Old Printing techniques

This machine is showing the old analogue way of creating print the same as it would have been created before computer aided printing techniques. The effects are slightly different to the effects created via a computer, it is only slight, however still different. It is these different qualities depending on  whether it is a digital process or more traditional that evokes interest in my way of thinking and how one can create interest in this way by using 

Printing Techniques

Old Fashioned Traditional Printing Technique.



Vintage printer using metal text lettering .I have spent an afternoon in the print room after chasing a lot of other needs with various academic tutors in order to start collecting and collating visual information past and present.

I have booked a super intense scanner which can scan A2 and also scan transparencies which are old format colour negatives, these were used when I was running a fashion company selling soft accessories to small independents stores and large department stores and chains across the globe.
I need to show some previous work when I show my work so far at a presentation.This is were I will explain my interest in digital and traditional practices and how I wish to inquire how they can be integrated together to inform my new print practice techniques and art developments.
This image shows the vintage lettering set using blank metal pieces to line up words. The ink

can naturally fade out depending on how much ink is left on the metal letters also inks can be mixed to a more natural human eye to print concept.

The result of the printing technique: Traditional phrase, shows the traditional process of lettering used.

I have printed this traditional English phrase in a old sepia colour to reflect the colour of old photographs and print. This colour and chalky paper colours that I have  chosen link to a process I am developing in regard to the effects that traditional vintage ancient artifacts have on the viewer consumer. 

Research and Illustration

Research Resources

Book wise-A great secondhand book shop clearly sectioned just like a library.


I have spent many years collecting resource books for my designing and have spent my time browsing local markets and second hand charity book stores. Luckily for me I have a little town near me called Southwell it has a little market which has a book stall and a book shop which has a lot of donations of second hand books arriving daily. I have taken to buying little
vintage books on nature and foliage which I find really inspiring. The nature of holding an old vintage book gives me a sense of nostalgic references that I am wishing to embellish onto my design work

Books purchased for illustration and theory.

The large Zinc white gouche I have been adding to my Windsor and Newton paint palate to get the chalky dusty rustic vintage colour ways within my work. While I have been printing, whether it is lino print or a screen print I have been creating my own palate and keeping my inks labelled and kept save in the print room. Cohesion with my colour palette across my design developments is important. I have designed a header card for my fabrics for display purposes as I like to see  developments during my design processes. I am also using different size sketch books as I like to work on different areas of my project at the same time.Also when designing I can look at one or more ideas at a time in order to gain more inspiration and direction.
I will be creating a multi colour screen print for wall paper and also for fabric this will mean I will need to create different screens as fabric screen printing requires a different screen type. I will also be creating different colourways for this design.The image will be patterned across on a diagonal repeat. The background will also vary in colour. 

House Martins that fly around Sycamore Cottage.

         I have lined drawn images of British birds that link to my surroundings as part of my project brief. I have photocopied a number of copies and have painted the original drawing ready to create a screen print using traditional methods.

Blue tits and Finches Sycamore Cottage.

The birds I have drawn have been 
using the vintage reference books created for wildlife enthusiasts and bird watchers and therefore give precise information of what they look like and what sort of nests and eggs they have. I am interested in adding more imagery to my fabric and wall paper ideas to explain visually were the birds live and what the environment its like in order to create a country feel and understanding of the wealth of natural beauty available in England.  

Windsor and Newton Paint Palette Water colour. I am loving the painted effect of my This old paint  pallette and would love it as an all over wall paper abstract with lots of tactile influence similar to marble and Agate stone.

I love these birds that I have drawn and wish to also create leafs, butterfly's and insects ,a trellis type of fabric repeat would also suite these images.
The Little Vintage book I have used for reference purposes is called "Intersting British Birds "by Kathleen N.Daly and is illustrated by Eric Tansley and Robert Aitchen. and is published by Blackie & Son ltd.
I must look on line via Ebay or Gumtree for similar books.

Water Colour using 4 colours 5 if I include white

Blue Tits and Finches 

Storyboard Concepts

Storyboards

The following images are storyboard development ideas to create a number of storyboards to link to specific design developments. While creating designs and also considering which direction to go with in regard to my project brief I have been sources and references images 

William Morris Illustration.

William Morris

Wall paper and fabric by William Morris

William Morris Tile

                     
William Morris was born in the 19th century(24 March 1834-3 October 1896) and was the founder of the Arts and Crafts movement and was deemed an aesthete by many. He was also linked to the pre-Raphaelite painters including William Holman-Hunt, Ford Maddox Brown and many more.He was friends with Edward Burn Jones Dante Gabriel Rossetti and while he was working as an architect, after graduating from Exeter College he gave up to paint and design. He was an English designer, craft person,textile designer,poet and socialist. He designed furniture,fabrics, wallpaper, book covers and even stain glass. 
 He married in 1859 Jane Burden and they had a house built by Philip Webb.They spent two years decorating their new home after which they decided to start their own interiors business. They initially
made furniture, tableware , soft furnishings and wall paper. He also designed book covers. He loved houses and loved decorating them. He once said and which has since become a famous quote"Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful".
I love this quote so much I am adding it into my collection within a print development using old text which have to be place together intricately. It might look nice with an illustration.

