Creating a Fashion Collection: Process Two

 I will now go through the Photoshop process for the portfolio. 

Begin by opening Photoshop and then opening the file you are going to use.  

I then went to Image - Auto Tone, Auto Contrast and Auto Colour.  I did this just to make the colours and tones stand out however I could also have used Curves for a more subtle effect. 

I then wanted to get rid of some of the smudges and roughness of the background so I used the Clone Stamp tool with a soft large brush just to remove the smudges - however, I did not actually want to remove all of these as I still want it t feel a little raw in design. 

I then create a new canvas by going to File - New, a dialog box opens and I go to Print in the top menu then A3 and it should be white in background with a 300 resolution for high print quality.  

I then went back to the original drawing  - checked the Image size and resolution so that it fitted well onto my canvas and had the same high resolution then went to Select - All and then copy and then clicked into my new canvas and went to edit - paste to past the design onto my portfolio page.

I then went to my logo which I had already created and added this to the top right-hand corner of the page.

I also added the title of the collection and tagline and underneath I will write a description of the clothing and materials

This is my finished page

I will then create my other pages, A front cover, and a page that explains the materials, origin and sustainability and target market/price point.  I will put the concept in my introduction and I may add a final page with all six designs.

Here is another example - we can discuss these materials in class!

Creating a Fashion Collection: Process One

 As an example of how to hand draw and then create a digital portfolio I created these drawings for a mens fashion collection. 

My fashion collection is for men aged 25-35 (Generation Y/millenials), I am targeting this age range as this is the 'largest generation to date—numbering over 80 million strong in the US alone' (Wertz, 2021). The collection will be called 'Winter Wonderland and will be urban chic in style.  The designs will use two solid colours; lilac and blue with an accent colour of orange.  This collection will feed into the current trends using oversized wool jumpers, asymmetrical design and skinny ankle-grazing trousers.

As millennials are socially conscious and want stylish but affordable clothing (Wertz, 2021). I will aim to use this in my branding and marketing.

To begin I gathered my equipment together, this included a croquis template of the male figure I wanted to use printed at A3, Tracing Paper A3, coloured pastel pencils, 2B pencil, rubber, sharpener and clip.  I also had my phone to hand to snap the process!

I laid the tracing paper over the croquis and clipped this carefully into place. I then began to sketch out my design using a pencil.

I carefully traced around the head and body parts that I wanted showing so that each design will be uniform in look, shape and size.

I began adding colours - starting here with the skin.

I used the two tones and pastel pencils to do this - I used these as I can colour and then use my fingers to smooth the colour and soften.  

The final design I then scanned and photocopied.  The scan I can then add to Photoshop for my final portfolio when I have chosen which designs to use. 

I used this process for all my designs.  Here are some further designs....

Ideally, you should have sketched out, developed and tried many many more than this!  In the next post I will go through the Photoshop process for the portfolio.

References

Wertz, B., 2021. The New Rules of Style, According to Millennials. [online] Men's Journal. Available at: <https://www.mensjournal.com/style/new-rules-style-according-millennials/> [Accessed 1 December 2021].

Further Research: Corbusier

 

Le Corbusier

Le Corbusier (October 6, 1887 – August 27, 1965) was a Swiss Architect and designer, 'whose designs combine the functionalism of the modern movement with a bold, sculptural expressionism.' (Le Corbusier | Swiss architect, 2021) 

Le Corbusier was one of the first to belong to the generation of the so-called  International School of  Architects. 'In his architecture he joined the functionalist aspirations of his generation with a strong sense of expressionism'  (Le Corbusier | Swiss architect, 2021) Corbusier did not only create Architecture and product design he was also an urban planner, great painter and writer.  He had designed his first house at age 20 and this spurred his ambition to become an architect.

This is why I have chosen to look at the seminal work of Le Corbusier in conjunction with my own product design.  I will begin by discussing some designs by Le Corbusier.  The first is this Escargot lamp created in 1954.

 Le Escargot Lamp by Le Corbusier 

This lamp has a 'body of the impressive lamp is made from aged cast brass, with a curved interior surface in anodised aluminium. The light source, hidden in the body, is reflected on the curved inner surface to give a widespread, diffused lighting'.(Avenue, 2021)

This work is interesting to me as I am creating a chair design, this lamp has elements that inspire me to consider the curve and ergonomic dimensions of the chair design and it gives the idea that I could create an in-built light so that it becomes the perfect reading chair for my small library at home.  The materials here are for lighting design with the anodised aluminium however considering my own chair design in relation to this I might consider using Oak or Maple as these woods are often used in high-end furniture and they should give the look and feel that I am after and offer a real integrity to the product.  For the cushioned seat I would use hard-wearing linen or cotton material and a backlit backrest and overhead lighting that could use daylight bulbs and in-built LED technology. 

