I tried some different color combinations in photoshop and was somewhat surprised by the results. For example, here’s what happens with a red-orange-yellow “weft”:
This does not look NEARLY as bad as I had anticipated. In fact, it might even be worth sampling…I already have twenty shades of red-to-orange weft from Liquid Fire that I want to use up. A quick sample will tell me loads about the color mixing, and whether Photoshop is playing me wrong or whether it really will look OK. I’m betting that it’s Photoshop and that the result will actually not be particularly good, but you can never tell.
One thing’s for sure: I never would have even tried this without the ability to do quick simulations in Photoshop, first.
On a related note, I tried Peg’s suggestion of making the weft darker, except that since the colors are already deeply saturated, I went lighter with the weft:
It lightens up the jewel tones substantially, but I rather like the finished look, and it does have much better contrast. I like it better than the red-to-yellow, and will almost certainly weave this one.
And now I’m off to play in Fiberworks PCW some more. I have the threading set (I think), now I want to play with different treadlings and tie-ups to see if I can get other appealing designs on the same threading. If not, I’ll have to switch to a different threading, and I’d rather not. but differences in the tie-up and treadling can be profound…
wow to that first one! Now you are moving from the lovely to the extraordinary!
Hi Tien,
Great effort and just Gorgeous! Love the texture of the rippling diamonds, like a star birth. Thanks for answering my questions!
Of course I love your topmost color gradation draft. I think you will find that the patterning will vibrate and pop out (or be more noticeable) where compliments collide, like golden yellow against royal purple or indo-orange against teal, for example. This is what I have been discovering with my silk ikat network drafted twill weaving. It just takes courage to work with the compliments. Then the patterning will gradually fade or recede to the eye where colors are more analagous. Maybe more tonal color is created as the patterning approaces plain weave. In plain weave the eye mixes tinier dots, but in twill weave the eye sees more solid waves of color, and sees a pattern.
What we are seeing on the computer is the mixing of light, whearas in weaving it becomes the juxtaposition of solid subtractive color but with varying degrees of shine and reflection of colored light. Silk is lustrous, catching, sparkling and reflecting light, maybe like the full moon. When I juxtapose silk against a bit of shiny rayon, the rayon appears much more reflective-glitzy in comparison and this affects the pattern’s appearance as well. In this sense the rayon will pop the pattern even more.
Your method of simulating color gradation using Photoshop is wonderful! It can take quite some time to create an accurate color palette and then paint or color individual threads for color gradation work, even if groups can be done in a stroke of the mouse. This is particularly true for long runs of non-repeating patterning and non-repeating color work. Personally, I think this stage of the drafting process is worthy of being graphic art. What version of Photoshop are you using, and is this work done using the layering tool essentially overlaying a vertical gradation with a horizontal gradation? I’m still a novice with Photoshop.
Also, I just have to ask, what method did you use to fasten your first bouts of silk warp onto your sectional beam, and where on the sectional beam do they attach?
Now October, what fun watching all of these processes progress!
Jyoti