Process and Production

I love when I find inspiring art sites. This one from Ink & Spindle was really enlightening. It reminded me of my silkscreen / graphic design days at the Corcoran Gallery / College of Art + Design in DC. I loved this class and never really thought that what I’m doing now could relate, but this video put the two together for me. (via klt: Sketchbook)

Although our actual production is different in that our designs are not done with silkscreen but are digitally printed, the artistic process is very similar with layers and separations — once the original artwork has been created. I wish, however, I could have the entire production in house like this operation as seen here. It offers the most control but our production is, unfortunately, more expensive. The print machine alone costs, $12,000 up to $35,000 (ink is additional) and then there would be renting a space to house it and paying employees to run it. We have supply printers instead and this affects our product cost. There’s a catch-22 in business in determining cost vs convenience and what is most affordable, especially when starting out. Eventually, it’s something to think about as we grow.

This video, Drawing with a Thread, by Kristen Loffer Theiss, owner of klt: works, was fascinating. I had never thought about “drawing” this way — with a sewing machine.

Thread Drawing from elSage Designs on Vimeo.

I’m such a traditionalist, preferring old fashioned pencil sketches to start my watercolor and painted pieces. This may be why it has been such a challenge to transfer all my original artwork into Photoshop and continue the editing process for step and repeatable cells in order to print patterns. This has been exceptionally hard with designs, such as my Colorwash Wallfinish as Casart removable wallpaper (used below) that does not have a stopping point and needs to maintain the random brushstroke. I was initially told it could not be done….but give me a challenge and it will get done.

This computerized technology has been a huge learning curve but I’m also realizing there’s tremendous opportunity and variety that can enhance a design with color, pattern and overlays that could not be done simply by a traditional method. The important point for me is that all of our designs start from original created artwork. That’s the part that I enjoy the most and then seeing the end result. They really are Casart = art for your home.

On a side note, the silkscreen method inspired me to go to Hermes website for their process and production of beautiful scarves. Pretty clever and interactive and whimsical, not at all what I was expecting. There are artisan videos of the seamstress hand sewing the edges of individual scarves (reflected in their cost) and a leather glove maker, among others, as well as a humorous, purposely blurred purse page with a movable lens that makes the image visible with “oohs and ahhs” as you click on different purses. There’s a humorous take on the necktie wrapped around various sculptures questioning is it “a tie or scarf?” and a modern dance piece. There are even puzzles and games and many stories about Hermes — enough to keep any adult and kid alike entertained for quite some time. I had to stop it was so delightfully distracting. Here is a quick video demonstration of an hand-printed Hermes scarf, for which I was originally looking.

— Ashley