Designers Tools
I’m always most excited at this stage of a new project. Once my palette is mixed and the rough drafts checked, its painting time!
Series notes
Especially developing a series of 12, lots of drafts and notes are part of the process. With a palette of only five colors, the challenge is to be sure the designs are related but not repetitive. See the finished series here.
Inspiration
Using this vintage textile as inspiration for my color palette, I worked up my initial sketches using these matched colored pencils. See the finished design here.
Color Palettes
Getting the blues - just right - can often take more than a few tries. But it is so satisfying when I finally get the mix just right and the colors I’ve been imagining start to come together on the paper. See the finished set here.
Paint Outside
When working on my hand painted scarves, I rough out the design in scale using Illustrator, a sample print is hanging on my workboard. I then paint my prototype according to the sample, make any adjustments needed, and paint the rest of the series two at a time. The scale is too big for even my studio so I have to take over the family porch for a time.
Art is Messy
Even my cat was like, really . . . it was literally the first thing I did for the day. But with such a lovely spot to paint en plein air I managed to recover. See my complete line of hand painted scarves here.
Scarf Photo Shoot
No small project . . . 11 different colors, various positions, endless takes. Had to plan around the movement of the sun over several days to get consistent light for all the takes and the autumn winds, however welcome, were not super helpful.