Book cover design by William Morris

He started a printing business called

Kelmscott Press were he published and

illustrated.

William Morris

Natures :Evolution, Natures Armor and Pattern-ation.

Natures Armor is a blog showing the work and philosophy. Showing a history of design work over my career and including a new body of work for my MA Degree. I am currently researching ways in which to add Natures evolution and patter- nation into a print project I am currently perusing at Lincoln University, Lincoln England. It's an interesting subject especially since the series Blue Planet has been running and my special friend David Attenbourgh who has been a great influence on my life from my early years. I have decided to pay homage to him and also to the world at large and even the Universe. Eco conscious values are key to the future of Fashion and textiles we all want to save our planet from unnecessary wanton destruction. I will be sharing my thoughts with you on this subject.

 Natures: Evolution Armor and Patter-nation 

While considering a new professional working practice within Art and Design parameters I have always considered print making an exciting and interesting skill to wish for moving forward. Within new technologies the arena of print making has increased considerably. New photographic industrial machines mean that peoples choices can be fine-tuned towards a more personal approach. Bespoke designs are becoming more and more accessible to the majority of people who are interested in gaining a more personal shopping experience.

 Since becoming a designer some 20 or so years ago. I have noted an interest in printed fabrics, I however choose to study knitwear design as I was interested in textiles as well as fashion and knitwear bridged a cap for me. However, I believe since becoming a parent, I stopped running my fashion business to concentrate on my family and took to teaching originally Art and Design however I now teach a number of subjects across a wide range of learners age group and skill sets. It is a very interesting and fulfilling job role.

  I am still a keen designer and have set my mind at learning and creating printed textiles with new ideas within hardware(haberdashery) for interiors and fashion. While considering this new skill it has become apparent that dissecting in detail all my different influences and processes is quite complex.
Finding  new and immensely structured ways of following a pathway for my creative work will allow my design directions to become more cohesive.
For the viewer to understand and consider as an interesting look inside the mind of a creator giving a more personal incite to my work.

 Therefore, I will be discussing in a lot more detail the whys and reasons for my methodology this will include various links to previous work, life experiences and family history, which links to identity themes and eras. I will start with a deeply paired down approach to my type of working practice skills set. The main research within what I look for in order to create are : Colour , texture and Pattern-ation.

When designing I am always considering large ranges of designs concepts and in this case, it is fabrics using tradition and modern technologies. Colour is a key aspect to my work, it doesn't have to have lots of colour, however precise colour and fabric use are exclusively selected for the best outcome. Secondly texture which is necessary for a tactile approach, however it doesn’t have to be 3d.

It is not just its pure functionality and purpose that links to exacting directions of importance, it’s the desire to create surface design that is the true nature of my ideas the product is secondary however still important but does not link as i am only interested in surface design(fabrics, wallpapers)

The Consumer: The reason for the design is its function and for what purpose?

 For the consumer, that is the viewer the appreciator that is important to consider in great detail when creating. Pattern-ation follows which can in fact be an detail an embellishment a finishing technique or a pattern. The pattern could be placed , all over or motif-ed.

Patternation can however be limited to another area of design i.e it could be separate from the product design itself i.e surface design concepts. Within these three areas of choice one main criteria is an absolute must and that is mood and affinity to embrace a feeling of romanticism, organic, historical morphing into contemporary, this is also I must do within each creative element I choose to create.

 What has been interesting for me over the last couple of months is that I have changed my medium (material chooses, and it has made it even more clearer why I design and the purpose of what I create no matter what the end product becomes. Creating has always included for me a lot of juxtaposing of detailing within complex modernity's, in order to create new evoking cutting edge directional designs, there is however a need to be simplistic at the same time.

I will be looking at all of my previous skill knowledge and adding them into a new why of creating fabrics for interiors and fashion. Mixing contemporary design concepts with historical reflections and the reasons why will be one of my key discussions and research. Including print making and hardware designing for home interiors fabrics and wall papers,Wall Art.

The reasons for choices are much more detailed than one might of thought. I will be analyzing key points in terms of psychology, anthropology and ancient philosophy. All these under pinning concepts link to historical civilizations, human nature and the link between sociology and religion.

Peacock Warwick Castle Walls. I have previously visited Warwick castle in order to build up an archive of imagery useful for creating personal creative images for different uses and reasons.

Inquiring Questions linking to designing within lifestyle choices ?

Connected to contemporary and historical arts and crafts circa 19th century and their ancient links?

What links are their between paying homage to nature our surroundings and the links to historical civilizations and their  view points?

How we as humans link to the cosmos, universe and nature?

Can we be deemed civilized without the need to replicate, embellish our own amour against natures elements and how we reflect nature while doing this?

How has evolution accredited our needs for luxury and harmony within our own surroundings and life styles?

Why we question and inquire more meaning and understanding of evolution and spiritualism as creatures of the world?

How certain artifacts and patterns are replicated across time and memorial across cultures and civilizations and how there are links?

