Preamble
There are a number of posts in this series and for your convenience I have listed them below:
Designing an Art/Craft Project (Part I)
Designing an Art/Craft Project (Part II)
Designing an Art/Craft Project (Part IV)
Introduction [1-2]
We have in the last two posts covered design elements such as lines, form or shape, balance, unity, and proportion. Today we will concentrate on Color, Texture, and Function.
(Note: I shall focus on my work to ensure I am not incorrectly characterizing someone else's artwork.)
Color [1-2]
Color plays a major role in a design project. When color is appropriate to function, such as in wearable art, liberal use of strong color provides excitement to many projects. For example, the strong use of color is evident in many of my ArtCloth fabric lengths and scarves.
My “Rainforest Beauty amidst the Droplets” comes in one multi color way - a dynamic, richly patterned, shibori dyed background in hot vivid pink, hot orange/red and deep blue hues. The linear, gradated structure of the dyed pattern gives an interesting formal quality to the background design. Mono printed circle shapes were printed onto the dyed surface layer. To create visual depth multiple, complex layers of common dogwood and paisley images were screen printed and stamped and overprinted in a semi formal repeat pattern over the entire fabric using transparent and metallic pigments to create a visually deep, richly hued and textured surface.
The “Rainforest Beauty” Collection of fabric lengths and fat quarters can be used for wearable art, accessories, quilts, furnishing, as framed artworks and interior design projects.
Note: See the following link - Rainforest Beauty - for more color way examples.
Artist/Creator: Marie-Therese Wisniowski.
Title: Rainforest Beauty amidst the Droplets - in hot vivid pink, hot orange/red and deep blue hues (close-up view).
Technique and Media: Shibori multi color dyed, mono printed, screen printed and stamped employing transparent and metallic pigments on cotton.
Size: 110 cm (wide) x 110 cm (high).
There are some wearable art objects, where paint could destroy the aesthetic of an item, such as in silver and gold jewelery, a stone sculpture or a walnut serving tray; these are items where the natural color is more engaging and so do not need the addition of synthetic colors.
For non-aesthetic art where functionality is front and center, color is often dictated by its function. Enameled earrings, for example, lend themselves to brilliant color. On the other hand, a knitted hammock would be more suited to subdued and restful colors. Those who have mastered design select colors that bring out the effect they want to convey.
In one of my art resources I have devoted a post on the Psychology of Color. Instead of reiterating it again I will summarize some of the more salient points that were made. Below is a simple color chart.
A great sea of emotion can be obtained through the use of vivid colors.
The following observations about color may serve as a guide in selecting suitable project materials and finishes. Reading from left to right in the figure above:
(i) Red is the most popular color and has the greatest power to attract. It leaves one feeling positive and excited.
(ii) Yellow is bright and cheerful. Gay and lively, it symbolises the sun.
(iii) Blue is cool and serene, giving a feeling of peace.
(iv) Green appears more passive than active. It tends to be neutral in its emotional effect. It is generally considered the most restful of colors.
(v) Purple gives an air of nobility and courage. It provides an impressive effect, rich and stately.
(vi) Pink is warm, feminine and nurturing. It emanates a sense of physical tranquility.
(vii) Brown is found in nature in varying shades. Thus, it gives the impression of warmth and earthiness in materials.
(viii) White is stimulating, light and delicate. It is generally used with other colors to give a luminous feeling.
(ix) Black gives a sense of smart formality. It is somber and profound.
In my ArtCloth work - Shadow Play - I have made use of yellow, orange and red analogous colors as well as dark blue, deep green and grey colors (a mixture of shade and tone colors) to lay down the feeling of a dense but quiet and serene three-dimensional landscape. There is no duality in the viewed existence and so it is nested in the silence you experience when you "go and listen to the sound of one hand clapping”.
Artist/Creator: Marie-Therese Wisniowski.
Title: Shadow Play (full view).
Technique and Media: The artist's signature MultiSperse Dye Sublimation (MSDS) technique employing disperse dyes, native flora and low relief items printed on satin.
