Hawaiian Shirt - Introduction to Digital Application
INTRODUCTION
In this assignment we had to create a Hawaiian shirt with a personalized pattern of choice. This pattern was to then be applied on to the shirt with complementary buttons and a tag. All of this had to be done on Adobe Illustrator, including the pattern.
Software: Adobe Illustrator
CREATIVE PROCESS
A production process on how the Hawaiian shirt was created.
WORKFLOW
Step 1- creating a new document
Step 1: I started out with creating a new tabloid document that was 792 pt x 1224 pt
(11" x17") with portrait orientation. This will give enough space to work on and display the shirt and its additional details.
Step 2- creating a template
Step 2: I then created and placed a Hawaiian shirt template in the new document. This will make the image transparent so that tracing can be done efficiently.
Step 3- resizing
Step 3: Once the shirt was centered, I resized the template by unlocking the layer in the layers panel.
Step 4- tracing
Step 4: I then proceeded to trace the basic shapes that made up the Hawaiian shirt.
Each shape had a specific order to be traced and layered so that it would overlap wherever necessary.
Step 5- finishing trace
Step 5: Once each shape was traced, I checked if they were in the appropriate order. I also double-checked to make sure each shape aligned properly.
Step 6- solidifying & outlining the shirt
Step 6: When reaching this step, I deleted the template and solidified the colours. I also applied an outline and smoothened the sharp corners.
Step 7- recoloring
Step 7: I then changed the shirt's colour to lime green. Now it is time to work on the pattern. I also chose this colour because I wanted my pattern to compliment it.
Step 8- illustrating and creating the pattern
Step 8: I decided to go with a tropical dinosaur illustration because I personally like dinosaurs and flower crowns. Plus, I think combining those two made a cute and fun design for a shirt. Once I finished my dinosaur illustration, it was time to group the whole design and make it a pattern by selecting object>pattern>make. It then appeared on my swatches panel for use.
Step 8- applying the pattern
Step 8: I proceeded to click each shape on the shirt in order to apply the pattern. This was done by duplicating the fill layer and adding the pattern on top of the plain green.
Step 9- rotating & offsetting the pattern
Step 9: Since this was supposed to look like a realistic Hawaiian shirt, the patterns had to be offset. This was done by selecting a piece of the shirt and rotating each design.
Step 10- final pattern placement
Step 10: Now that the patterns are placed in a more realistically accurate way, it is time to create the buttons.
Step 11- button creation
Step 11: I created the button using the circle tool and gradient tool. I made this a darker green with yellow thread so that it will compliment the lighter greens on the shirt. Now that I have created my button design it is time to create the tag.
Step 12- tag design
Step 12: I decided to continue with the tropical dinosaur theme so the tag would match the overall design. Once I finished my tag, it was now time to add it on to my Hawaiian shirt, along with a few other finishing touches.
Final Hawaiian shirt
CONCLUSION:
Overall I learned many more useful techniques within Adobe Illustrator thanks to this Hawaiian shirt assignment. I now know how to do tasks such as draw within a shape, apply shadows, and how to create a mask. I also learned how to group shapes and how to create patterns. However, I did struggle with the outline of the shirt at the very beginning, but I just had to keep trying until I got it right. Eventually, I did finish the tracing and more challenges arrived, but I watched past lectures to guide me. Additionally, I had a personal breakthrough when I figured out how to properly resize my pattern since it kept ruining the image before. I also had a personal triumph when I completed the pattern design because it was my first time using freehand brush, yet I got a satisfactory design in the end. If I were to have done this again I probably would have added more details to my dinosaur pattern and button. In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed this assignment and look forward to using Adobe Illustrator for more design works.
