Final samples and outcome!

  Above is a sample showing the final colourscheme and print design for my outcome. I decided on a painterly washed blue background, inspired by the oxidized silver, with a cool grey toned purple mono print, and warm mahogany lino print, all colours I was most drawn to from the treasures. With particular emphasis on the worn, ruby red and amethyst garnets seen in artifacts such as the belt buckle below...

 

Photographs of the process of creating my outcome, and the finished work.  I am very pleased with how it has come together. I like the depth and added level of interest the painterly washed blue background gives the print, reminding me of prints by the English Eccentrics. I think the colours are successful. The mahogany lino prints stand out the most, creating contrast for the delicate monoprints, they are combined with, which are more subtle and intricate. Not only do I think the physical shapes of the motifs work, but also the shapes seen between each print, creates a pattern of its own. I feel I have captured the handcrafted, aged, slightly imperfect qualities of the historic Sutton Hoo treasures, through the mono print, and also the areas of lino that are not so opaque, which gives the print character, similar to that seen in the handcrafted details of the treasures. The slightly faded appearance of the prints also reminds me of the hazy patterns I saw on garments in Valention’s SS14 collection. 

Experimenting with colourscheme, arrangment and scale

 

Experimenting with the colours I was most drawn to from the treasures onto design sheet of my print pattern. I have decided on the background being a painterly wash of dye, to reflect my attraction to a painterly finish, and also as it will allow me to combine more of the colours I was drawn to from the treasures in my print.

Below are further design sheets I have made displaying what furnishings the final printed length might be suitable for, and also playing with different ideas for motif sizes. Suggesting how the print might appear on different objects, for example, there may be one large motif in the center of a pillow, or a very busy small, almost ditsy like print could be created, possibly suitable for a smaller accent on something, like on a lining.

Colour Inspiration from the Treasures

Study pages I have produced, working from the colours in the Sutton Hoo artifacts I photographed. Upon studying the photos, I found the vast amounts of colours and hues the objects have surprising, especially when considering how old they are, how well they have persevered their rich colours fascinates me. I'm particularly drawn to the warm purples and reds from the garnets, but also the royal blues. These are potential colours which could be explored for my final print.

Above are swatches of dyes and inks I have mixed to start exploring colourschemes with actual printed fabrics.

For my printed outcome, I have chosen to work with a medium weight calico, which would be suitable to become a furnishing fabric, so this is the fabric I have explored mixing my dyes onto above. The fabric is very absorbent, I therefore had to make the dyes with lots of pigment, so that the colour payoff would reflect the boldness of the Sutton Hoo treasures.

Deciding on my pattern

Above is the print pattern I have chosen to continue with for my outcome. It may be one of the simpler of the pattern compositions I explored, however, I feel sometimes the simplest is the most effective, and I still want to add more detail to the print by Lino printing between each space, so that the finished print is incredibly heavy with pattern and decoration. I think this print will be better suited to being printed on a long length of fabric, which could then have several possibilities, such as being used in curtains, a big floor cushion, or wallpaper are a few examples of furnishings this fabric is suited towards.

Above are line studies of design ideas for the pattern I want the Lino that will be printed between the mono printed motifs to have. I have drawn the designs to a shape that precisely fits the space between each mono print. The pattens themselves are taken from the original drawings I did of the Sutton Hoo treasures. Below I explore roughly how the pattern of the Lino print will look between each mono print:

I experimented keeping the same Lino print pattern throughout the whole design or changing the patterns to add more detail. I prefer the idea of the later as I want the print to have as much rich pattern and detail as possible to reflect the richness of the treasures.

The sample below is the first sample I made using the inked plastic to mono print a repeat pattern. I like how it makes creating a repeat pattern much easier, when using the technique of mono print. I like the charm a mono print has, as no two prints are the same. This reminds me of the Sutton Hoo treasures, which are hand crafted, causing there to be no two objects that are the same. The sample below is also the first sample in which I Lino printed in between each mono. I do like the pattern and effect this has given the print however, I feel printing the Lino in a different colour to the mono looks wrong, as the Lino is a bit to bold and distracts from the more delicate shapes in the mono print.

The colours in the samples above and below are both inspired by colours found in the Sutton Hoo treasures.

I photoshopped a couple of my samples to show how they would look as a home furnishing, such as a bed set.

In the sample below I experimented with mono printing over the top of a Lino print. however, I don't like how it turned out, the print is to busy and neither mono or Lino play off of each other very nicely. 

Experimenting with Repeating Mono Print

I wish to be able to print a repeat pattern using the technique of mono print, however, this can prove to be difficult as when you mono print, you are printing blind, with the right side of the fabric face down facing away from you, so, it would be difficult to know if each motif matches and lines up to create the continuos print I want. To solve this problem, I experimented with rolling ink onto a clear plastic, so I could place the inked surface on top of the fabric, and then, draw through the plastic so I know that the motifs a lining up with each other.

