Journal Day 146

Today I woke up tired and feeling stressed and overwhelmed with the project and life. However a quick break followed by tutorial allowed me to clear my head and see that I have done all that needs to be done, and that it is time to get these mugs and tea towels printed! Having pushed it last week past the stagnant stage I made a quick breakthrough with some great designs and have plenty of great options for the final show which is great. Yes my head is full of ideas and possibilities but for this project I need to take control and close them down for another time. I don't need to edit and compose the pieces to match, as essentially, this project has become about the process. It became about the method and the ideas, so in order to have a great final show I want a true representation of that, not a composed and edited version. Jane has encouraged me to find and think of lots of other possibilites for procucts for the final show too, as essentially as a surface pattern designer that is the whole point, my designs can cover any surface! Which is really exciting! So, off to the printers we go, and time to stop worrying!

Through this I have to say I have learnt a huge amount about my process as a designer, and the methods I like and work best with, and know that any future project will be hugely enhanced because of this. I can look back at the beginning of the course, and the beginning of my exploration into surface pattern design and can clearly see how I have developed, grown and learnt. I am hugely excited to keep this going and make it into a career! I will post the final design choices later on today when I have selected them! :)

Abiento x

Journal Day 145

Oh Computers. How I love, and hate you. I spent 5 hours non stop in front of a computer today, and didn't even break for lunch. And now my eyes and my head hurt. Mainly because I walked home, had a salad, and within 10 minutes I had picked my computer back up! Meh.

Anyway, here is a little snippet of what I achieved today, focusing today on Toucan's. I began to struggle today with creating the patterns for this bird, as I felt that in creating patterns with two more birds, I am replicating a lot of the same stuff and it felt slightly stodgy. But I went ahead and did it anyway. Having got a few of the birds in place, I began to introduce the triangles and instantly felt that I wanted a hand drawn element to the design. However in the interest of continuity I left this to create the digital images that I need to work with the other bird design.s By the end of the day I really really wanted to introduce hand drawn elements, and so drew a few leafy, flowery motifs and then scanned them, plus some of the fruit drawings that I had done earlier in the project, and started to see how they would work. Sadly by then it was just gone 4.15 and so we were closing up for the day, and so I will have to spend a bit of the evening messing about if I want anymore computer time today! I'm working both Saturday and Sunday this weekend, so would really like to take my evenings off to relax this weekend! No more square eyes for me please!

The two that I did manage to do are at the end of the post, have a look a see what you think. I quite like the pear one :).

P.S please ignore the rubbish to the far right hand side of each image. Sometimes in editing I forgot to change the furthest (and hidden) birds/triangles. These also feel quite small which I'm not so happy about! They don't have quite the same impact...

In keeping the same kind of layout as before I'm definitely starting to notice a stagnant and stuck kind of feeling. Nothing is new or original or interesting and more is definitely needed. I want to go back and tweak quite a few of these, and re-asses the layout. Although, having said that, this is only one variation and I did quite a few for the flamingos before finding one I loved so may have to do the same here rather than just changing the colours. This work has to happen soon though in order to get them sent off the the manufacturers for printing. Hopefully if I spend all of Monday in the computer suite then this can happen on Monday evening or Tuesday morning.

So here are the ones with hand drawings. I got a bit carried away...

 

 

 

Abiento x

-What Inspires You?-

Sometimes browsing through the internet can lull you into vegitative, square eye state. And sometimes it can completely inspire and motivate you. I love those times. 

These images in particular inspire me with my business. They give me ideas and make me want to push forward and do it!

Sadly as I have had them save in an inspiration folder for a while, I don't have credits for all of them. However those that I do have, I have included. (If you recognise any of the images or know who's they are- please let me know so I credit them!)

A lot of people are suprised by my plans, which is expected. I also hear of lot of people who have ideas but don't ever do anything about them. My attitude is that I want to do it, so therefore I'm going to do it. Seeing this quote makes me feel okay about that :)

This images, predictably inspires my design side- for thinking up ideas of how I want mine to look. I love the bold graphics for this and feel its probably a very personal style for the designer/owner. 

I love Amanda's 'My Better Half' posts, most of all I love the design implemented into each photo- so clever, cute and quirky! 

Hell. Yes. It. Is. 

This is from Emma Case's lovely new blog (go check it out!!), and I think it's one of the best mini profiles I've seen. Including the text into the image is a great way of doing it rather than having them seperate, and the design style of including an arrow is cute, and links you as a reader directly to Emma and essentially you are making eye contact with her. Fantastic photo choice. 

This image simply inspires studio ideas in my. Bright, floral, homely. Love it. (I feel like I know exactly where this image is from, and it's on the tip of my tongue It's quite bugging me now!)

I think this image has drifted all over Pinterest over the last few months, but it's how I want to do life and business in general. 

Part of the Alt Summit Online courses, this bad boy reached Pinterest also, and is a great checklist for running a successful blog. 

Although silly and simple, this image, from and of Angela Hardison, inspires in me ideas of what I want to be wearing as a Business owner. Something that I value, as I will be the face of my brand, and I can't wait to live the lifestyle where I get to wear stuff like this every day!! 

A great example of an image for a post, again from Angela Hardison, is well thought out and considered with style and panache. 

In the words of Nike, Just Do It. 

I love how this girl looks like she's about to jump. I really want to tell her to just do it! (I feel a bit like her sometimes and can't wait to jump!)

The above 3 images, for me, represent great ideas for blog post designs and photos. Something I can't wait to be doing more of. 

These images, created by Ale, of Imaginale, come from her post about her experience listening to Sue Bryce at WPPI earlier this year (2012). She shared some of the business and marketing tips, which for me, is invaluable. Thanks Ale!