Saturday 29 September 2012

Built Environment - Mood Boards Tutorial

This post offers advice about how to create a mood board (also known as an inspiration board). Mood boards help creative people, from fashion designers to jewellers, to start putting together ideas for a project or commission. They are a collection of photographs, drawings, notes, samples and swatches placed creatively to communicate your ideas and interests.

Mood board inspiration from decor8


The most important reason behind constructing a mood board is to focus your thoughts. This can be done by really thinking about the theme of your project and then gathering items that will help you to visualise it. You can find inspiration in many different places ranging from the paint department at your local DIY shop and haberdashers to magazines and the internet. You can often find inspiration in your own home – raid those cluttered drawers and forgotten boxes in the garage! I often photograph things and places that interest me on my phone to use at a later date.

The mood boards on this post concentrate on two of the artists’ featured in my first post and the Built Environment 1 board on Pinterest.

Eve Broadhurst’s colour scheme for her Belgium from the Rooftops’ set of illustrations uses pretty pastel colours reminiscent of ice cream and lollies. I have put together a collection of objects on Pinterest called Ice Cream and Lollies’ that describes the colour theme and captures the atmosphere of her illustrations.


It is important to think about the theme creatively and not just focus on finding images of ice cream or lollies. In this photograph, I have gathered together objects ranging from a vintage cotton reel and old buttons to modern day washi tape. The objects all reflect the colour scheme that Eve has used and the one that I would like to use on a mood board inspired by her work. I have then placed the items on an old tablecloth that my grandma hand embroidered. I have also photographed pastel sweets on a white background. The photographs shown here could be used to add extra interest to your mood board.

Jessica Hogarth and a-side studio’s illustration uses areas of bright, block colour. Their designs remind me of confectionery and I have put together a board on Pinterest called Sweetie Brights’ that is inspired by their work. Here, visual interest ranges from boiled sweets to stacks of coloured pencils.
Finally, make sure that you are inspired by the items that you are placing on your mood board. Be sparing with the use of text, take care over the composition and use samples to create additional interest (such as buttons, or scrabble piece or ribbon). Most of all, have fun putting it all together!

 Examples of two pupils' mood boards inspired by Ice Cream and Lollies

 Examples of two pupils' mood boards inspired by Sweetie Brights

Monday 17 September 2012

The Built Environment

Featured here are various contemporary artists who have studied the 'built environment'. The artists, ranging from illustrators to surface pattern designers, work in a linear or graphic drawing style and have used block colours in a considered manner. The artists work in different, exciting and inspirational ways that take account of their own personal reactions to their observed environments.
Alice Melvin - Illustrator and Designer who uses line, intricate pattern and flat pretty colour in her work
Jessica Hogarth - Illustrator and Surface Pattern Designer with a focus on line and vibrant block colours
Eve Broadhurst - Textiles Artist and Illustrator with a graphic style and a love of soft pastel palettes
a-side studio -  Graphic designers using a bold, graphic illustration for the new Heartlands heritage site in Cornwall




Robert Samuel Hanson - Illustrator with a love of vibrant colour and geometric shapes. I love the contrast of black, silhouette like buildings with bright splashes of coloured shapes to pick out details.
Neil Dimelow - Architect, teacher and artist with an energetic line drawing style and use of earthy pastel shades