This is a rough sketch of the idea

Looking further at Le Corbusier he created many chair designs - here are some examples:

'The “Le Corbusier” collection, as it has been called since the nineteen seventies, would never have seen the light of day without the programme created by Le Corbusier in April 1927. He used sketches to establish the positions of the human body that the seating designs had to reflect' (Cassina., 2021)  Le Corbusier was very interested in ergonomic design and wanted to create something that was not only aesthetically pleasing and functional but also comfortable for everyday use.  

Le Corbusier used beautiful curves and sculptural design that uses light so that spaces are exquisite to work, play and rest in.  Le Corbusier understands the joy of comfort and light continually through his design.  I will continue to play with y own chair design and will look at in-depth the materials and then create a small prototype for feedback.

References

Encyclopedia Britannica. 2021. Le Corbusier | Swiss architect. [online] Available at: <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Le-Corbusier> [Accessed 18 November 2021].

Avenue, U., 2021. Escargot Lamp by Le Corbusier. [online] Urban Avenue. Available at: <https://urbanavenue.co.uk/products/le-corbusier-escargot-floor-lamp> [Accessed 18 November 2021].

Cassina. 2021. – LC Le Corbusier Collection: did you know that? - Gerosa Design. [online] Gerosadesign.com. Available at: <https://www.gerosadesign.com/de/design-cassina-lc-le-corbusier-collection.php> [Accessed 19 November 2021].

DESIGNFUNKTION, MÜNCHEN, GERMANY, D., 2015. Le Corbusier Reloaded: LC2 at designfunktion. [online] Architonic. Available at: <https://www.architonic.com/en/story/designfunktion-le-corbusier-reloaded-lc2-at-designfunktion/7001121> [Accessed 19 November 2021].

Fracalossi, I., 2021. AD Classics: Palace of the Assembly / Le Corbusier. [online] ArchDaily. Available at: <https://www.archdaily.com/155922/ad-classics-ad-classics-palace-of-the-assembly-le-corbusier> [Accessed 19 November 2021].

IIM: Ideas & Initial Research

 The Swimming Hole image from Eakins inspired me to create a coffee shop brand.  for my portfolio I will create the brand and logo, merchandising, an Instagram page, a menu, and offer leafet and business cards digital/hard copy.

Thomas Eakins The Swimming Hole (1885)

Here is a quick mock up of my first ideas - I just used tailor brands 

Business Cards

The logo I like the style, colour and font - but I could work on something like this myself in Photoshop and make this more dynamic 

Website and merchandise.  I would like to make a real t-shirt and I want to also create a menu design 

Looking at other Instagram sites for coffee - I looked at Costa and I could see how I could brand and sell on Instagram - photographs of my branded coffee and show the lifestyle by the river to feed into the brand

Costa have a brand mission statement and this I would write for my own brand so that I have a real brand story 

These are just a few quick ideas however more research is needed to make sure I am selling looking at demographics and design and I will explore this further for my project. 

IIM: The Swimming Hole: First Impressions

 

Thomas Eakins: The Swimming Hole (1884-5)

What first impressions do you have?

Beautiful sunshine, the smell of a sunny day and freshwater, the feel of water on my skin. The warm sun touched my skin.  The trees gently rustling in the breeze, the joy of watching young men swim!  Joy and laughter

What does it make you think of?

As above, reminds me of Jarnac in France when we spent a day sitting by the river.  I paddled and collected stones, the water was crystal clear.  I lay on the grass in the warm sun and ate an ice lolly.  

What connection can you find with the image? 

Summer holidays, photographing people outside in the sun, photographing the body and finding beauty 

How could this be a starting point to your own work? 

Thinking about how to photograph the body, something conceptual perhaps text/image - pieces of me

Project Plan: My Father

 Please see my project plan here, I have used Visme so that there is a more visual and personalised plan!

My Father: Project Sign Off

 Here is my project sign off for my Digital Arts Project this term

I thought I would also share this picture as it made me smile!

Initial Research: Richard Billingham

 

Richard Billingham (Untitled, 1995) From 'Ray's a Laugh'

Richard Billingham was an art student who took photographs of his parents (Ray and Liz) originally as studies for paintings.  'A tutor on Billingham’s art degree course at Sunderland University came across the photographs in a plastic bag and Billingham ended up displaying them in all their flash-lit squalor: toothless and shirtless Ray cradling pop bottles of home brew; Liz, with her lavishly tattooed slabs of arms and vast floral print frocks, lost in her jigsaw puzzles or TV dinners. Taken together – “Ray’s a Laugh” is what Billingham called them – they seemed to provide a tragicomic through-the-keyhole of degraded post-Thatcherite Britain.' (Adams, 2019)  These photographs ended up in the 1997 Saatchi Sensation show.  Billingham's parents both died prematurely and in 2019 Billingham made a film about his parents and childhood - please see the trailer below

Billingham came from an impoverished and difficult background and managed to 'get himself onto a pre-degree art course and then to university, all while stacking shelves at a supermarket to pay his way.'  (Fullerton, 2016) Much of Billingham's subsequent work is about his family and the urban landscape he grew up in.  The two images below are of his Father using mixed media.  

