Print designs

After initially sketching out my design I transferred it to Illustrator so that I could make a repeat pattern.

Below is my working process for how I created the final design.

Initial design

Tracing on Illustrator

Initial traced file

Beginning to add colour and using black pointer and alt to copy 

Finished initial design

Playing around with repeat and scale using group and copy 

Creating a clipping mask

Initial large design in CMYK 

Using Group>Isolate>
Select same to quickly
isolate colours

Creating positives

Final design in CMYK

Thinking about different colours 

Why?
- Never made a repeat pattern, so wanted to try it, and thought this would transfer well into screen prints
- Thought the simple designs I had come up with would work well to investigate colour, as the design wouldn't be fighting with the colour for attention
- Want to work towards a resolved outcome- think these will work well on my own packaging templates- What will the audience expect them to contain?

What?
- I tried a few different scales, and after printing them out I decided the smaller one worked better, as once folded into boxes they revealed more of the design
- Liked trying different colour ways- Hopefully I will be able to experiment again during the screen printing process
- In order to make it simple, I will print these out on the studio printer at A3 and only use one screen in the print room
- Learnt quite a lot about Illustrator this time, such as isolating colours and how artboards work
- Don't really like the 'crisp'  finish on the digital print outs, but this should look drastically different once screen printed

Now?
- Think about how to come out with the most diverse combination of colours in the prints
- Investigate what the colours mean and what feel they will give off with this simple design
- Experiment with single positive prints to see how abstract they can be whilst still revealing the intent
- Get printing!!

Project work

What did I want to explore?
- After reflection on the feedback, I wanted to see just how far I could alter the colours of these items whilst still retaining their essence- is colour really that important?
- Feedback seemed to suggest this was an interesting direction to take, as it really shows the importance of form within an image
- Want to create a body of work which will evoke different feelings in people- will a blue banana make people feel uncomfortable? Remind them of a shop? Mean anything? This is what I want to find out!
- How far can an orange be taken from its original state? Could it be an abstract pink and yellow shape? What is the importance of contextual information?

What did I like/dislike?
- Although I quite like the abstract cut paper images, they don't really excite me, and if I want to create a repeat pattern, I think I will need to use a more accurate representation in order to not get overcrowded and busy
- I really don't like the straight edges- fruit is fluid and soft, if I'm representing these traits then I need to embody the essence of them
- Think they're a bit too messy, would have preferred finer lines
- Quite like the initial drawings, and how the black grounds the colour and gives it a place on the page- think this is all starting to become about balancing and giving just enough information

How has this impacted my practice?
- I feel like I'm going against the basis of my essay, which looks at the importance of colour, however, I think here I am exploring more the natural, day to day use of colour, rather than the commercial side I looked at in my essay
- Want to begin to make them into Illustrator files so that I can use them within screen print- repeat pattern
- Could I create different prints which reveal different colours/amounts of information?

Final crit

I was actually really disappointed with my feedback, as we had quite a long time to comment, but I only got two very brief, quite unhelpful comments.

Although they said liked the idea, I wasn't really given much to work with at all, and since I was hoping this crit would help to clarify where I should be heading, it wasn't very helpful.

When we broke off into pairs, I was able to discuss my project and concerns more, and I got some useful feedback:

Links to the use of colour are strong
Progression of ideas is clear and works well, but a focus is needed

What to do next:
Pursue mixed up colours of fruit- create packaging showing different colours
-Maybe paint the fruit to go in the boxes?
Repeat pattern for boxes

Action Plan:

Today- tie up % prints and inside/outside drawings- start to plan packaging
Friday- Prep screen and make positives for packaging
Saturday- Finish packaging designs and blog
Sunday- Finalise essay
Monday- PPP poster and slideshow
Tuesday- Print and make packaging
Wednesday- Write Evaluation, make visual evaluation, blog

First feedback

First feedback

Paired work reflections

Paired work reflections

D&Ad Festival

This weekend I went to the D&Ad festival, which had loads of different designs for advertising and packaging, with strong links to colour, all of which were really inspirational to me

This rebrand for Villager really made me think about how things work as a set- is that something I could do? Or a series?

