Studio Project 1: Design and Planning Stage
For our first studio project of the semester, you will use the shibori process to create a fabric that pushes beyond the aesthetics of shibori into something unique to you.
This will happen through your own research into layering and combining techniques as you experiment on your own to discover new ways to take this traditional way of creating patterns on fabric and use it to create a new fabric that speaks to your own particular point of view.
To recap, the fabric guidelines are:
1.) Fabric should be no smaller than 36” x 36”.
2.) The completed fabric should have a defined color palette and combine two different specific physical sources of inspiration.
3.) Fabric should include the shibori process. You can use acid or fiber reactive dyes for this project.
4.) Fabric must be dry and ironed for the critique.
As you begin to design and work through what your process for making this fabric, I wanted to remind you of some of the basics of color theory and composition from your foundation studies which you will put into practice for this project with a few infographics that I hope will jog your memory on some of that information.
To help guide you through the design process I have the following Homework assignment for you to work on this weekend:
Please create a post on your tumblr documenting the beginning of the design process for your project. This post should include:
1.) Image/s of your two different physical sources of inspiration for this project.
2.) Decide on how you will approach color for this project, which can play a big role in how your work is read and felt and could be key to pushing shibori outside of its normal and expected context into something more unique. Indicate what colors will be used for your project and how you are thinking about color in the design process of your fabric. Supplement this information with images of examples if possible to help communicate your ideas.
3.) Create 4 different color sketches of possible compositions for your fabric and post images of these sketches. Articulate your intentions and design decisions to communicate your choices in composition and how they relate to your inspiration sources as best you can.
This homework will be graded as part of your first blog check. (Please use the hashtag #homework1 to make it easy for me to identify the post when it comes time for grading.)
an infographic of a few basic color schemes to get you started thinking about how to approach color for this project
an infographic of some general emotions associated with colors borrowed from the world of design and advertising
a quick visual recap of the elements and principles of design from foundation studies
a sketch of some helpful hints when thinking about composition with dominance