Above is a sample of the first prints I printed with the ink rolled onto clear plastic. These print are not repeating fluidly as I was experimenting with how the print itself would turn out being printed though the plastic. I was impressed with the results. The print came out bold with clear details. At first I did not like how the excess ink on the plastic could be seen on the fabric around each motif, however, I now feel this gives the print an aged appearance, like the old treasures, with areas of oxidisation and rust. I also think the excess ink plays apon the painterly aspects of the print. I chose colours seen in the Sutton Hoo treasures, although the Brusho dyes came out very artificial and to primary for what I wanted. I wanted the colours to be much deeper and richer like the garnets in the treasures. I used black ink to print just for the purpose of seeing how this new method of mono printing would work.

The photo above is the plastic I inked up on and printed with, I'm drawn to how areas of the pattern can be seen in the remanding ink, and again the effect given reminds me of the oxidised aged treasures.

Experimenting with Print Patterns

I have began exploring how the motif I mono printed earlier could potentially turn into a repeat pattern. I really like the shape of this particular motif. I feel it reflects the intricacy and details of the Sutton Hoo treasures, but is also stylised and has nice painterly qualities which is a look I want to aim for, inspired by the wonderful handprinted style of the English Eccentrics. 

The following photos show composition ideas for my repeat pattern:

I have experimented with the repeat pattern compositions, with the use of the fabric the pattern will be printed on in mind. If the pattern was on the full length of a curtain, it may be more suited to being in horizontal stripes down the fabric, rather then if it was a pattern repeated for a bed throw where it could be more broken and not so continuous.

The photo above shows how I had to add some extra details and lengths to the motif to enable it to be a better repeat and join more fluidly.

I am interested in mixing the two print techniques I have explored, to create different surface qualities on the fabrics and to add even more details as the treasures are so heavy in ornamentation. Below show more pictures of possible repeat ideas and shapes in which Lino could be cut to fit the pattern.

Graham and Green

Graham and Green is a contemporary well respected interior design brand. I have researched them to study how they use print and repeat pattern within a range furnishings. Also, some of their designs contain influences from historical sources.

The majority of Graham and Greens current wallpaper collection is very graphic, with digitally printed images, many of which contain images from sources of historical inspiration. Such as the old china plates below and the wall paper above giving the impression of panels from historic houses.

Upon looking at Graham and Greens cushion range, I have noticed that, compared with other types of furnishings, such as wallpapers or curtains, the designs put on cushions are much less restricted in terms of shape and size. As cushions are used as accents, the patterns on them can be big and bold with loud colours and a single large motif or, they can have small repeted patterns on them with lots of intricacy.

The illustrations on the mugs above have a similar qualities to that of the archaeological drawings I studied...

Both the illustration style is made up of liner lines, however there is a lot of detail and pattern.

Exploring Monoprint

I was inspired to experiment with the technique of mono printing after I found drawing on top of a Lino print was unsuccessful. I found Biro ink to be to soft, however obtaining a drawn image with printing ink, like when using mono print, is much stronger, making lines stand out much more. The mono print above was a direct tracing from one of my original drawings from the treasures in the Sutton Hoo hoard. I like how the print has turned out. I choose to print onto a already printed fabric as I was inspired by how the English Eccentrics layer up already printed fabrics with further prints. I like that mono printing has a hand drawn sketchy quality.

Above and below are the blots of the ink I took from the left over ink on the table after printing the fabric. I think its interesting to see the shapes and patterns left behind in the ink. I think the blots look like oxidised metals, taking on the appearance of how the finds from the Sutton Hoo hoard would have looked like after being underground for thousands of years.

Dolce&Gabbana S/S 2014

I was drawn to the digital prints in Dolce&Gabban's SS14 collection. The collections historical influences include historical architecture, and Greek mythology, much like the English Eccentrics. 

The round shapes of the jewellery remind me of the pendents found in the Sutton Hoo hoard,

 

Valentino SS14

There are many designers at the moment who are displaying collections on the catwalk which have clear historical sources of inspiration. Despite me focusing on interior patterns in my own work, I have been enjoying seeing how pattern is used in fashion. In particular, Valentino's SS14 is made up of many heavily printed and embroidered garments reflecting  ancient Egyptian patterns and shapes. In the last half of my project I looked at Valentino's AW13 collection for its references to the Tudor period.

Despite there being no inspiration taken from Anglo Saxon treasure, the collection is very folklore inspired, many of which the folklore riturals, storys and traditions in England dervie from the Anglo Saxons. I find the richness of colours in Valentino's SS14 collection very akin to that of the Anglo Saxons tresures.