Tigerprint

The art and business of Surface Pattern Design E-Course

You may recall a little while back we blogged about the fantastic collaboration between the lovely Rachael Taylor and Beth Nicholls, founder of Do What You Love to create "The art and business of Surface Pattern Design".

Well I am thrilled to be able to feature a small selection of the gorgeous work of the students of part 1.

Module 2 of the course"Creating your professional identity" launched on the 30th of January and Module 3 "Monetising your designs" will launch 16th of April.

The great news is that you can now register for the next course which will commence 23rd April 2012. For full details see here - I'd highly recommend you do!

Meanwhile congratuations to all the students so far your work is amazing!

  Luscious layering & depth from Helen Billett

  Stunning detail on these illustrations from Beth Hewitt

     Striking motif details from Maike Thoma.

                         Quirky style & colour palette from Stephanie Nance

 

We will feature some more gorgeous work by the students in the next few days.

The Sellable Sketch

Exciting news! Michelle Fifis who runs the textile design blog, PATTERN OBSERVER has a brand new surface design course, The Sellable Sketch. The next on-line next class starts 7th November 2011.

Here is a link to a little introductory video and a few details about the class.
http://patternobserver.com/the-sellable-sketch/

Michelle very kindly agreed to do a mini Q&A session with us below:

Please tell us a little about your background?

Sure! A defining moment in my career happened when I started my internship with fashion and textile designer, Zandra Rhodes. I was a fashion design major at the time, and I honestly knew very little about the textile design industry. Well, after one day on the job I was in love with the world of textiles and knew it was something that I would do for the rest of my life. It was a fantastic experience!

In the ten years since that internship, I have had the opportunity to work for some of the top apparel manufacturers in the business and I have loved every minute of it. I currently work with manufacturers and designers to develop print collections that balance the latest print trends with the lifestyle and desires of their end-use consumer. I work with clients in a variety of industries, but I specialize in and have a passion for the fashion industry.

What made you decide to run the course?

When I left my corporate job I felt lost and struggled to stay motivated. After several unproductive months, I figured out a systematic way of developing print collections that starts with identifying my ideal customer. Once this customer was chosen I then tailored the collection to his or her wants and needs. It gave my work the direction, clarity and focus that I needed to stay motivated. After I launched Pattern Observer, I started receiving emails from designers asking for advice and it just seemed like a system I should share with others!

Who do you see the course being most suitable for?

This course is perfect for designers, illustrators, and artists who want to learn a step-by-step guide to developing an irresistible print collection. The purpose of this course is to create a print collection that a designer can either sell or use in their portfolio, so it is very results driven. I talk a great deal about the surface design marketplace, trend research, and identifying one’s ideal customer. A student’s desire to research, learn, share and grow is more important than their level of experience.

Best words of advice you've ever been given?

The best business/ design advice I have heard is: "It’s not about you, it’s about the customer."

Make sure you check out the course now!

Amy Sia

        © Amy Sia

Textile Print Designer Amy Sia has six years of experience working in the fashion industry and a degree in fashion design. Working as a textile print designer for fashion and surface design Amy has freelanced for studios in the UK selling to high street and designer clients in the USA and UK.

The stunning florals above are just a small example of Amy's strong portfolio of work which as well as florals includes some great textural work and childrenswear and conversational prints.

Print & Pattern 2

I love post but lets be honest who doesn't? So this morning I was over the moon when my copy of the second Print & Pattern book arrived.

Patterns are everywhere these days from packaging design, clothes and home accessories to the covers that grace our iPhones.

Print & Pattern 2 is the latest book from the cult Print & Pattern website that celebrates all aspects of printed surface pattern. Featuring cute, colourful and contemporary designs on textiles, cards, gift wrap, stationery, wallpaper, tableware, books, illustration, and anything, the book will be a must for anyone who loves printed patterns and motifs.

Includes work from Marimekko, Designers Guild, Sanderson, Jonathan Adler, Angela Adams, Amy Butler, Rob Ryan and Dwell Studio and past Tigerprint competition winner Dee Beale.

 

Marie Perkins started the Print & Pattern blog in her spare time whilst researching for mood boards in her job as a textile designer. Creating trend books for leading UK stores meant she needed images to demonstrate print trends, and after finding no dedicated blogs at that time decided to start one. The blog soon became a must-read for those in the industry. Marie is herself a successful surface designer working under the name Inkjet Designs. Her work has featured in numerous magazines and newspaper articles.

Charlotte Pettley

  © Charlotte Pettley

 © Charlotte Pettley

  © Charlotte Pettley

Charlotte Pettley is a graduate in BA (Hons) Textiles for Fashion and Interiors at the University For The Creative Arts, Surrey.

Charlotte works primarily in print and recent projects have included a table setting inspired by 1950’s illustrations and Sweet Shop Nostalgia inspired by vintage sweet shops and children’s illustrations and hand-writing.

Very lovely work so make sure you head over here to check out more work by Charlotte and also find her on twitter.

Pattern People Submissions

Exciting news Pattern People are now accepting submissions for their upcoming e-book, Repeat After Me: Creating Repeats in Illustrator and Photoshop by Claudia Brown and Jessie Whipple Vickery. 

"We’re look for prints that demonstrate the following repeat types: 

Toss

Symmetrical

Drop Step,

Interlocked

Stripes

If your design gets picked, your work will appear in their downloadable book with a credit to you. 

Submission Deadline is June 15th 2011

For information on how to submit designs, see http://www.patternpeople.com/submit-your-best-repeats/

 

Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy the sunshine :-)

Factory4

Factory4 is a fully equipped workshop for Screen Printing, woodworking and jewellery in Sheepscar just on the outskirts of Leeds City Centre.

