Arabesque 33 1/2" x 46"
http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/new-designs.html
http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/new-designs.html
Some will look at this new design and think....Wow, my next project...while others will think;
I love it but I could never hook it!
It’s way above my skill level!
It’s too big!
It’s way too complicated!
Yuck...fine cut!
I could never colour plan a piece like that!
It scares me!
Let me try to dispel some of these adverse thoughts, break it down so the task of hooking this beautiful design isn’t daunting.
I always find assisting a customer colour plan their project an education in itself. It usually begins with the comment “I’m not very good at selecting colours” and ends with, “That was easier than I thought!”
I have a standard comment for any hesitation. “Every morning you get dressed is an exercise in colour planning…and from the fashion show I’m seeing strut through my door, it looks like you’re quite proficient at it.” Putting together the outfit that will represent your style and taste comes as second nature. You mix and match compatibles, you know what looks good together, it’s instinct, so why is the process any different when it comes to rug hooking? Think of your next project as dressing the rug, getting it ready to greet the public. It might shave a bit of the uncertainty off the anxious edge.
If you can pull yourself together to look like a page from a catalog in smart and sassy outfits, (my customers are all well-dressed gals) complete with bling accents, you can colour plan a rug. Sure, there is trial and error, just like dressing, taking pieces out of your closet to see how they work together but in the end the decision is always clear.
Sometimes, after the colour conversation is over and we’ve landed on the final palette, I point out the customer’s attire and find the colours we chose match perfectly to their clothing. We laugh at the irony of it all. Yes, it can be that simple.
It’s no secret; we tend to gravitate toward colours we love. For me personally, I make no bones about my passion for the primaries. Anything with Red, Blue or Yellow is tops with me, but I do like to challenge myself using colours I’m less intimate with, colours out of my comfort range for the education it allows. That’s why I love the Initially Yours patterns as they push me outside my comfort zone into foreign territory, a journey that ends with discovering a new and exciting destination.
The only way to grow and broaden our sense of colour is to experiment, not be afraid to try…..embracing the challenge instead of shying away and worrying about failure. There is no right or wrong, if the colours are what we love, if we are happy, who should judge.
Being too anal is problematic, fretting over what our friends think and worried of unsolicited comments can be a real concern, but really, the old adage “you have to please yourself” should be your only thought as you move ahead. Yes, some colours don’t play well together but I’ve experienced enough angst over the years as rug hooker’s come into the shop saying, there’s something not quite right, or I’m not happy with it but don’t know why, to know that you certainly have a “gut guide” when something isn’t quite right. Sometimes you need a bit of assistance because you’re too close to the project to maybe see the whole picture clearly, but there are friends and teachers and shop owners that are always happy to help. Any problem can be fixed with a new perspective and a bit of tearing out.
Don’t get too hung up on colour. Try to think more like Mother Nature, she doesn’t worry about colour combinations. Take a field of wild flowers, she sprinkles an unlimited palette and the blooms all dance together in the breeze without a care. Don’t get too hung up, sometimes the fear of the challenge can prevent you from having a very pleasing experience. Jump in and get your feet wet, you’ll be surprised what a rewarding experience taking that chance can bring. The thrill that you accomplished a masterpiece on your own, or with a bit of help is stimulating.
Believe it or not, this pattern “Arabesque” is actually simple. Any repeat design is almost mechanical once the colour palette is chosen. It’s all laid out before you so you don’t have to make decisions along the way. In this particular piece there are only two different motifs to plan. The scalloped, roundish design and the smaller triangle shape.
There is little background in this pattern which is usually what most will view the tedious part, the part that seems to go on and on after all the exciting stuff is done. Personally I like backgrounds, especially at a hook-in situation where I like to chat more than worry about colour placement and loop formation. There isn’t one boring element to this design and there are many different ways to enhance it with colour so no two finished rugs would ever be the same.
Although this rug could be fabulous with a palette of many colours, it can also stand proudly with very few. I worked out a scenario with a minimum of five, and coloured it on the computer after getting it to print in a black and grey format. It’s a bit messy but you can see the intention of the placement. The background is of course too dark to put in colour but imagine a lovely antique red or even black to punch out the other lively colours everywhere you see the darkish grey. Using more colours you can plan the backgrounds of each of these motifs to be different to create a pattern inside the pattern. The possibilities and combinations are endless.
For some who like to see a pattern hooked before they attempt it, that first person has all the pressure. All those that follow have it easy. You may see a different vision for your rug, maybe not like one or more of the colour choices, but you can simply substitute them with ones you love. I call this colour selection method “Substitute Colour Planning”. If the rug hooker chose a purple that you aren’t a fan of, every time you see purple substitute it for a colour you love, say red. Maybe they have orange, use yellow. Switch out all the colours you don’t prefer for those that match the area the rug will live in, putting your personal stamp on the rug while making it coordinate with its surroundings. This is easier than getting out the coloured pencils and paper to work out different scenarios and is the simplest way to colour plan without working from scratch.
And for those who don’t prefer fine cut hooking, this rug would be fabulous with #3, #4, #5 or #6 cuts. Go as fine as you like or pump it up a bit coarser. Some might like to outline all of the motifs in a #3 cut as is done in Oriental rugs or you can make the colours contrasting enough that each choice can lay beside each another and not be overwhelmed by little contrast.
So are you ready to take on this hot new design? If you need help colour planning let me know what colours you prefer and I can help you place them. I had limited choice to use for this feeble attempt to colour it in, but the intent was to show you that it can be hooked using a minimal amount of colour. In this scenario only four colours are used for the motifs and then a background colour would count for number five.