Framed Size: 45 cm (width) x 55 cm (height).
Texture [1-2]
Another design tool at your disposal is texture. Every designed material, from the rough side of a piece of bark to the smooth surface of glass, has some degree of texture. Deep or heavy textures can be more stimulating and attention-getting. To achieve some balance in designing a project, different surfaces used together should display varying, modest degrees of texture. Very coarse and highly polished surfaces generally do not compliment each other. Often materials provide their own textured surfaces and can be used as such. Patchwork quilts often use an array of different fabrics, each of which has its own degree of texture. Textured surfaces may also be artificially produced by weaving, printing, sewing, machining or finishing. You should be aware of texturing possibilities when designing. You can make a smooth surface appear textured.
In my 'unique state' ArtCloth print - Urban Explorer - the surface of the cotton fabric was smooth yet the print conveys a highly textured background against an even, smoothly textured surface image.
Artist/Creator: Marie-Therese Wisniowski.
Title: Urban Explorer (full view).
Technique and Media: Screen printed and breakdown silk screen prints employing dyes and opaque pigment on cotton.
Size: 21 cm (wide) x 24 cm (high).
Function [1-2]
Wearable art is different from artwork that is aesthetic and so has no function. My ArtCloth wall hangings, prints and installations are in the same category as oil paintings etc, since they are functionless and so the act of engagement is different from my ArtCloth scarves, which are worn and therefore their functionality places them in a 'Wearable Art' context.
Often an object is said to be functional if it does the job it is intended to do. This may well be true, but there is more to be said for function when you are designing a project. Mechanical function involves the properties of the material. Are the earrings you designed so heavy that they may damage your earlobes? You must also frequently examine the following:
1. OH&S issues with respect to the materials you are using. For example, is it poisonous?
2. The strength of the material you are employing. For example, can it be easily damaged?
3. Its ability to withstand heat, cold and moisture. For example, disperse dyed fabric can de-color fabrics in contact with them in extreme heat.
4. Forces or pressures required. Are the heels too thin and high?
5. Resistance to rust or tarnish. Will the thin copper thread in children's clothing oxidize and produce toxic copper sulfate.
Study the materials you are planning to use for any project. See if they are well suited for what you want them to do, for the age range that they are ear-marked for and make sure they are fit-for-purpose.
My Inspiration/Method in Creating Functional ArtCloth Scarves
The first Prime Minister of India - Nehru - said to his daughter Indira Gandhi: “Be Brave - the rest will follow!” Underlying all of my work is this drive to take risks - to create bold, edgy, contemporary designs and so let my adrenaline drive my artwork. Nonetheless, discarding mainstream design elements is not in itself inspirational, but rather it is an important part of my inner core - to drive my work to create edgy design elements. Urban and landscape environments inform my images and works. My contemporary urban landscape themes include my interpretation of post-graffiti work. I operate my artistic skill set on these thoughts to project rich and vibrant landscapes on the cloth medium. The ArtCloth scarves I create rely heavily on researching design elements consistent with my worldview to create images from the “utten welt” and/or from life-forms threatened with respect to survival. I employ various surface design techniques to create the imagery for my scarves. These techniques include the initial image/mark making processes of drawing and designing which are followed by dyeing, discharging, hand painting, stenciling, stamping, screen printing, foiling and other processes on natural fibres.
There are other functions that many projects must serve. The primary functions may be to give satisfaction (value-for-money), pleasure and perhaps even create a sense of envy for those not possessing the item through its form, color, line or texture. Any designed wearable should always come with instructions on how it should be cleaned and maintained.
Artist/Creator: Marie-Therese Wisniowski.
Velvet ArtCloth Scarf.
Technique and Media: Shibori multi-dyed, discharged, silk screened and foiled employing dyes and foil on silk rayon velvet. Printed both sides.
Size: 28 cm (width) x 210 cm (length).
Note: All my scarves come with a swing tag detailing instructions on how they should be cleaned and maintained.
References:
[1] C.E. Kicklighter and R.J. Baird, Crafts, The Goodheart-Willcox Company Inc., South Holland (1986).
