Christopher Kane Spring/Summer 2011 Pre-Collection: Galaxy Print
I was working on my IBSO Duck today, and couldn't decide on how to design it. Luckily, I wandered across these gorgeous galaxy prints when I was looking for inspiration. The design is vibrant, lively, simple yet intricate. I would love to possibly replicate it sometime in the future. The duck project makes for excellent preparation! I tried to recreate a preliminary design using a bizarre mix of acrylic, watercolor, and oil paints on computer paper (which, given how much it caused my paper to wear and tear, I assume is a medium mixture I will not be revisiting in the future). I based my colors off of the Orion nebula, although I couldn't resist throwing in a spiral galaxy, as tribute to our own beloved Milky Way.
The Orion Nebula
As I was working within restricted time and materials, I was unable to develop an especially effective method of creating the nebula effect. I began by painting the white computer paper black with acrylic paint, and then randomly squeezing dots of color in random areas on the surface. Initially, I experimented with an array of golden hues and even green, but ultimately, this ended up looking more like an organic smoothie than a nightscape. When this initial failed coat dried, I went back over it, using the same random dotting and blending method, but with shades of blue and violet this time. Satisfied with this color scheme, I finished off by adding white stars of various sizes in white acrylic paint. This entire process spanned about two hours. The ultimate final product is below:
(Finally) Finished IBSO Duck!
The method and pattern could use a little more adjustment and improvement, but overall, I'm happy with how this turned out. If I choose to use the galaxy print in the final presentation, this has been good practice, and definitely one of the most fun homework assignments I've had in quite a while. Not a bad way to end the week!
