On Brand Illustration

Following on from the two festive illustrations for K Steels (below) I created a third on brand illustration. Each illustration was designed to reinforce the brand service values, delivery messages and the product range.

The new illustration was to reinforce the precision cutting service offered for steel, using a play on words of how New Year’s Resolutions are often stated as cutting out vices such as drinking or smoking.

The illustration uses a main photographic image with digital illustrations adding a resolution list, a warehouse operative, branding – both on the saw and on the steel, and a ‘text message’ style box to anchor the meaning and allow the viewer to quickly read the content.

The visual was created in a square format making it suitable for use on social media.

Secondly, in order to attract attention and increase stand out on social media, a GIF with light flares on the steel cutting blade and the text box being revealed.

So here’s to 2020. I don’t so much have resolutions but I do have exciting intentions for the year which will be revealed as they evolve and are created. Watch this space to see more and to follow the work progressing.

Thank you to K Steels for their illustration briefs. These are great opportunities to work with live briefs, which pushes my work forwards and helps to develop my evolving process.

Here are some recommendations for my illustration work…

Tennis Club event poster/social media visual

Instructional illustration sheet for Bali Parasol

Find out more about how I can help your business or project here…

Creative Solutions, Visual Content and Illustration

If you have a need for visual content or an illustration to promote your brand and key messages, please email me at inspirebykim@outlook.com

Thanks so much for reading, please Like this post if you do, the feedback really helps.

These are posts that relate to this work…

Christmas Commercial Illustrations

Ski Illustrations

Best 9s of 2019

Bali Parasol – Instructional Illustration Work

Breakfast Cereal Design Concept

Tennis Club Promotional Work Highlights

Brand Art and Infographic – Steel Company

Thanks so much and here’s to a great 2020!

Thanks to much. Have a great year.

Kim

Workshop – Final Places Available

Make a fabric bird, or two, or something else that makes your heart sing at the fabric design. workshop on 2nd June. Book now with Sue of Stitched Up and Fleeced, Sheffield’s leafing textile studio.

For more details about the workshop click here . To see inspiration for what you might like to make visit this link. There really is no limit to what you can design and make.

Here are some examples of workshop attendees designs.

Hope to see you on 2nd June. If you’re too far away let me know where you are and how you like to learn and we can find a solution for you to try these techniques.

Book the workshop and enquire now by contacting Sue at Stitched Up and Fleeced using this contact form.

Fabric Design Project – Window Box Tulips

Now there will always be flowers 🌷 by my window. Started with plain white fabric and hand painted the design before printing it onto the white fabric.

From my initial marker drawing to being in use, my designer draught excluder, here’s the story in a less than 40 seconds video.

Marker sketches

Painted designs ready for pressing into the fabric.

Used passionflower tendrils for wax relief to add texture to the bias binding.

I reused filling from the previous draught excluder, which the fabric had worn through.

I’m delighted with the end result it’s practical and pretty at our juliet balcony.

I like the immediacy of these fabric design techniques. It takes just 30 seconds to transfer the painted design from paper to fabric. I only use the fabric I print, not having to buy patterned fabric by measurement and trying to match up the patterns, with lots left over. I can just work with white fabrics and print the panels to the size and scale for whatever I am making. This can be reusing and repurposing fabric, anything from clothing to pillowcases. The designs are entirely my own and are unique and unrepeatable. This uniqueness and bespoke nature of these techniques is the magic that I’ve found, and that I enjoy sharing through workshop sessions.

Follow my blog to see dates of upcoming workshops or email me if you’re interested in a one to one session inspirebykim@outlook.com

Related posts:

Fabric Design Workshop

Bird and Flower Cushion

Miniature Cheese Plant

Workshop – Testimonials

I’m delighted to have received these testimonials after a run through of my upcoming workshop, which will take place at Stitched Up And Fleeced in Sheffield on 9th March from 10-12:30.

“The workshop had a relaxed environment in which I felt comfortable asking for help or any questions about the work. The organisation of the workshop meant it was enjoyable and the time given meant I wasn’t rushed into completing my design. I am very happy with what I produced and the skills and knowledge about heat press and the dyes I developed during the process.” AGR, Sheffield.

“I thoroughly enjoyed trying a totally new skill. Instructions were very clear and the group dynamic made the whole experience much fun. It was great to see the vibrant finished result emerge from my own design. It was rewarding to complete the task from beginning to end in just a few hours.” JPS Chesterfield.

“Amazing evening experiencing the ‘Magical’ creation, made possible by the unique experience of Kim and her Heat Press techniques.” MK, Manchester.

The workshop provides the opportunity to create a design and transfer it onto fabric for use in a fashion, sewing or craft project.

Priced at just £30 it’s a lovely, great value experience for some quality ‘you time’ or a lovely early Mother’s Day gift.

Book now at

http://www.stitchedupandfleeced.com/workshops

Here are some of the lovely work made at the workshop trial run….

Here are samples I created to demonstrate a selection of design methods to use in the Heat Press.

For more information click here.

Book at http://www.stitchedupandfleeced.com/workshops

This website is supported by Colourcraft Ltd.

