Dawn Dupree

Another artist whose use of colour is important in their work is Dawn Dupree, a textile designer. I like the choice of subdued, muted tones in this piece because it gives a quiet, reflective and quite nostalgic atmosphere. But again there are some spots of warm colour to help balance and lift it. I think this shows that it is important to include both warm and cool colours in a colour palette. I also like this choice of colours because it reminds me of traditional Chinese painting, as well as the prominence of the red sun.

Colour Work

Yesterday we were working from still lives and experimenting with colour. We tried different drawing techniques like using our left hands, not looking at the paper, and drawing with ink on a stick and masking tape. This gave a very abstract effect. Here is one of the pieces I did.

I like how the colours worked out because they look delicate but vibrant. I think that the different colours and media work well together. I also think the drips from the ink give a good effect.

(It's meant to be a rabbit btw)

Photo edits

 I used one of the photos I took at the weekend and tried out different edits of it to make it look bright and surreal.. Sort of inspired by Timorous Beasties. I like how they turned out because they are very colourful, striking and magical looking. I feel like they could be used as a starting point for some textile or wallpaper design.

Olivier Kugler

I find Olivier Kugler's work interesting because he uses drawing as a form of reportage, when a lot of the time, photography and film would normally be used. The combination of text and image builds up a vivid idea of exactly what it is like in the places he has gone to. There is a lot of information in them and you find out a lot about the people he meets. Because of the use of names and speech bubbles, it makes his work feel very personal to the people he interviews.

Timorous Beasties Wallpaper and Textile Design

 I really love the designs by Timorous Beasties because I think they give a modern twist on old fashioned designs. For example this one is very reminiscent of Toile de Jouy and willow pattern but features scenes from the modern city of London including futuristic buildings like the Gherkin. This makes a very fun and interesting effect.

This one reminds me of Victorian floral wallpaper but the use of acid bright colours and a slightly more disordered design also makes it look modern and different. I think the colour palette has been very carefully considered as the colours all complement each other nicely.

Stefan Sagmeister Graphic Design

For two weeks we are going to be exploring 2D design. There are four disciplines which are Illustration, Graphic Design, Textile Design and Animation. We have been asked to research the work of some artists and designers. Stefan Sagmeister is the first one I researched.

 I like this piece because of the combination of text and image. In fact the image itself is used to create the text using the branches of the trees. I like that there is also a strong message behind the piece about not waiting for the future to be better but to seize the day. This works well as it seems to be an advert for a school of visual arts and it could make the viewer feel like they will be able to immediately improve their future by joining the art school. The way that the tree branches create the text could also catch the eye and appeal to creative people, which shows how it is meeting its target audience.
Although it is an advertisement it could also stand alone as a piece of artwork because the image has been very carefully considered. The message could also be interpreted in lots of different ways depending on the viewer.

 I think this image is interesting because of how Sagmeister has used the unconventional material of a flower to draw his text onto rather than something ordinary like paper. The contrast between the pristine whiteness and neatness of the first image and the wilting and destruction of the second creates a strong visual effect as well as meaning behind it. The first image on its own would seem to be romantic and because it has been been photographed, kept the same way forever, linking with the concept of 'always'. However in the second image the text has been destroyed by the wilting process and the flower is dieing. This gives an idea that actually there is no such thing as 'always' and that nothing lasts forever.


























I like how this piece also uses unconventional materials and the contrast of textures it makes, for example, the rough, brittle straw and the shiny, smooth horses. I also think the choice of colours is good because it gives a very strong look and atmosphere. Again this piece seems to link to the theme of 'always' not lasting forever, because the lettering is made of straw or hay, which the horses are coming towards, and if they were real, the text would soon be eaten and destroyed.