Experiment with discharge printing

Another experiment from today, printing with discharge on to some cotton I had bought. This worked well until there was some mishap. It was all fine when it came out of the heat press, so I can only imagine the discolouration happened whilst washing it afterwards. You can just about see where there are some lighter patches which seem to be part of the design. So I don't know what happened there. Perhaps it can be covered up with some sort of embroidery or something.

Experiment with flock

An experiment from today with pigment and flock on to cotton. The colours are not too accurate in these images as the cotton is a much darker blue. I would have liked to print the heads using proceon dyes but wasn't able to due to the steamer being broken. So I settled with using pigment. The flock came out really well on the ferns.

more ferns and faces

And today I found some left over heavy brushed cotton from ages ago. So I thought I would print the Ferns and Faces design on to it and see how it turned out. I had this green colour already mixed up and wasn't too keen on it. However the colour worked quite well with the natural tone of the cotton. As expected, some of the print lies on top of some of the fibres on the fabric making it quite fragile. This is something I really like and I think it works well in relation to the passing of time as the image would change as it got more worn. You also get an embossed texture to the image where larger area of colour (the hair) go deeper into the fabric and the areas around these become raised.

Quick patterns

The results of a very quick play around on photoshop this afternoon. Just looking for ideas on what to do. I prefer the top image.

Fern Ideas.

Some ideas for the new design.

More circles of girls.

A drawing for a new design done today.

more drawings...

A couple more drawings trying to figure out another piece. I took one more photo of another section but it did not turn out, so will get a photo tomorrow. I am aiming to put the heads next to each other with little overlap, not like the drawing below.

I like the fern pattern, but will include it in a different way. I like the connection with nature that this suggests and the simplicity too. More work to be done on it though. I also need to consider the idea of printing this as a repeated image, and the scale in which I would do this. If I stick to a one colour print, perhaps I can play around with design, scale and placing.

Embroidered Ladies.

I also printed this relatively simple design, with the idea of using embroidery over the top. I have started this but I am unsure of how to carry on with it at present. I am greatly enjoying the embroidery, and think I will pursue this further in more work. Each girl is slightly unfinished, which I also quite like. I am wary of creating an image that looks as if it's looking to be perfect, if that makes any sense. I have photocopied the piece to try and draw onto that and maybe work something out. I may well print some more, with the idea of doing some different work on top of those at a later date. There may be an opportunity to use some text also, but as that is something I am unfamiliar with, I am slightly anxious of doing it.

Grumpy Girls

This is, once again, printed on calico. The think that when I blasted the screen after exposing it I didn't quite blast it enough on one section. I hid this by fully embroidering the inner section, which has the added bonus of giving a different texture (though this is more noticeable through touching it and less so when just looking). I really like the way the image as a whole is quite decorative and created a striking pattern. I'm not sure if it's just me, but it also somehow has quite a communist aesthetic? I also enjoy the grumpy faces a lot.

Calico Circle

The same print again, this time on a medium/fine calico. The neutral tone allows for a different colour for the thread outlining the trees. It clashes with the tone of the inner pattern, but I think it works. The rippling in the fabric that the quilting creates gives each girl a slightly different expression.

Quilted cotton.

At last I had some time today to take some pictures of what I have been working on for a while now. This piece is printed on cotton that I dyed a light grey. I then backed it with a piece of fleece and quilted it. The initial idea with this (and subsequent pieces) was to create an item that provided some form of comfort, perhaps a cushion cover even? I am trying to think of what to do, though, and how best such an item would be exhibited. For now I am leaving it as it is, and I am just going to try and get as much printed as possible while I have access to the college facilities.

new drawing

and finally, a new drawing. i am thinking to team this with another previous drawing for printing, but that will take some more working out. i like how ernest she looks.

repeat patterns (pencil and charcoal)

circle pattern with trees