Also like the repeated lines but with different colours

Love this showing the percentages of colour is a duck and lettuce sandwich- similar to my passion fruit print percentage idea, love the scale and quality of print - could I think about how to represent rations of colour- maybe with a barcode?

Think the strong white type works well to break up the page and draw attention- I really need to consider composition within this project to ensure my work is shown off to it's best whilst having a pleasing finish

 Colours in this design are really interesting- they overlap slightly through the colour palette but with different colours added to each, which creates a totally different tone- I would love to use colour in this way somehow in my project

This rebrand of Coca Cola reminded me that iconic colours can be hard to change. Everyone knows what those colours stand for, and the design has used this to it's advantage to create abstract patterns which are still immediately recognisable- Could I see how far I could push imagery and colour whilst still retaining a strong recognition?

I like this piece because it shows the impact of colour, as the exact same print looks so different through solely the colour choice- I would love to explore this kind of theory more within my work

Overall, this inspirational visit has not only given me lots of different starting points, but also made me very keen to develop a resolved outcome which has an outcome, as through looking at the difference between the design boards and finished products on display at the festival, I think the outcomes had a much more finished and complete feel about them than just the concepts. This means I will need to ensure I work outside of my sketchbook as much as possible to help arrive at resolved outcomes.

Project development

Why?
- Wanted to look at more natural packaging- what makes an apple an apple? How far removed from it's original state can it be whilst still being recognised?
- Wanted to 'loosen' up my work a bit- I've been feeling a bit stifled by Context of Practice module recently, so wanted to do something a bit more fun
- On reflection, I wanted to avoid type, as I have included it in a few of my projects, and I wanted to push myself to make work which is out of my comfort zone
- Thought it would be a good opportunity to experiment with more abstract work, which I haven't done much of this year

What do I like/dislike?
- Really like the idea of questioning how much of a reliance people have on colour when it comes to basic goods, such as fruit and vegetables
- Think the colour could be bolder in the pencil- like the quality, but not strong enough, think the cut paper is too flat and boring- print may be the answer!
- Think these quick, explorative practices have given me a chance to just see where the project is taking me, and through this deconstruction of fruit I've started to think about what dependance on colour these items have
- Think the collection of similar shapes works well, but the single, bold fruit on a page may be a bit boring- could I play around with compositions?

Where next?
- Start working with print!
- Think more on composition- remember to rough!
- Am I stepping too far away from my essay? - NATURAL PACKAGING- enough of a link? I'm just letting my practice go where it's leading me, and am really enjoying it, so I will just carry on with where it is going, as I feel I am really starting to develop more creative solutions as a practitioner

Passion fruit and watermelon

Grapefruit and kiwi

Deconstructed passion fruit

Thinking about line and value

Thinking about line, scale and value

I also explored the percentages of colour in fruit briefly through mono print, as this was something I saw in practice at the D&Ad festival this weekend, and thought was really successful

- Definitely want to work more with print, love the handmade feel, and I won't be able to use this technique over summer

- Like how they loo like children's book illustrations through the varying, uneven line, could I work more with cut paper to push this further?

Without the black the print seems clearer 

With the black- not large enough holes to work in mono print 

Artist research

From reflecting on the feedback last week, I undertook more research into Japanese packaging, and I loved what I found

What do I like?

- Like the simple, limited colour palette of the first two, shows off the image strongly
- Nice idea of oranges masquerading as a carrot, charming and instantly recognisable
- Screen print has a wonderful handmade quality

How does this influence my work?

- Like in my last project, I want to limit my colour palette so that my work does not get lost in the complex colours
- REALLY want to explore screen printing again- do I have time?? Make a timetable!
- Want to look more at playing on colour and love the idea of disguising one thing as another through use of colour

After deciding I want to explore traditional print more, I researched some print artists too

'Print and Pattern'

Louise Lockhart

What do I think?