I love it but I could never hook it!
It’s way above my skill level!
It’s too big!
It’s way too complicated!
Yuck...fine cut!
I could never colour plan a piece like that!
It scares me!
Let me try to dispel some of these adverse thoughts, break it down so the task of hooking this beautiful design isn’t daunting.
I always find assisting a customer colour plan their project an education in itself. It usually begins with the comment “I’m not very good at selecting colours” and ends with, “That was easier than I thought!”
I have a standard comment for any hesitation. “Every morning you get dressed is an exercise in colour planning…and from the fashion show I’m seeing strut through my door, it looks like you’re quite proficient at it.” Putting together the outfit that will represent your style and taste comes as second nature. You mix and match compatibles, you know what looks good together, it’s instinct, so why is the process any different when it comes to rug hooking? Think of your next project as dressing the rug, getting it ready to greet the public. It might shave a bit of the uncertainty off the anxious edge.
If you can pull yourself together to look like a page from a catalog in smart and sassy outfits, (my customers are all well-dressed gals) complete with bling accents, you can colour plan a rug. Sure, there is trial and error, just like dressing, taking pieces out of your closet to see how they work together but in the end the decision is always clear.
Sometimes, after the colour conversation is over and we’ve landed on the final palette, I point out the customer’s attire and find the colours we chose match perfectly to their clothing. We laugh at the irony of it all. Yes, it can be that simple.
It’s no secret; we tend to gravitate toward colours we love. For me personally, I make no bones about my passion for the primaries. Anything with Red, Blue or Yellow is tops with me, but I do like to challenge myself using colours I’m less intimate with, colours out of my comfort range for the education it allows. That’s why I love the Initially Yours patterns as they push me outside my comfort zone into foreign territory, a journey that ends with discovering a new and exciting destination.
The only way to grow and broaden our sense of colour is to experiment, not be afraid to try…..embracing the challenge instead of shying away and worrying about failure. There is no right or wrong, if the colours are what we love, if we are happy, who should judge.
Being too anal is problematic, fretting over what our friends think and worried of unsolicited comments can be a real concern, but really, the old adage “you have to please yourself” should be your only thought as you move ahead. Yes, some colours don’t play well together but I’ve experienced enough angst over the years as rug hooker’s come into the shop saying, there’s something not quite right, or I’m not happy with it but don’t know why, to know that you certainly have a “gut guide” when something isn’t quite right. Sometimes you need a bit of assistance because you’re too close to the project to maybe see the whole picture clearly, but there are friends and teachers and shop owners that are always happy to help. Any problem can be fixed with a new perspective and a bit of tearing out.
Don’t get too hung up on colour. Try to think more like Mother Nature, she doesn’t worry about colour combinations. Take a field of wild flowers, she sprinkles an unlimited palette and the blooms all dance together in the breeze without a care. Don’t get too hung up, sometimes the fear of the challenge can prevent you from having a very pleasing experience. Jump in and get your feet wet, you’ll be surprised what a rewarding experience taking that chance can bring. The thrill that you accomplished a masterpiece on your own, or with a bit of help is stimulating.
Believe it or not, this pattern “Arabesque” is actually simple. Any repeat design is almost mechanical once the colour palette is chosen. It’s all laid out before you so you don’t have to make decisions along the way. In this particular piece there are only two different motifs to plan. The scalloped, roundish design and the smaller triangle shape.
There is little background in this pattern which is usually what most will view the tedious part, the part that seems to go on and on after all the exciting stuff is done. Personally I like backgrounds, especially at a hook-in situation where I like to chat more than worry about colour placement and loop formation. There isn’t one boring element to this design and there are many different ways to enhance it with colour so no two finished rugs would ever be the same.
Although this rug could be fabulous with a palette of many colours, it can also stand proudly with very few. I worked out a scenario with a minimum of five, and coloured it on the computer after getting it to print in a black and grey format. It’s a bit messy but you can see the intention of the placement. The background is of course too dark to put in colour but imagine a lovely antique red or even black to punch out the other lively colours everywhere you see the darkish grey. Using more colours you can plan the backgrounds of each of these motifs to be different to create a pattern inside the pattern. The possibilities and combinations are endless.
For some who like to see a pattern hooked before they attempt it, that first person has all the pressure. All those that follow have it easy. You may see a different vision for your rug, maybe not like one or more of the colour choices, but you can simply substitute them with ones you love. I call this colour selection method “Substitute Colour Planning”. If the rug hooker chose a purple that you aren’t a fan of, every time you see purple substitute it for a colour you love, say red. Maybe they have orange, use yellow. Switch out all the colours you don’t prefer for those that match the area the rug will live in, putting your personal stamp on the rug while making it coordinate with its surroundings. This is easier than getting out the coloured pencils and paper to work out different scenarios and is the simplest way to colour plan without working from scratch.
And for those who don’t prefer fine cut hooking, this rug would be fabulous with #3, #4, #5 or #6 cuts. Go as fine as you like or pump it up a bit coarser. Some might like to outline all of the motifs in a #3 cut as is done in Oriental rugs or you can make the colours contrasting enough that each choice can lay beside each another and not be overwhelmed by little contrast.
So are you ready to take on this hot new design? If you need help colour planning let me know what colours you prefer and I can help you place them. I had limited choice to use for this feeble attempt to colour it in, but the intent was to show you that it can be hooked using a minimal amount of colour. In this scenario only four colours are used for the motifs and then a background colour would count for number five.
RSS Feed
