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Tuesday 11 March 2014

I didn't win....yet :-)

I paid my fees last night, having realised I wasn't shortlisted for this year's ABSPD scholarship contest. As I said in my application, I almost needed to have done the course before applying for the scholarship!  

The judges look for originality, sense of colour, awareness of trend and overall quality of design. But as a self taught designer, just exactly what does define quality in pattern design and how do I know if I've got there?

I worked very hard on my entries to ensure they were as pixel perfect as I could make them and that they would repeat properly. I think my use of colour was okay (and yes, obviously 'okay' is not going to win). But awareness of trend and then interpreting that in my style is more tricky.  





I think my entries came out looking derivative, maybe a bit 'pedestrian', and weirdly fuzzy-edged. I don't really like the digital flowers but I thought I was following a trend. I'm going to redo it with drawn flowers, I think.








It also doesn't work as well in repeat as I thought when I sent it in.  It repeats without obvious join lines but the overall effect isn't quite right.

So - learning point there straight away: I need to build in reflection time.


I do still like the 'ombre' effect on my second entry. In fact I like it all and could see it on oven gloves and the like. My only caveats are:

  •  scale. Certainly on a tea towel I'd want these images to be bigger.
  • I'd like to add a cafetiere and posh coffee mug plus a gin bottle and cocktail glass. To my mind, it wasn't possible to develop the theme enough.






Anyway, let me know what you think and compare mine with some of the shortlisted entries.....they are very different.

And hey-ho - I can only get better.



Catherine

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I'd love to hear what you think and what you're up to, creatively. Feel free to leave me a message. Thanks, Catherine