Photoshop exercise

For this photoshop exercise we used our colour palette to make the colour swatches and I also scanned in some hand painted designs that I'd made and turned them into brushes on photoshoped. I used various tools on Photoshop such as gradient tool and the brushes. I created different repeat patterns to keep with the theme or arabian nights. I liked this technique because I like the fact you can use hand drawn effects with photoshop. finally we chose one and sent it to the digital printers to have it printed on to fabrics.

Drawings and colours

I made some A2 size drawing sheets where I've used inks and different media such as fine liners and charcole. I've used designs and patterns that I've researched and also included my own. I tried to keep with an arabian nights theme colour wise. I've also used a polyprint in the background. I have cut out sections in the shapes to add some extra detail. If I had more time I would introduce more colours and maybe move on to a larger scale.

I have been working on a colour block where I've looked at pictures that I have put together on a mood board (keeping with the arabian nights theme) I then used gouache paint to paint blocks in proportion with the colours on the mood board I think this exersice has really helped me with mixing colours and also keep to a specific colour scheme. We made these colour blocks to help with our Adobe photoshop exercise which I will do a post on in the next week or so!

Motifs in print

I've been working on motifs for print, I've been using a black fine liner and also ink. I used ink to create calligraphy like lines. I used my research to influence the work I have created but also used some of my own imagination I wanted my motifs to be small so when they transfered onto the screen I could have a variety of motifs that I could use in a repeat pattern. We have also been learning how to create different motifs using Adobe illustrator. I have never used illustrator before so it was a new experience for me, it was easy to pick up and get the hang I created quite a few motifs and have included one in my final screen motif. If i was to do more I think i would try add more repeat patterns so they're more obvious and you can see them more especially in the ones that I've done by hand.

Research artists

I decided to do my Journey on The Arabian nights. I went online and did some research on different journey artists which I've included in my sketchbooks I looked ad artists such as Candy Jernigan, Antoine et Manuel and A journey to the arabian night with julian Breton's calligraphy. I went on to do further research and watched Aladdin where I took notes of Aladdin's journey throughout the film. I then went on to do further research in Islamic and Arabian art. I thought the repeat and very detailed patterns were very beautiful and I wanted to influence the colours and designs in my work.

Visual research

I used the images and the research I did at liverpool to create different pieces of work using different media. for example I used a collaged background using the maps I'd obtained on the trip. I then used a fine liner to draw trees and water colours to bring some muted colour into my work using the inspiration from Sun Xun. I also used a feltip pen and water to make the lines bleed and show different colours emerge from the black line. I am going to try and make some time so I can give these a go on a bigger scale. If I was to make more I think I'd probably link these together and probably make them as a big collage and link them together rather than just have them as separate drawings.