Satin Cheese Plant…

I had an idea to make a cheese plant, this was inspired by seeing the cheese plant when doing Yoga With Adriene. I didn’t want a cheese plant that would grow too big or might result in soil spilling onto the carpet, so decided that a mini one would be ideal.

My favourite fabric at present is satin, I love how the light catches it and used it recently for the Bird and Flowers Cushion. The cushion featured leaves and so I can recognise the idea flow through these projects.

The Bird and Flowers Cushion

Following this commission project I made a bookmark, a pretty lady emerged, and then an eye mask.

So botanics were a theme flowing, or should I say ‘growing’ through my work, largely this was inspired by Botanica – Encyclopedia of Inspiration by Uppercase Magazine, a book I love. My garden is also a huge source of inspiration and vital to my creative process.

Here’s the cheese plant creation process in a one minute video. Including a quick animation that I was inspired to make. This quickly shows the steps to creating the miniature cheese plant…

This video and my growing collection of art videos can be seen on my YouTube channel.

I’m really pleased with this outcome and eager to see where this leads on to, I have some ideas but not ready to share them just yet.

Cheese Plant in Satin – Copyright Kim

Related creations that led to this work are:

Bird and Flower Cushion

Eye Mask

Mini Bunting

My Life in Paper

Thanks so much for being here. If you know someone who would enjoy seeing my work and maybe they like creating too, then please share this with them.

Enjoy creating…

Bye x

All the images are copyrighted.

Blackpool Icons Textile Project

I wanted to make a really special and unique gift for a loved one, encapsulating all the things they love about Blackpool and the Lytham St. Annes in Lancashire.

I transferred carefully selected images to a range of fabric textures using sublimation and gel medium methods. Then stitched into the images before assembling them in a kind of patchwork.

I added hand painted seaside icons such as ice-creams, buckets and spades, fish and chips.

I included some of my own repeat pattern fabric designs and sewed into the design to represent the sea, rollercoasters, the beach and also to accentuate elements of the design.

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I chose a candy stripe fabric to represent rock and a fun ice lolly fabric for the reverse side of the cushion. Bright blue bias binding and zip really made the colours ‘pop’ in the design.

I’m delighted with the outcome, as is the recipient who hopefully will have many hours enjoying the images, detail and references which will evoke nostalgia, memories and encourage a new way of seeing a favourite place to visit.

Here’s a one minute movie of the project…

My artworks which relate to this project are:

Paper Art Pictures

Inspired Bags

The Inspire Bear

Inspiration On Your Wrist – Design Concept

Wearable tech could improve positivity – make a huge difference to a person’s mindset, rippling throughout their life and relationships for fulfilling outcomes.

I developed a smart watch concept that will monitor pulse, body temperature and motion in order to prompt timely delivery of motivating images and inspiring messages.

For example; elevated heart rate, without physical movement, could be an indicator of anxiety – in this instance the device would alert the wearer, through tone, music track, vibration and/or screen lighting up, to inspiring content, tailored for them through preferences selected in an app.

Sketchbook illustration of the concept.

The smart watch design prototype

The watch console would slip into a stretchy elastic strap that can be changed and easily replaced. Comfort, own choice of design, washable, changeable and inexpensive.

 

The strap idea came from my custom designed and printed hair and wrist bands.

There could be the option for the wearer to print their own strap design at home – making their product unique.

 

The idea is developing and I wonder whether this could be an app in itself. Will explore that idea.

Posts related to this are:

Exhibition – Sheffield 13th – 15th June.

Inspired Bags

The Inspire Bear

Well that’s all for now, thanks for being here 🙂 you can see more at my Facebook page and Instagram feed.

The Inspire Bear

Ta da: I’m delighted to share the Inspire by Kim bear. Made from fabrics that I have designed using techniques including batik, tie dye, dry point printing. 

When flicking through a magazine that my friend brought two years ago after my knee injury I saw a bear pattern that I just had to make in my fabrics.

Starting to emerge

There was a little magic happened when I started making in fabrics that I have created myself. I chose contrasting fabrics next to each other for a colourful, as you’d expect from me no doubt, cheery bear.

Bashful Bare

I used free machine embroidery to add a colourful heart and make his nose. 

Loving the fabric colours meant that I loved the process. The making was also a great boot camp for my sewing techniques as the size of the bear made for small seam allowances which were sometimes fiddly. 

The bear is intended to delight. He carries the messages ‘Be’ and ‘Light’ as a reminder not to take things too seriously, easier said than done. His ear has the Inspire by Kim brand and he has ‘Kim’ on his foot, a little nod to the Toy Story films with Buzz Lightyear and Woody each having ‘Andy’ on their foot.

I’m excited to see where this latest make will lead to next. Watch this space and follow my blog if you’ve enjoyed this post.
Related makes are:

Illustrated Children’s Book

My Life in Paper

• Travel Illustrations
• Latest Ski A-Z Illustrations
• Pretty Pudding Paintings
• Bob The Balloon – Children’s Book Illustrations
• Snowy Children’s Book Illustrations