Colour workshop with Hermes designer, Leigh Cooke.

Leigh Cooke, presenting designs

I signed up to a colour workshop with Hermes designer, Leigh Cooke, a graduate from the school of art. I felt that as a textiles practitioner this was an opportunity that could not be missed.

I felt that he could give a great insight into how he works and give any hints and tips about how colours interact and work with one and other.

When I first arrived, it seemed to be more of an autobiographical talk about his early and personal life which wasn't really insightful in the practical sense and has not really been useful in influencing any of my work during unit X.

However he did go on to discuss the importance of drawing. So much so that he says that is all his job consists of.

"I do not do mood boards" "I do not do design development"

To be honest, I didn't find the above comments helpful at all. He didn't really seem to show any respect for the processes that are essential to the design process and I accept that drawing is the most important thing about design and interpretation but it is not all there is to design.

Regardless, he spoke about the importance of composition. This did make more sense. He spoke about how he could spend days arranging his subject before drawing it, which I can fully understand.

The design (above,right) show the importance of placement and composition.