CATH KIDSTON - pattern development

Now that the theme was decided upon, I could begin building up a range of different illustrations that could be used within the print. I wanted to create a similar aesthetic to Cath Kidston's existing patterns, and therefore would have to develop my designs without using a stroke. 

It was extremely difficult to begin with to replicate Cath Kidston's own visuals. I would usually design using a stroke, or hand drawn lines, therefore this was quite a challenge for me. It was extremely frustrating to try and build up something similar but once I had one illustration, then the rest became a lot easier. Whilst designing, I also had existing prints up as a reference point. 

I also undertook primary research for this brief so that I could use existing objects as another form of reference (some object, such as the dragonflies and terrariums were too tricky to find). This way, I could work directly from the source and get a better feel of what I was working with in terms of visuals and shape. I purchased a number of different flowers so that I could directly work with these for my floral inspiration. I also gained first hand images of hens and cockerels as we have a number of them at home. This allowed me to "get in the zone" in terms of getting a country lifestyle feel for my designs. I could then recreate these images in a Cath Kidston style. 

Illustration references - primary and secondary

Floral reference

Cockerel and hen reference

We have both cockerels and hens at home as my Dad organises and takes part in shows, so this was something that I could take first hand primary reference from. This was helpful as it gave me something to directly work from and gave me a close relationship to my designs. 

Terrarium reference

Dragonfly reference

Some selected images from google and pinterest, some primary reference images.

Main illustrations - cockerel, hen, vegetables, terrarium, flowers, dragonflies

I initially chose this colour scheme in order to target the intended female audience. It was reflective of vintage, Cath Kidston designs and would work well across a number of different formats. A maximum of 12 colours were allowed so I stayed well within this limit so that the print didn't become overloaded. Three colour schemes were needed altogether also therefore I didn't want to overcomplicate things later on in the developmental stages.

I began by developing my initial illustrations which I created digitally using the paint blob tool, the pen tool and my reference images. It was easier to work straight on screen as this allowed me to play around with a more "painted" or "watercolour" effect. I also didn't want to be working with a stroke either so this seemed to be the best route. I didn't want to directly copy Cath Kidston's style, however it would still need to work alongside the existing prints. I tried to develop a quite playful and loose aesthetic.

Illustration Details

Next, I began to develop more of a conversation within my illustrations so that a pattern could be built up. In reference to Cath Kidston's existing designs, I began to add in scenery, such as clouds, grass and shrubs. This was relevant to the setting and would help pad out the print to create something more cohesive. 

Pattern Development

Now that I had the imagery I was going to work with, I could start building up a possible pattern. This seemed slightly daunting to me as I'd never worked with a conversational print before where each element was very prominent. To help get started, I returned to my research to help inform my design so that I could gain a better understanding of layout and scale. 

This is the initial pattern that I developed using the illustrations. Unfortunately I don't feel that it is very effective at all, and the print seems extremely sparse. The hearts aren't something that work within the design and I also feel that the clouds should be removed. I spoke to some of my peers about how they felt it could be changed and they noted that I should try working within a smaller format so that everything was more cohesive and together. This would give me less white space and would fill up the surroundings. 

Change in Direction

Now that I was working in a smaller space, I felt much more comfortable in developing my designs. It started to come together, and I was able to build up more of a conversation by including bigger areas of grass and other garden based illustrations.

I slowly began adding in the main illustrations into spaces where they fit comfortably. Admittedly, I did really struggle with this. Although I was happier with how it was coming along, there was still a struggle in terms of piecing everything together so that nothing looked out of place or so that there wasn't any white space. 

I wanted to make the initial part of the pattern design a rectangle so that it could then be built up into a step repeat pattern and also just a tile repeat. There wasn't too much worry about the edges however as I felt that I could work in more areas of grass once I had started to create the repeats. This would make it much more seamless. 

Overall I was content with my final design. I felt that it had vastly improved from the initial stages and I was pleased that it had developed so far from the previous print. This has been a tricky brief for me from the beginning, although it is one that I assumed I would work well with. 

Pattern Repeat

Using the rectangular print, I then simply repeated the illustrations below to create a pattern. Any blank areas were filled in with grass to make the overall aesthetic more cohesive. I  am pleased with the finished print and believe that it is reflective of the Cath Kidston brand, and could work well across a number of different formats including stationery and fashion. The next step will be to develop some colour schemes.