[2] Marie-Therese Wisniowski, The University of Newcastle Lecture Notes on Design (2008-2010).
There are a number of posts in this series and for your convenience I have listed them below:
Designing an Art/Craft Project (Part I)
Designing an Art/Craft Project (Part II)
Designing an Art/Craft Project (Part IV)
Introduction [1-2]
We have in the last two posts covered design elements such as lines, form or shape, balance, unity, and proportion. Today we will concentrate on Color, Texture, and Function.
(Note: I shall focus on my work to ensure I am not incorrectly characterizing someone else's artwork.)
Color [1-2]
Color plays a major role in a design project. When color is appropriate to function, such as in wearable art, liberal use of strong color provides excitement to many projects. For example, the strong use of color is evident in many of my ArtCloth fabric lengths and scarves.
My “Rainforest Beauty amidst the Droplets” comes in one multi color way - a dynamic, richly patterned, shibori dyed background in hot vivid pink, hot orange/red and deep blue hues. The linear, gradated structure of the dyed pattern gives an interesting formal quality to the background design. Mono printed circle shapes were printed onto the dyed surface layer. To create visual depth multiple, complex layers of common dogwood and paisley images were screen printed and stamped and overprinted in a semi formal repeat pattern over the entire fabric using transparent and metallic pigments to create a visually deep, richly hued and textured surface.
The “Rainforest Beauty” Collection of fabric lengths and fat quarters can be used for wearable art, accessories, quilts, furnishing, as framed artworks and interior design projects.
Note: See the following link - Rainforest Beauty - for more color way examples.
Title: Rainforest Beauty amidst the Droplets - in hot vivid pink, hot orange/red and deep blue hues (close-up view).
Technique and Media: Shibori multi color dyed, mono printed, screen printed and stamped employing transparent and metallic pigments on cotton.
Size: 110 cm (wide) x 110 cm (high).
There are some wearable art objects, where paint could destroy the aesthetic of an item, such as in silver and gold jewelery, a stone sculpture or a walnut serving tray; these are items where the natural color is more engaging and so do not need the addition of synthetic colors.
For non-aesthetic art where functionality is front and center, color is often dictated by its function. Enameled earrings, for example, lend themselves to brilliant color. On the other hand, a knitted hammock would be more suited to subdued and restful colors. Those who have mastered design select colors that bring out the effect they want to convey.
In one of my art resources I have devoted a post on the Psychology of Color. Instead of reiterating it again I will summarize some of the more salient points that were made. Below is a simple color chart.
The following observations about color may serve as a guide in selecting suitable project materials and finishes. Reading from left to right in the figure above:
(i) Red is the most popular color and has the greatest power to attract. It leaves one feeling positive and excited.
(ii) Yellow is bright and cheerful. Gay and lively, it symbolises the sun.
(iii) Blue is cool and serene, giving a feeling of peace.
(iv) Green appears more passive than active. It tends to be neutral in its emotional effect. It is generally considered the most restful of colors.
(v) Purple gives an air of nobility and courage. It provides an impressive effect, rich and stately.
(vi) Pink is warm, feminine and nurturing. It emanates a sense of physical tranquility.
(vii) Brown is found in nature in varying shades. Thus, it gives the impression of warmth and earthiness in materials.
(viii) White is stimulating, light and delicate. It is generally used with other colors to give a luminous feeling.
(ix) Black gives a sense of smart formality. It is somber and profound.
In my ArtCloth work - Shadow Play - I have made use of yellow, orange and red analogous colors as well as dark blue, deep green and grey colors (a mixture of shade and tone colors) to lay down the feeling of a dense but quiet and serene three-dimensional landscape. There is no duality in the viewed existence and so it is nested in the silence you experience when you "go and listen to the sound of one hand clapping”.
Title: Shadow Play (full view).
Technique and Media: The artist's signature MultiSperse Dye Sublimation (MSDS) technique employing disperse dyes, native flora and low relief items printed on satin.
Framed Size: 45 cm (width) x 55 cm (height).
