Collage Illustrations

Over the past few days I have been playing around with photoshop, as a group we collectively like the style of collage illustration. I like the cut and paste effect I have created with these two images. I wanted them to be very abstract and not too obvious like my previous attempts. I tried to use contrasting methods such as block shapes against soft, textured backgrounds and darker colours working over lighter soft pastels.

Alice's Illustrations

Alice has created some illustrations from her own drawings and our group imagery. I think the business of the illustrations and the contrast works well. After reviewing these and teaming these with our other work , we agreed that the top image is the most in keeping with our concept and style. Alice has also produced a series of colourful foils and seer sucker prints, the colours of the fabrics and their textures work well with the top image.  

Final prints.

So after deciding on using the second palette I had created, my layered illustrations came together a lot quicker as a collection. I have been working tirelessly on photoshop, playing around with compositions, layers and colours. Some prints are a lot simpler than others using repetition and typography, working with different scales and sizes. I am extremely happy with the final prints I have created, I think this is mainly because I worked hard on drawing to begin with and I think that has payed off with creating better prints.

Photoshop .

So I decided to scan my drawings into photoshop. I then started layering the animal drawings with the mechanical drawings also combining the typography. I had a large colour palette as I was experimenting with both palettes I had created. The illustration prints weren't working (see below)  as well as I originally planned and I think this was due to the wide range of colour I was using. The prints were not acting as a collection, I wanted for each one to be different but still allowing the audience to see a definite and obvious colour palette. I have now decided to go with the second palette I created as the colours work better together!

Final colour palete

Drawing Development.

I have started drawing from observation, I was working with fineliner drawing the animals in very accurate detail. Similar to the way Raqib Shaw works. As text is very key in the nursery rhyme book I decided to play around with scale and placement. I decided to draw animals that have been humanised thus also relating back to the animals that are drawn with clothes on in Shaw's work. I have been trying to combine the drawing and text together. Im going to research further into the idea of wind up toys mechanisms, photographing and drawing from them. I am hoping to then combine my drawings of the humanised animals with the machinery and text, layering them to create an almost three dimensional print.

Fashion Illustration Workshop.

I enjoyed this workshop, I feel my illustrations have improved and I feel confident with the characters I have created for my final designs.

Day of Inspiration

David Shrigley. Corner House.















I was feeling lost with my work and so I decided I needed some motivation. Shrigley's work is not usually the kind of work I like, but I was surprised by how captured I was by the work. Shrigley shows his personality in his work with bits of his humour entwined within his drawings.





Paper at the Cutting Edge. Manchester Art Gallery.

  This was one of my favourite exhibitions I've been to, I liked the creativity of the artists and the innovative use of materials. It taught me that you can make a beautiful piece of work with the most simple of materials. A lot of the work was also relevant to the journey work I had been currently doing. It helped me with the idea of a colour palette and the use of contrasts.