 

Richard Billingham

Billingham did not intend to become a photographer and he was offered a chance to a book of his photos and Billingham stated; 'I had this opportunity to publish about 50 of them in a book, I wasn’t sure about doing it because I didn’t want to be classed as a photographer – I didn’t want to be pigeonholed. I wanted to be an artist. I talked to a friend from Sunderland, and he said ‘you might as well do the book. Francis Bacon was a furniture designer before he became an artist… if you do the book of photographs, well, photography is closer to painting than furniture design’. (Macdonald, 2007).  Billingham still makes films, photographs, and teaches.  

I have looked at the work of Billingham here as from his work there is a sense of the time that these were taken and this is the same time as I was growing up, Billingham was born in 1970, I was born in 1974 and so the backdrop of the photos are familiar to me although my childhood was not like this, it was chaotic in a different way and through photography, I found a kind of salvation behind the camera.  These images were important to my photography education when they came out 30 or so years ago, they showed something to me about photography and how it could be used to tell a personal story, I did not need fancy equipment, just me and my camera.  A true inspiration. 

References

Adams, T., 2019. Richard Billingham: ‘Statistically, I should be in prison, dead or homeless’. [online] the Guardian. Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/feb/23/richard-billingham-ray-and-liz-interview> [Accessed 22 October 2021].

Fullerton, E., 2016. Down and Out and Back Again: Richard Billingham’s Photographic Past Takes on New Life – ARTnews.com. [online] Artnews.com. Available at: <https://www.artnews.com/art-news/artists/down-and-out-and-back-again-richard-billinghams-photographic-past-takes-on-new-life-7421/> [Accessed 22 October 2021].

Macdonald, G., 2007. Richard Billingham | Photoworks. [online] Photoworks. Available at: <https://photoworks.org.uk/richard-billingham/> [Accessed 22 October 2021].

SMART Objective: My Father

 

I will be creating a short film 5-7 minutes long using still images, text and music to celebrate the life of my Father.  I will be using photographs that I already have that I and my family have taken.  I will use Movie Maker and I will write the text and use copyright-free music from the Free Music Archive.  I will add the completed film to my website by the beginning of December.

Initial Ideas: Major Project Autumn 2021

 Initial Ideas: Using Milanote

My Father 

I was going to begin this by saying that I had lost my Father, however, I would like to think my Father is always with me and I can never lose him.  At the beginning of the Pandemic as we were locked down his last words to me as he hugged me was 'everything is going to change now'.  My Father died of Covid complicated by his underlying conditions on April 10th 2020. This project is in remembrance of my Father, for my Father and celebrating his life.  

I have created this Milanote board with my ideas and initial research - you can look at this full size through this link or below

Reflection: Joan of Arc

 

For this project, I wanted to express the faith and strength of Joan of Arc and the fire that turned her into a martyr.  I feel that this image does do that and is successful.  I think though it does need to the text otherwise you would not necessarily associate the image with Joan of Arc.  I like this version as I felt the black and white worked well with the flames bright touching Jesus on the cross.  However, the colour version gives a different feel and depending on where it was hanging or posted I think would depend on the version to e used.  Technically I was pleased with the result - this was a simple project but the image was effective and is of high quality and could be printed for gallery output. 

Process: Joan of Arc

 To create the final piece I used one original image which I took and a stock image.  I wanted to combine these using Photoshop and add a piece of text.

So I began with these two images

I began by making a canvas on Photoshop so just File - new - and then choosing the size, background, and resolution (300ppi) so that it was printable and high quality.

I then opened my cross image and checked for quality 

This is a good clear image with a good depth of field however I did use the curves to brighten this as I felt it could be a little brighter

I then opened changed the size and resolution using Edit - Image- Image Size.  I then added to the canvas that I wanted to use to frame the image so \I made the image smaller than the canvas. 

I then opened the fire image - this image will go over the original image

I changed the image size and resolution again to 300ppi.

I then lowered the opacity of the fire images so that it was transparent enough and give the idea of fire over the cross.  I checked the quality again and then added Text just using the text tools and the Edwardian Script font for the final text.  

This is the final result 

I also tried some different versions of this using a different canvas frame and black and white

It is important to have different design choices so depending on how I wanted to use these I could choose the best version here.