Texture [1-2]
Another design tool at your disposal is texture. Every designed material, from the rough side of a piece of bark to the smooth surface of glass, has some degree of texture. Deep or heavy textures can be more stimulating and attention-getting. To achieve some balance in designing a project, different surfaces used together should display varying, modest degrees of texture. Very coarse and highly polished surfaces generally do not compliment each other. Often materials provide their own textured surfaces and can be used as such. Patchwork quilts often use an array of different fabrics, each of which has its own degree of texture. Textured surfaces may also be artificially produced by weaving, printing, sewing, machining or finishing. You should be aware of texturing possibilities when designing. You can make a smooth surface appear textured.
In my 'unique state' ArtCloth print - Urban Explorer - the surface of the cotton fabric was smooth yet the print conveys a highly textured background against an even, smoothly textured surface image.
Title: Urban Explorer (full view).
Technique and Media: Screen printed and breakdown silk screen prints employing dyes and opaque pigment on cotton.
Size: 21 cm (wide) x 24 cm (high).
Function [1-2]
Wearable art is different from artwork that is aesthetic and so has no function. My ArtCloth wall hangings, prints and installations are in the same category as oil paintings etc, since they are functionless and so the act of engagement is different from my ArtCloth scarves, which are worn and therefore their functionality places them in a 'Wearable Art' context.
Often an object is said to be functional if it does the job it is intended to do. This may well be true, but there is more to be said for function when you are designing a project. Mechanical function involves the properties of the material. Are the earrings you designed so heavy that they may damage your earlobes? You must also frequently examine the following:
1. OH&S issues with respect to the materials you are using. For example, is it poisonous?
2. The strength of the material you are employing. For example, can it be easily damaged?
3. Its ability to withstand heat, cold and moisture. For example, disperse dyed fabric can de-color fabrics in contact with them in extreme heat.
4. Forces or pressures required. Are the heels too thin and high?
5. Resistance to rust or tarnish. Will the thin copper thread in children's clothing oxidize and produce toxic copper sulfate.
Study the materials you are planning to use for any project. See if they are well suited for what you want them to do, for the age range that they are ear-marked for and make sure they are fit-for-purpose.
My Inspiration/Method in Creating Functional ArtCloth Scarves
The first Prime Minister of India - Nehru - said to his daughter Indira Gandhi: “Be Brave - the rest will follow!” Underlying all of my work is this drive to take risks - to create bold, edgy, contemporary designs and so let my adrenaline drive my artwork. Nonetheless, discarding mainstream design elements is not in itself inspirational, but rather it is an important part of my inner core - to drive my work to create edgy design elements. Urban and landscape environments inform my images and works. My contemporary urban landscape themes include my interpretation of post-graffiti work. I operate my artistic skill set on these thoughts to project rich and vibrant landscapes on the cloth medium. The ArtCloth scarves I create rely heavily on researching design elements consistent with my worldview to create images from the “utten welt” and/or from life-forms threatened with respect to survival. I employ various surface design techniques to create the imagery for my scarves. These techniques include the initial image/mark making processes of drawing and designing which are followed by dyeing, discharging, hand painting, stenciling, stamping, screen printing, foiling and other processes on natural fibres.
There are other functions that many projects must serve. The primary functions may be to give satisfaction (value-for-money), pleasure and perhaps even create a sense of envy for those not possessing the item through its form, color, line or texture. Any designed wearable should always come with instructions on how it should be cleaned and maintained.
Velvet ArtCloth Scarf.
Technique and Media: Shibori multi-dyed, discharged, silk screened and foiled employing dyes and foil on silk rayon velvet. Printed both sides.
Size: 28 cm (width) x 210 cm (length).
Note: All my scarves come with a swing tag detailing instructions on how they should be cleaned and maintained.
References:
[1] C.E. Kicklighter and R.J. Baird, Crafts, The Goodheart-Willcox Company Inc., South Holland (1986).
[2] Marie-Therese Wisniowski, The University of Newcastle Lecture Notes on Design (2008-2010).
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