. Bags are getting larger but having enough safe room is important. 

26.2.13

Busy week ahead, I need to get organised. Everything seems a jumble!!.....

Going back to looking at my sketchbook from unit1. Often I forget about what I have done previously which when I play around with can be really interesting. I did this because I have dismissed the last project because I don't think I fully understood what I was needing to achieve. Doing this has helped me look at my work with fresh eyes when I know what i want to accomplish at the degree show, it has also helped me to invasage which prints will work best on each accessory. 

Scarfs

I have been deliberating between two prints, one normal and the other more saturated. When working with denser fabrics the colour is usually more vibrate. Such as working with velvet with a saturated image will result in the colour being very bright. Using more delicate fabrics such as chiffon may require the image to be a little more saturated because they can end up looking like pastels once printed. 

HOLD IT

Looking into shape and how accessories and there design have developed over the last couple of years.

After watching Victoria by Victoria Beckham at London Fashion Week 2013, I was able to see how accessories are no longer simply to hold your wallet and phone or keep your neck warm. Clutch purses are shrinking to "clasp" bags and shoulder straps hang beside the bag as a statement.

14.2.13 FORMS OF ILLUSTRATION

Struggling this week to draw hands and feet to complete the fashion illustrations. I have been looking at other illustrators for inspiration of how to draw them and other ways to get around the problem.


Guim Tio Zarraluki is an artist from Barcelona, Spain. He incorporates photography and drawing to create colourful and earily re illustrations.

7.2.13 TUTORIAL

I was playing around with changing colours that you would normally expect on on the body. But I don't like the look that i ended creating. To me it looked like an alien and making the skin green meant the human features were lost.
I am going to carry on drawing but look at human features but exaggerate and contort.

TUTORIAL NOTES

Bring colour in on photoshop - Rather than watercolour
Use 3 and 4 B pencils not H - Will get darker lines
Be more free with patterns. Allow the hair to run freely. Features to come off the body

Look at the Netherlands Dance Group
Rambert/bart
Contemporary Dance figures
Look at the program for the Lowry

Bring extra elbows/knees etc into the drawing. Unexpected in areas.

Use dots to provide shading.

FULL FIGURES  AHH!!!
copy other illustrators hands
Do garment awareness on the body. Begin having them hold accessories
Looking into bag. Holding them in odd postions.
Scarfs wrapping around body.

Try to do less mirroring on repeats.

In journal show how my illustrations have inspired my work. show the links!

Find people who work similar to me or people who are doing the job I want.
The purpose of the journal is to show how I have looked to the outside world of textiles and understand how my work will fit in.

4.2.12

This week I have carried on practicing my drawing skill and refreshing my memory of repeats to begin the processes of creating designs.
I need to play up to my drawing skill which in the last unit I did not do. This will give my illustration and designs a style which is only mine. This will ensure the concept and clarity of my work and style will flow throughout the whole project and into presentation.

My illustrations have been going well but I want to take them even further away from the human body. This will lighten the content that I have looked at for inspiration for my designs. I think people will be more accepting of it then. This is also a way to show off my drawings.
This week I have got a little obsessed with Bikram Yoga and am fascinated by the others in my class' ability to bend there spine and push there bodies to flex beyond our regular capability. It is also an open eye meditation and has allowed me time to reflect on my work and inspire.

I have been looking at pictures of contorted bodies to inspire my drawings.

1.2.13

Talking about other methods to illustrate and how to create colour. Collage and changing where you would stereotypically see colour you recognise.


Jonny Burt is a London based illustrator who uses collage to emphasis his illustrations and tell the story. In the image below you see a child, but because of the colours and violence shown in clipping of newspaper/agazine the image become more sinister.

The image below looks strained and painful. Using white to highlight the face and red to bring areas to your attention. This image depicts how I believe the feeling of a headache could be drawn.

31.1.13 TUTORIAL

This week I have been working on methods to imply bruising or a story without it being so literal.
I have been looking at illustrators and painters for inspiration to help move this stage on a quickly as possible because I need to get a variety of methods together without it taking weeks.

I have taken away the colours stereotypically used for skin so that the imagery does not seem human. Not to look haunting or dead but so that the impact of seeing a bruised face is not distressing. I have worked with pencil and used water colour to shade but also fine liner with watercolour to accent the face.
The paintings have worked well and I am going to carry on for a few more days to try and improve my drawing skill but also for elements to go into design.

TUTORIAL NOTES
Illustration in this style but carrying accessories of my design would keep the concept and illustrations on the same line so the concept flows through the whole design work.

Keep working with different colous
Changing the colours we would noramlly expect to see

Image of woman "Sally"
Create whole body- Develop more.
Once done take white paper and section of the body to see how the contouring/distorting of body will intensify the illustration and keep the style.

Once many drawings have been done. Use Multiply tool to layer images.
Begin using other mediums. Collage with paper, oils, other photos.

If struggling with eye, feet or hands. Create my own style by taking photos of these elements and edit on photoshop to bring into illustration.

To change the colour easily -  Lasso tool around the drawing. Fill with another colour then can adjust the Hue/Saturation, Brightness, Blur etc

Bring detailing onto illustrations to make them more professional. Labels on garments help

Trace around images in magazines but different arms/legs etc to create the illustration.

Use MDP. Click for inspiration and help with trend.

17.1.13 TUTORIAL

Back to Uni!!!

First tutorial back and I have written up a draft learning agreement. I think it is important to show that I have taken on the feedback I was given for the end of term tutorial. I was disappointed by my make but that has spurred me on to work even harder on the HCC essay.

TUTORIAL NOTES
I understand my concept is a little harder to grasp than others and i think that is where some of the confusion I felt was being portrayed in my work and ultimately effected my outcomes. I want to create collections that are not simply patterns but have a message or underlying story behind them.

I think the importance of storytelling was lost in my research and development. I will begin drawing elements of stories to allow the viewer to make there own mind up on what they are seeing. This takes away the "shock" of my work and it will become more aesthetic to a larger audience. I want to create a collection for a high end target market where you are able to take more chances with design and think about detailing to a larger degree but also show how the pattern design can be adapted to fit the high street. This will be useful for my portfolio when applying for jobs.