Cherry Blossoms
I was inspired by zuan-chō 図案帳 design albums in the British Library, especially the works of Kōrin Furuya, which I used as reference from the first stages of my design process. This was an interesting project for me, because I refined the color placement before creating a detailed lineart. I sought to emulate the aesthetic of woodblock printing as much as posisble, so once I had my lineart, I built the final painting up layer by layer, color by color. I separated the colors onto different layers so I could play with transparency and overlapping the colors at the edges, like they would if a woodblock stamp was slightly offset on a physical print.
Insular Manuscript
I drew my primary inspiration from the Lindisfarne Gospels, an 8th century insular manuscript now found in the British Library. I based my layout on a carpet page, with an embellished cross surrounded by interlace and an animal border. I drew my color scheme from the book as well, and used textures to recreate the feeling of paper and hints of gold leaf at the center of the design.
Frank Lloyd Wright
I was inspired by a photograph of Frank Lloyd Wright's home and studio in Chicago, taken by Philip Larson and uploaded to Artstor. I thought that the interplay of shadows on the wall of the house interacted beautifully with the symmetrical design of the gable and window. In my first design, I focused on the shadows of the trees, highlighting them over the design of the house, but I soon realized that the composition was unbalanced. Therefore, I cropped the painting to focus solely on the windows, their detailing, and the shadows cast upon them.
16th Century Iznik Ceramics
I drew my inspiration from a wide range of 16th century Iznik ceramics featuring the delicate and spikey saz style leaves, but I drew my color scheme from the midpoint of the century, when the famous Iznik red was introduced. I picked and chose design elements from among my sources, using symmetrical rulers to create an intricate and balanced composition. I continued to refine my design even as I experimented with different color layouts, adding details to draw the eye and incease interest.
Who's Keiran?
Keiran Pillman is a designer, illustrator, and researcher living in Rochester, NY. They have a BFA in New Media Design from the Rochester Institute of Technology (2015), and a MFA in Art History from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (2017). They have worked as a freelance designer and illustrator for seven years, doing projects for a variety of clients.
In their spare time, Keiran enjoys running, hiking, writing both fiction and non-fiction, and serving as a loyal minion for their cat.