Regrettably I did not take any photographs when I was snorkeling in Egypt, so I had to resort to visiting a couple of local aquariums to shoot some primary images of fish. Below, there is just a small selection of the photographs I took. I particularly like the effect of movement that can be seen in Photographs 2 and 3.
The lion fish in Photograph 4 is a venomous marine fish which has eye-catching warning colours of reddish-brown, white, cream, mauve and purple. It has impressive pectoral and tail fins, and a venomous spiky fin. It is characterised by its’ reddish-brown and white Zebra stripes. I have noticed these vertical Zebra stripes alternate from wide to thin. The lion fish’s colours, textures and patterns have so much potential for an aspiring Graphic/Fabric/Fashion Designer. I am also drawn to the membranes of all the fins which are mauve with purple spots; the tail is my favourite as it is so delicate. I also like the gradient of pattern created by the Zebra stripes on its’ flank. However, after completing some detailed drawings from these photographs, some of which can be seen below, I began to lose motivation and inspiration.
So I went back to basics...I started looking for images in books and on the internet and this is when I became interested in jellyfish. I found swimming images that Marine Biologist Alexander Semenov had shot. I love the gelatinous umbrella – shaped bell and the fantastic trailing tentacles. I noticed, that as in Photograph 9 some jellies are clear and look like a plastic bag in the sea, whereas all the other Photographs below have vibrant colours such as: yellow, green, orange, red, pink, blue and purple and they are often luminescent. The neon - type colours are exactly what I wanted and I have the added bonus of the way movement is captured by the jellies long trailing tentacles. Although these sea colours excite me I think I want my colour palette to be unpredictable and unexpected. I want to make it pinks, purples and blues, taken from the jellyfish but when in a design its not obviously a sea themed duvet.
