ART 1029 - Digital Media
Hawaiian Shirt Learning Journal
INTRODUCTION
This project required us to create a Hawaiian shirt with the following elements: A repeating pattern, a button using a radial gradient and drop shadow to achieve a 3D look, an Aloha style label with a textured background and artwork that used Blend Mode to allow the texture to show through the art. All of these elements were presented together in a final tabloid layout including the shirt, samples of the pattern illustration, the button and the label. The shirt was to be named as well.
MATERIALS:
Adobe Illustrator
CREATIVE PROCESS:
To make the cat in the pattern, I traced my cat's face. I copied it a few times and tried flipping it to mimic how a pattern might look. After initially thinking I wanted a monochromatic look, I changed my mind decided I wanted some colour to better represent a Hawaiian aesthetic.
I changed the eye colour to green, and added a pink/orange gradient circle. An unforeseen hurdle that occurred with my design was you could see though her ear. When working on something transparent on a white background, it's easy to forget it's not white. To compensate for this hurdle I added a white oval between the ear and the gradient.
PRODUCTION METHODS/WORKFLOW and TOOLS:
General plan of attack
My tracing method was to use the curve tool and follow the lines of each fabric panel. I used no stroke and a dark fill with a low transparency. This allowed me to easily see both the template and my work.
I worked panel by panel, following the order outlined in the video Professor Kinney provided : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPwLLBKn2bE
Halfway done! some lines aren't accurate and that's ok - they will be below other layers
When I started adding drop shadows on the collar, something funny happened to the file. I was able to see shape outlines through opaque layers. I knew it was a file or settings problem when I adjusted the size of the stroke, but it didn't affect the problematic lines. When I exported this file the issue remained. I ended up solving this issue by selecting all my work and copying it into a new file.
I again used Professor Kinney's method to create a button for the shirt. A gradient was used to simulate the ridges and surfaces of a real button and create depth. I used Alt+click and drag to duplicate colours on the gradient slider, then adjusted the value of each one according to what looked appropriate to me. I used a similar gradient technique for the threads, except in a linear gradient. I punched out holes and added a drop shadow.
The joke with "Tuna Queen" is that my cat loves fish, and also is a queen. To represent this, I drew a simple crown and a more detailed tuna. For the fabric, I used "burlap" since it seemed like a feasible material it might be made of in reality, but I ultimately agree with professor Kinney's critique - it's too dense of a texture for this application.
Overall this project really helped me get familiar with adobe illustrator. Additionally, it helped me think about using the tools available (gradients, opacity, blending, textures) to create something realistic-looking. The biggest hurdle for me was when the shape outlines appeared in my work. I don't know if it was the file or some kind of setting but I didn't know how to fix it and I got extremely frustrated. It was acutally another student who suggested copying it into a new file so I suppose the lesson is to reach out for help when you need it. Another helpful takeaway is to always try copying it into a new file, I would definitely pass that on to someone struggling with this project.
Final submission