            Contemporary Research

Timorous Beasties are a fabric and wall paper company that create interesting contemporary takes on traditional furnishings they also create one of up cycled furniture pieces that are aimed at a Boutique lead market.Our influences come from small independent designers who are using a eco conscious choice of printing creating their own inks and printing onto natural fibres.Below are pages from some of my sketch books.

Photoshop linen fabric developments

Photographic Screen Printing

Photoshop for photographic printing using the CAD suit machinery specifically the me mac printer needs specific printing technology. Firstly the actual size of fabric swatches that you are wanting, needs to be created when you create your photoshop page similar to creating a word doc.

It is a bit difficult if you are not used to using the software , practice will hopefully make it easier for me to develop and remember.

I have created different coloured backgrounds with the cherub photograph used on the screen print being re created as a linen fabric print. The cherub has been enlarged to be used in connection with a smaller cherub repeat in faded pastels, natural linen background and also black. The cherub has been used in grey scale and also faded grey scale with colour added using different effects using the different brush effects. I have created 18 different variations in order for an effect range of colour variations and styles in order to equate a collection favoured in commercial concepts.

I will be sending the different designs which are jiffs which have also been flattened using photoshop tools will be send via Dropbox share user as the images use a lot of space and emailing may be difficult. I will be asking for a colour match onto a swatch of fabric to check colours are what I am wanting before 3 metres are printed. I am also printing mounting card to hang the fabric swatches on for display purposes

Original cherub photograph with the background taken of using photoshop tool.
Linen sample fabrics from Me Maci CAD

Colourway pastel lemon

Rose cherub colourway

Wallpaper samples

Wallpaper roll colour swatches

Colour swatch :Bohemian colour story

Linen cherub wallpaper colourway

Screen Printing Metallic Cherubs

Mettallic Screen Printing

Screen printing metallics is a bit different to other screen printing inks. The difference is that you have to push the ink through the screen using a sqidgy twice and not just once. Remembering to lift the screen of the paper to push the ink back to the beginning again. I wanted to use silver and gold onto my cherub screen to reflect the ancient use of gold when the context is about the after life in essence showing how the image is above the natural world paying homage similar to how gold and silver was first used in churches and  cathedrals. Also used on Egyptian death masks to explain the importance of the after life. I wanted my cherubs to show an opulence and shimmering effect to entice the view to feel moved effecting a reflective harmony.



Gold ink onto tactile natural card cut into swing tickets.

Silver and gold cherubs onto card swing tickets.

The screen showing the liquid based gold Matallic and the masking off of other cherubs to just print one.

This image shows how masking tape is used to show were to place the card so the swing ticket is printed with the cherub in the same place to gain a professional repeat technique.

The ink which is gold is a lot thinner than other inks and therefore it’s a bit more difficult to print. 

I need to practice passing the ink through the screen to get a cohesive print approach , initially I was pressing to hard, sometimes not enough. Practice hopefully will make me more consistent moving forward.

The Cherub Screen Print

Printed fabrics using Memaki digital photography printing, developed onto photoshopped. Saved in Jiff settings to suit the machine in order to manufacture and print. I made sure I got 3 across the fabric to maximise print capacity.

Practical Screen Printing using Photographic Print


Screen printing using adapted photography is new technology mixed with traditional printing methods. Initially photoshop was needed to take away the background of the photograph away then the actual pixels needed to be at the highest level. This makes the dots of the photograph as small as possible. Then I have made the image the size I wished. A large traditional staggered repeat and a smaller repeat. Below are some initial prints onto paper which would be wall paper on rolls which I will be creating moving forward. The image below shows the screen printing table were my printing has been done. The screen is painted with photographic paint. The image which is printed of is rubbed with vegetable oil to make the paper clear. It is then placed onto a large photo image maker with a vacuum keeping the screen in place while the image is photographed onto the screen. The screens can be used over again, however they do need to be cleaned.

The idea behind these images is to create a series of different colours for different wall paper for interiors.

The scale is a fashionable new style used in boutique style surroundings. I printed onto sugar paper, however for the real wall paper I would would use a eco conscious plain traditional wall paper with a matt finish.
However the black background would suite a high gloss effect to create an opulent feel for a special location. Bedroom or lounge for one feature wall design and not necessarily all over.

The image below shows the screen in place with the photographed image on the screen.




 I will be developing different colour ways , the above colour way is the most successful as it does look like the negative as some of the cream background fabric blends into the hair of the cherub. I tried one print onto newspaper print which I have used successfully previously with my Lino prints. However the grey in the white base made the duck egg blue ink disappear .

Evaluating colour is very important when designing and the end product use for this would be wallpaper.

Gold background with mushroom parchment ink.
Duck egg background with a mushroom parchment ink.


Above is a mixture of coloured paper I have bought to experiment with coloured backgrounds.

Cherub Opulent Wall Paper Me Machi suite digital CAD developments.

Swatches for wall art/wall paper Evolution v Heavenly Opulance.

Muted vintage pastel Cherub.

                      Black Bohemian colourway.

Fabric swatches mounted onto header card, printed using digital art techniques and preparing using memaki cad suite processes.

Sketch book research on cherubs.