Colour block boards

COLOUR BLOCK: THE VALENCIA COLLECTION

PROJECT INCLUDES A DEVELOPMENT VISUAL JOURNAL - The following is a condensed overview and it’s recommmended that the journal is also looked through.

The Colour Block project begins as an open investigation into abstract, colour focused shape design. Developing my use of colour has been a goal throughout this year, after COP where I looked at colour palettes in reference to moods. Colour block design is popular in fashion, interiors and merchandise design, and as I am drawn to the area I have questions of why. Where did this abstract come from? Why those colours in those proportions?

Here I aim to approach an abstract project as a commercial designer, starting from a personal interest

and methodically using a range of processes to develop a relevant, inspired collection suitable for merchandise.

After initial idea development the practical work needed a reference point. I then merged it with an ongoing sketchbook project based on heart felt architecture that was dwindling. A holiday in Spain sparked the idea to create a collection that captured the vibrant city of Valencia. I hope that developing the ability to travel and gather inspiration from the world around me will open up my mind as a designer.

SELF DIRECTED EXTENDED

Polly Vadasz

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COLOUR BLOCK

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IDEA I researched into the colour block designs I am drawn to and realised that many of them stemmed from a background concept, such as Slow Down Studio’s slightly figurative shapes. After initial visualisations I considered basies for my project, eventually deciding to merge it with a sketchbook project I had based on buildings and architecture.

PHONE CASES: a relevent to my practice and commercial outcome

Polly Vadasz

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CROPS INTO COLOUR PROPORTIONING

INTERPRETATIONS

2nd CROPS

Please see the Visual Journal for extensive crop developement and options.

Polly Vadasz

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COLLAGED THEN CROPPED

DIGITAL VERSIONS

PROCESS I used a number of hands on techniques, trusting my creative intuition to capture pleasing colour proportions from the photos I took in Valencia. The process aimed to curate beautiful compositions without straying too far from the subject matter.

To maintain the essence of Valencia, shapes of the architecture were adhered to and colour and texture from the photos were replicated with monoprint scans.

Polly Vadasz

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COLOUR BLOCK

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Polly Vadasz

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COLOUR BLOCK

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Polly Vadasz

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COLOUR BLOCK

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APPLICATION

Polly Vadasz

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APPLICATION Lino print was the print method of choice as it produces texture of its own. The prints are small at A5 and should be displayed in sets to create a vibrant environment where they are hung. To encourage this they could be sold in a deal such as ‘3 for 2’.

The making involved mixing colours, matching them as close as possible to on screen. I always left a few compositions with a section missing so that when a new colour was mixed I could see how it paired. This allowed for surprises such as the teal addition to the print on the right.

Polly Vadasz

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APPLICATION To bring the collection full circle, I applied three of the compositions to small plates, with the idea that they could be used for Tapas, a traditional Spanish way of eating.

I styled lifestyle shots for the catalog to show the concept further.

I had to blind mix many of the glazes to achieve the right colours, and each plate was painted by hand then fired processionally.

Polly Vadasz

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APPLICATION Taking the designs back to spain I shot images of the plates being used for tapas which will be used in the catalog and for pitching the collection to retailers.

Polly Vadasz

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CATALOGUE To display and pitch the Valencia collection I am putting together a catalogue. It will tell the story of the process behind the collection and finish with possible commercial outcomes and a style guide for further application.

PROPOSED colourful front and back cover

Examples of the photographs compositions originated from

Polly Vadasz

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As a commercial illustrator I need to be able to explore trends and find ways of progressing my style to suit the market. However, my aim is to create original work that comes from a personal interest, instead of vapidly mimicking the work that’s already out there (see the initial shape experiments on pages 7&8 of the VJ). This was the basis for the Colour Block project; How to develop an understanding and personal way of incorporating the Colour Block trend into my practice, informed by a clear concept.

Since the summer sketchbook I have been interested in homely architecture, drawing houses in different cities, however the project became too long and without a final purpose driving the work to I lost motivation. A trip to Valencia reignited my interest in the personality of buildings, but this time when it came to the vibrant colour, texture and form of the city.

Having phone cases in mind as a commercial outcome helped

progress the project as it provided a restriction to work within. Experimentation could be compared consistently, and so I was constantly self curating what visually worked. This helped me develop an eye for colour proportioning, gradually trusting my intuition as I moved the stencil over the photographs and collages.

The largest challenge was deciding which mediums to work with, at one stage I was hoping to work expressively on large canvases in response to the Heather Day research, however after initial experiments on a tablet I had to pull back to the basics of the project, re establishing that block shape and composition was my goal.

Again the ongoing curation helped refine the experimentation so that I stayed on track and moved towards a collection that worked cohesively.

Once I felt comfortable with colour composition I was able to take the stencil away from each piece and develop abstracts that can be

displayed as prints, and adapted to relevant products. This lead me to ceramics, where I aimed to take the collection back to Spain with small Tapas plates. A styled photoshoot helped bring the designs to life and show how the vibrant colours and unique compositions compliment the table setup where multiple dishes are shared at once.

The outcomes of this project will be presented in a catalogue which incorporates the story of the collection, and gradually show how the outcomes can be applied. I aim to continue developing the Valencia collection and more into ceramics that I either produce as small artisan runs, or pitch to relevant retail companies such as Oliver Bonas or Anthropologie who value colour driven artwork. Further aims include taking this confidence in colour and composition to my other work and continuing to capture meaningful colour palettes from the world around me.

Polly Vadasz

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