The Design Process

Most of the fabrics I design are based on the artwork I create through printmaking.  Printmaking is the process of creating marks on a surface, then rolling ink onto this surface and taking a print.  The artwork produced through printmaking creates unique, bold fabrics.  There is a 3D quality to hand-made prints, and this translates well onto fabrics.  The resulting fabric designs have texture and movement.  Mostly, they are large-scale with strong details, such as this red hen fabric.  It looks fantastic when used to upholster a chair.  

 

Although my main medium is linocutting, I also create collographs, and I use a special process using a photo-sensitive relief printing plate.  My red hen fabric was created from linocuts.  You can see each of the linocuts below.  Let me show you how these were created.

 

First of all, I cut the design from linoleum with cutting tools.  These tools come in all different sizes, enabling you to create detail, texture or clear out large areas in the linoleum.  Then I ink up the linocut with intensely coloured oil based inks.  I carefully place a piece of paper over it and put it through my 100 year old proofing press.  The reveal is the best part of the process!  If you would like to learn more about linocutting, I have free instructions you can download here.  

 

 

The final stage is to scan the print into the computer and turn the image into a repeat pattern.  I print and sell all my fabrics and wallpapers through my shop on Spoonflower.  They have a large range of fabric types for a range of project types.  You can see that I created 3 different fabrics from this linocut.  My red hens fabric, which is a replication of the linocuts.  My brown hens fabric incorporates a straw background.  My red feathers fabric has been created from the detail of their plumage.