Locating: 04-Live Tutorial

From my visit to Adamley and speaking with Joanne, Jo mentioned Hanks a lot so I decided to change my context to hanks...

I found the Archives at MMU and started to use the images to re-create on Photoshop of taking interesting areas/motifs I liked to work with. Illustrator has played a huge part in the designs of creating the geo shapes and then using the adamley designs as a pattern... The compositions on this certain design was more of a play on how I can create what I had in my head. I loved how I could create the paisley in the geo shapes as that’s what I had visualised so I was happy and confident with the quick design.

Adamley Archives- Own images



Illustrator Geo designs 

The colour scheme at the moment is mixture of some of Adamleys archives, as from the tutorial I needed to see if the colours were manly enough for a man so the challenge was to see if the colours were suitable enough for a collection. As well from the tutorial I needed to get the contrast right for this collection of the geo and paisley.

From what I have produced from the quick design I do feel like I can gather enough designs now. I’m now needing to scan in and use the original geo shapes in the sketch book and work with them as well. I’m wanting to produce 8-10 designs to which I can limit down to 3-4 by the end of this week.

Locating: Self Initiated - 03 tutorial

The focus has been the live brief at the moment as getting the designs ready for that... so in this tutorial we didn't speak about the self. I worked straight away last week into my photos editing them, selecting sections from them, compositions... some of them worked well together but they looked more like a collage than a wallpaper, the colour used in some of them have came from the original photos as taking inspiration from Beasties work I used colour to make the motifs stand out, I started adding the hand drawn elements into the designs, they did bring the designs back to what I wanted to create but I noticed other elements in the drawings that I preferred more so I have scanned my drawings and started working with them more in Photoshop and it was the lines on how they work together in repeat that I really got interested in.

I started using the line drawings as backgrounds and started to introduce the original imagery back in to create different scenes.

Backgrounds & photos

Photos & Motifs 

Locating: Adamley Site Visit

I would like to this time to thank Joanne Ratcliffe for allowing me to have this visit as it was truly inspirational and I enjoyed the whole experience.

Adamley is in a quite location in a little village name Langley. 

Once on site Jo showed me the little design studio where herself and 3 other designers work it was like a small office with 4 desks. Whilst I was there I was speaking to Jo’s colleagues of how they find it hear and just generally interested in meeting actual designers.  The software they use is called Ned which I have not heard of before as I did question if they use Photoshop or illustrator but it was that software they mentioned... I got to see some of the designs they were working on there and then and the designs were lovely somewhere being recreated and used in a different way and some designs were what the client has asked for...  I then went and saw the screen room and was shown how the designs are put onto a screen digitally to which lead into the next room where the digital printers stay and in that same room was 100s of archives as well as different fabrics, because of time I didn’t get to see all the archives or have chance to go through them. From that room I was lead into the drying room where I got to see the designs on the fabrics (the ones I saw where incredible) I got to see the dye baths, screen printing room and wash room. Absolutely loved it in Adamley the building looks small from the outside but it’s actually huge, I could not thank Jo and her team enough for welcoming me and talking to me about working there.

From the visit I caught on that they redesign the designs purely because they do have hundreds probably thousands of archives dating back. And by redesigning them is bringing them back by taking inspiration from a border then making into a full design with a full design they made into a border. So from that inspiration and now being told that a few of the archives are at MMU in needing to get hold of them and use my idea of Geo VS. Paisley.

(No pictures taken on site)

Locating: Self initiated- 02 Tutorial

I’ve collected the images I needed and the reason I have got these images was to make this wallpaper personal to me in a way as these are places that I visit or go to when in town. The images I have a good body of work with and started drawings to get on with the figurative side of this collection, Already started putting together compositions and trying to create some into a pattern already in just simple fine liner drawings.. My worry was copyright. As I wanted to have some branded places involved in this collection for humour reasons I was told to tweak, layering or completely change the brand in case copyright occurs. From that comment I’m completely fine with that as I was going to draw anyway so it wouldn’t be done for copy right so I can now start to include it.

Photos- Macclesfield
(Own Photos)

As I mentioned about Humour being involved it was suggested of having that as a big part... I’m not overly fussed about humour as I know what motifs I can create to portray this humour but I don’t want it to be a key feature and want people to just laugh as this self-collection is generally putting macc back on the map.

Photos-Macclesfield
(Own Photos)

The focus for this week is to keep on top of the drawings and to work with photography to get the designs straight onto Photoshop and get the designs looking like wallpaper.

Locating: 03-Live Tutorial

From last week I have been rattling my brains on how to make these neck ties lively and contemp, I started to look back on my Pinterest of the boards I have created on there and Geometric occurs a lot in my work ( I do Love a geometric print)

From that little thought I started drawing shapes and tried working different shapes with different compositions together.

I was not overly impressed with my drawings I wanted a clean edge and straight lines... I started cutting out paper to create the shapes and different compositions. I had an idea of the geometric prints to cover the designs, and the designs you then will see through the shapes... so again I started cutting into the paper.

