Red and Blue: A poster inventive thing

A poster found on the way home.

 It was high up for me, so it was hard to take a steady photo.
Any way I really liked how whoever designed and printed it
ensured that the models came out in red and then blue,
alternating between these two colours.

The clothing worn is commonly known is a sari (in case you didn't know),
I've done a little research on it, and so far I know it is made up of mainly three parts:
- the sari itself (which is a long length of fabric)
- the blouse
- the petticoat which is a long skirt like part that the sari part completely covers.

A sari has an interesting definition or style of patterning, 

they often have great intricate borders of natural motifs or geometric shapes amongst other things.

Then inside this border is a less detailed pattern, 

but something that matches the border.

These designs looked stunning when I saw them,
a mix of flower and plant drawing like forms
with another sari next to it with beautiful geometric designs.

(2011) Eid Sale Now On (Bangladesh Community Centre). Seen on 28th October 2011

Spots - and not Spot the dog, though he is adorable.

They kind of remind me of giraffe like polygons, but here they are more more round, and more graphic too - if you see the black stripy parts that almost cling onto the peachy brown areas.

Ever present influences

Pages from Marie Clare October 2011 issue.

Ever present being the polka dot, or the dot, or the circle,
which ever word you use to describe or name or classify it.
It is every where, liek thel ine then if you think about it.

What most interests me with this spread is the interesting colour combinations,

always coming in twos and sticking to at least one fairly bold colour.

There is clearly a sense of constant with the dot.

Moving onto the Aztec inspirations of the moment,

I haven't seen much of it myself on the street - except on jumpers I think.

But I'm looking forward to seeing more of the Aztec's infleucneing through pattern,

their own ideas of pattern are individual and unique.

Incredibly defined by straight lines, angles and points and geometric shapes.

The use of the diamond, or square pushed to one side a little,

features heavily in the clothes on these pages.

Colours are solid, bright and bold,

with black left to make its defining place.

214 - Topshop's Own

Thanks are due to Liz who actually handed me the magazine saying I'd love it.
She was right.

Above is the interesting cover, a usual shot of a moody looking model,
but what is that she is wearing?
Is it a beautifully patterned dress (well of course - it wouldn't be here otherwise).

As you can see above this is the back page of Topshop's Autumn/Winter edition of 214.
I have to admit, they know their patterns.
The tiling is perfect and sustains an edge of contemporary appearance,
using strong colours like the beautiful red and the blue
which is pale and dark at the same time,
like a shadow upon the black.
They form silhouettes of flowers.
Silhouettes inspired by shadows.

I don't know who she is below. Really I don't.
But the magazine says its Kaya Scodelario so I'll just take its word for it.

Whoever dressed her for the shoot chose a brilliant long sleeve top.
The pattern below is an interesting mix of diamonds,
again a tiled pattern and it sticks to only a limited palette.
I like this limited palette thing of a
few colours you could count on one hand.
But I wish the designer had been more experimental,
instead of falling back onto the white and black tones which,
as everyone should know go with any colour, he/she could have chose
something different.
Sherbet red with a nutty brow? Or the red with some blues?
But then, maybe this way the colours/tones don't distract from the pattern.

A little bit of the scene behind Kaya,
a pretty series of tiles cut to an almond like shape,

reminds me of that motif I can't get out of my head.

A jumper with an interesting knit pattern to it.
Normally I don't take notice of knit, but this one has opened my eyes a little.
The knit has formed a star like shape in a kind of grid form on the rest of the jumper.
Like the simple stars drawn using simple lines at certain angles.

Dogtooth Knitted Jumper @ Topshop
A quick star doodle on artPad

Yet more moody models,
how come in the Matalan leaflet/mini catalogues their models smile?

Another pattern using a diamond form, this time with more colour,

it uses various lines inside the diamond to cause a stir.

Below is another reminder of that irritating motif that I just can't get out of my head.
But it still looks so pretty.
Can you see it?
The four petalled like flower design,
very simple and used for millennia all over the world.

A closer look: it is surrounded by tadpole like lines with crosses in the corners.

Another point, whatever paper they print this magazine on is fantastic.
Unlike glossy magazine paper,
which isn't good for the environment, is hard to recycle
and also makes the magazine hard to grip,
this stuff is on paper.
A good gsm paper, possibly 110gsm or above,
so it can be recycled easily, can be drawn on,
marked on in pencil or whatever implement is at hand.
You can doodle on it. :D

Internet findings: mein motif - pedro oyarbide:

Normally I only post once every other day, but I've plans to change this a little whenever I see something on the Internet relating to pattern, that I really like and think is worth showing people - or on the other hand that I really hate and think should have a wanted dead or alive poster up for it.

Today I've been exploring:
mein motif - pedro oyarbide: (a blogger blog)

In this case, I admire Pedro Oyarbide's work, especially how he goes about putting it out there in the form of a project blog which takes dedication (trust me ask any regular blogger) to post in it everyday. To have to come up with a pattern that is different to those previously posted, every day. An impressive feat of determination.


Almost had an image free blog post there. Ouch


Pedro Oyarbide's patterns take on a note of experimentation, which obviously you'd have to do to be putting up every day. In some you can see how they are related to previous ones or future ones once posted, and though some still might need refining, they still look amazing - a staggering piece of imagination flowed into shape and colour.

An example:
Day 27 and Day 26
Both of which share this brilliant diamond shape that has a neat little bit of ornamentation like work on two of its sides.

I'll say no more, but you should check out his blog, if its the only non facebook/twitter thing you do today.