Factory4 is an organisation which encourages people to develop and grow creatively by facilitating access to machinery, expertise and space that wouldn't normally be accessible.

The workshop works on a 'pay as you go' basis so that you can use the facility as much or as little as you like. In addition Factory4 runs a range of courses for all different levels as well as tailoring classes for groups of all skills and learning abilities.

On Saturday i ventured down to partake in the Refreshers Screen printing Course as my only previous experience of it was several years ago at university.

What an amazing day, i had so much fun and it was an excellent way to spend a Saturday. The facilities are fantastic and Gina the workshop leader was very friendly and an expert in teaching you each step of Screen printing. I will be definitely joining up and i already have several projects in mind that i can be getting on with.

See below for a sneaky look at what I was working on.

Jodie Harfield

                         © Jodie Harfield

                          © Jodie Harfield

Jodie is a textile graduate who has a wonderful illustrative approach to her design work. This becomes apparent particularly in Jodie's floral pattern work.

Jodie has both a website and blog where you can find out more about her work and what inspires her but read below for a snippet.

 

Name: Jodie Harfield

University/ College: Nottingham Trent University

Course: Textile Design

Current Occupation: Freelance textile designer/sales assistant

Blog/ website link: www.jodieharfield.co.uk

                               http://jodieharfield.blogspot.com/

 

What three to five words would you use to describe your work?

Detailed, delicate, playful

 

What inspires you?

 Doodling, trips to the seaside, walks in the countryside, finding old treasures in the loft at home, second hand jewellery, illustrations in old magazines. And trips to London always help.

What mediums do you work with?

 Muji pens are a favourite for line drawing. But also felt pens, rotring pens, ink, and my computer.

 

What was your first job?  when/how did you know you wanted a career in art?

 My first job was as a cleaner – I wish I could write something more glamorous.

When I was little I used to write and illustrate my own stories, and I remember drawing on old computer paper a lot at my grandparents house. I’m sure art attack played a part in it too. I have always loved drawing but didn’t think about pursuing a creative career until I was much older.

 

Design books/blogs you can’t live without:

 

http://www.ninachakrabarti.com/  - for lovely line drawings

http://fison-zair.blogspot.com/  - for wonderful colour

http://iamyarnandglue.blogspot.com/  -  for quirky drawings

http://www.designspongeonline.com/ - for always being inspiring

‘Lula’ magazine and its dreamy photographs

and ‘The Exquisite Book’, a great illustration book

 

What’s next?

 Lots more drawing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Converse and Marimekko on Cool Hunting

© Converse

  © Converse

Converse have revealed a new range in collaboration with Marimekko which draws from the Finnish textile house's archives.

"Marimekko Corporation and Converse Inc., one of the world's most iconic lifestyle companies in men’s and women’s footwear and apparel, have entered into an agreement whereby Marimekko licenses its emblematic patterns to Converse’s new women’s-specific collection debuting in spring 2011. The collection, entitled “Converse ♥ Marimekko”, features Converse’s most popular shoe silhouettes and the following vibrant Marimekko designs: “Tarha” and “Pikkusuomu” by Annika Rimala, and “Kirppu” by Maija and Kristina Isola".

Really great patterns are applied to the shoes which are packaged with equally cute shoe bags in matching prints, look out for the collection this spring at Converse.

via www.coolhunting.com

Shiny orange dreams

 

  © Amy King

Amy King of Shiny Orange Dreams, grew up in London, England but has been based in New York City for many years. Designing for a range of childrenswear and bedding companies including BabyGap, Martha Stewart, and Oshkosh B'Gosh. Amy's work has been purchased by companies including Gymboree, Carters and Paperchase UK.

Her style wonderfully captures colourful and enchanting characters and her use of fresh and exciting colours really brings the designs to life. Find out more about Amy and her work below.

Name: Amy King

University/College: Fashion Institute Of Technology, New York

Course: AAS Textile Design 

Current Occupation: Textile and Surface Designer.

 

  © Amy King

  © Amy King

What three to five words would you use to describe your work?

Whimsical, fun, and colourful.

What medium do you work with?

Generally I work in a digital format with some hand embroidery accents.

    © Amy King

What inspires you?

I am inspired by everything from films, music, art, retro and Scandinavian design, to colour- especially orange! The television series ‘Mad Men’ has also been an influence and I am always sure to have a notebook and pen on hand while watching it so that I can note some of wonderful color combinations of the clothes, furniture and wall colors featured on the programme!

 

What was your first job? When/how did you know you wanted a career in art?

My first job was working for a small textile company in New York. Most of my work included doing tons of re-colouring of designs. Not very exciting, but it taught me a lot about matching colors and creating new color combinations- something that was, in retrospect, an invaluable experience.

 

Both of my parents were artists and I was surrounded by creativity during my childhood. I think that it was inevitable that I pursued a career in a creative area.

 

Design books/blogs you can’t live without 

The Print & Pattern book is a fabulous book to have in my library. Also, I am enjoying the new Orla Kiely book- so full of wonderful images and history of her work. I have a few books on Scandinavian design including one by Marimekko who is one of my favorite designers. Some of the blogs that I look at most days are Print & Pattern, Helen Dardik’s, Sandra Isaksson’s and How About Orange.

 

What’s next?

I’ll be continuing to sell my fabrics on Spoonflower and hope to open an etsy store in the near future to sell tea towels, bags and toys made from those fabrics. The greeting card and gift wrap markets are ones that I would like to continue to branch out into. I will continue to work for my design clients and am always open to accepting new commissions from new contacts. 

 

  © Amy King

 

Take a look at Amy's work here and enjoy.