- I like the use of small text in Lockharts, is there a way I could put some text into mine?

- Love the simple nature of the components, think this makes them really easy to recognise and connect with

- Think the roughness of Lockharts shapes add a lot of charm and character into the piece

How has this impacted me?

- Try using cut paper to help simplify images and make more hand-made pieces

- I really want to use simple shape and flat, basic motifs within my work

- Look at natural packaging, and what makes this recognisable- how far can I push it but still be recognised for what it is??

Peer review

After a peer review I was able to assess what direction I am heading with my work, and what aspects I want to explore more.

Strengths:
- Good use of colour and crafting
- Strong research base
- Good documentation on blog
- Lots of scope within existing work
- Clearly communicates idea

Suggestions:
- Maybe investigate class relating to packaging?
- Subverting ordinary colours- e.g. fruit?
- Look at Japanese packaging
- Explore more media
-Try exploring different packaging shapes

What I will do next in response?
- Visit supermarkets and take photos to see colour trends
- Explore other packaging shapes
- Research Japanese packaging
- Explore other media- collage, mono and screen print
- begin working towards resolving the problem with some outcomes

Peer feedback

My responses

Proposal

Through exploring the impact of packaging on the consumer, especially with regard to colour theory, in my essay, I have begun to focus on the subliminal choices made by consumers in regard to products through a visual means. I want to focus mainly on the impact of colour with regard to packaging, and what social messages are already ingrained in us. If possible I will create small experiments using visual material I have produced in order to see the impacts of both form and colour in packaging, as well as investigating to what extent the public is aware of their predispositions when it comes to packaging. I would also like to look at the more abstract side of colour, as through exploring why colour is important, I will investigate what colour is to different people, and how people experience colour in different ways, such as colour blindness and synthenasia. After reading works by Bowlby and Humpheries, I have begun to understand just how important packaging is when it comes to making a sale, and how easily manipulated people are by what is perceived as the ‘norm’ or the ‘best’. Therefore, the investigation of big brand names has started to unearth the reliance and recognition we have on brands across the globe. In order to develop these ideas further I will continue to replicate packaging in my own manner through extensive drawing and photographing, as well as researching and visually investigating more abstract considerations of colour. I will then possibly begin to interpret these into new designs for packaging which reveal the true meaning of the design choices for the originals.

Colour and packaging

I created 13 boxes using and origami technique which includes three colours per box, in order to see what the colours portray to the viewer.

What is my intent?
- To explore how subconscious connections to colour can alter the perceptions of the suitability of packaging

Do I think it has worked?
- Even whilst I was still making the boxes people were suggesting what could go in them (e.g. smarties, raisins, posh chocolate) so I think they will be able to achieve their desired effect- maybe through an experiment?

What do I need to do now?
- Devise an experiment to get people to suggest what is in each box and document how much the colour impacts on such a simple, repeated form.

Questions:
Should I create a list to choose from or get them to decide?
I like the mystery of 'what's in the box?' maybe I could fill them with non discript items and get people to guess?

Method I used to make them

Packaging exploration

Although I've only briefly explored packaging and its colours, I found it really interesting. Knowing the connotations of colours and then seeing how they are employed in packaging has really made me think about the implications of this.

What have I discovered?
-The hidden messages in packaging are often really straightforward (such as green for healthy food) but also have some hidden ideologies (such as the purple of Cadbury's standing for wealth and luxury, which may be them feeling they are more important than the other brands)
-The amount of componant s within packaging and how these can mainly be stripped down to an individual meaning
- How type can become part of the image, as it is the impact and not the specifics which sell products

What do/don't I like?
- Quite like the quality of coloured pencil mixed with normal, as well as use of negative space
- Think I put too much emphasis on the type- that's not what makes this product
- Like the 'study' of the can- could I push this further and study different packaging?

What will I do next?
- Explore set shape but different colours- maybe look at origami/print?
- Keep drawing packaging in new ways
- Go to a supermarket and take photos