 Taken from the tutorial it was clear to see I have started generating a theme(finally) but It was missing  the archives, to get the ball going I was just needing that visit and the archives and all I was waiting for was an email back to allow me to go as I contacted the head designer of Adamley. So the advice was really to push for the visit. As well as to think about this twist of paisley and geometric?

Colour palette was suggested as not having the archives to go off for a palette. Seasons of SS or AW and take colour inspiration from this year’s seasons. Taking inspiration from this year’s seasons is a good suggestion and I would never thought of that idea, but for this brief I would prefer Adamley’s scheme.

(Emails of contacting Adamley are in a file)

Inspiration Board - Pintrest

Locating: Self Initiated- 01 Tutorial

For the self-initiated, I taken inspiration from Adamley. I’m taking the classic British approach to this self-initiated project, the classic British is the traditional style of wallpaper and my theme will be about the town called Macclesfield where Adamley is. To get the ball going it clear that this work is going to be figurative so I’m needing my own source of drawings and photos to start generating ideas, as this work will be figurative I’m needing to get inspiration of traditional wallpaper and having Timorous Beastie-  London Tolle wallpaper suggested to me..

Taking the comments on board I was needing to plan this time wisely of taking photos and drawings as its running alongside live brief... For the self I started researching into London Tolle and absolutely loved it, the simple colour palette, the detailing in the designs and even sense of humour involved. My extended research I came across William Morris of just traditional wallpaper in British homes, as the theme is running along with traditional I found Morris a good source to reference back to traditional wallpaper. Further research was looking on Pinterest at Tolle and the ones I put together was how I would approach this project, the key words so to speak: Traditional, Figurative, Tolle, Macclesfield.

Inspiration Board

Locating: 02 -Live tutorial

Now I have researched more into Adamley I found it hard to look at the designs through the webpage as well as a brief intro to how they work... Over the Christmas period I found it hard to try and source a theme for this brief. Taken the comments now given from the first tutorial back it seems that I do have a lot to research into:

-          Dig into Adamley Archive

-          Design into the shape ASAP (ties)

Look into the likes of Paul Smith for his Traditional approach as well as an Italian Company named ETRO.

With this list of what to do I’m defiantly needing to generate design boards of inspiration to get me in the swing of things. 

12/01/16

Adamley research:

-          * Classical British

-          * Own Archives

-          * Lively

-          * Contemp

-          * Paisley Prints   Fabric Silk ties

OWN IDEAS

-         *  Floral Prints

-         *  Macc Garden Centre

-         *  Macc Forrest

-          * Teggs Nose

-          * Rural Countryside

-          * Check Prints

-          * Rich Greens and browns

-          * Countryside location

-          * Macc town FC. Blues, whites.

From my research of Adamley and extended the research further into my own ideas I feel I have enough to go off in case I cannot get  hold of the Archives due to me being unable for a site visit. I needing to get hold of the Company to see if I could possibly have a visit.

Locating: Briefs

 Live Brief:

Adamley is the live brief chosen for this locating unit. I chose Adamleys brief for the reason of where Adamley is based in a town called Macclesfield which is where I’m from, I felt obligated to work with this brief from the key words situated in their brief – Classical British, Lively, Contemp.

The inspiration from this brief will be Adamley itself for the reason of Adamley usually Redesigns into their Archives which interests me as these Archives date back many years.. The theme to which my work is going with is Geo VS. Paisley, taking the twist of classical British designs/motifs (Adamley Archives) to which a new and fresh Geometric print to bring out the lively and contempt side to the designs. The designs will be digitally done on paper to present to Adamley to which 3-5 finals will be printed out for presentation.

The challenge will be designing for menswear due to me not specialising in fashion. As Adamley does cater for men in many ways of the famous silk ties, hanks and scarves. I have chosen to design for hanks. The target audience is of course Adamley but as well for men so the colour palette will have to be masculine and appropriate for men to wear the inspiration for palette will be based on Adamley archives of the motifs chosen and further research into menswear fashion designers like Paul Smith who has a classical British take involved in his designs with the use of colours.

 Self-Initiated

MINI PROJECT.

The Mini project has took inspiration from the live brief slightly, of basing this brief around Macclesfield. Key inspiration has come from Timorous Beastie London Toille of the classical British wallpaper as well as William Morris wallpapers for a general insight to classic wallpaper.

Wanting to create a wallpaper of key areas in Macclesfield that I tend to visit with a little twist of humour involved. To Create this I’m collecting own imagery and quick on site drawings to which I can start playing around with through Photoshop to then start putting straight into repeat. Decided to class this as a mini brief as the designs are very figurative and the colour selection will be coming from own images of the places visited.

Target Audience for this mini project is for the Contract Market which I would like to be located in Macclesfield, as the designs will be quirky and figurative I feel in a minimal contract market will bring the designs to life.. The outcome will be digital 2-3 final designs which will be presented as designs boards.

 PLACEMENT MINIMAL.

The second project I have took on has come from the drawings from the mini project, with these designs I’m striping down the figurative approach and going back to what I do best which is mark making. Gathering enough quick marks I want to be able to generate enough drawings to which I can go straight into playing with digitally.

The colour scheme for this collection has been completely stripped down to very minimal colours to which tonal sides have been introduced in the designs. The audience is for the European market