Screen Printing Process

Printed the 1st version of the bags aprons and table mats in college... it was a very long and laborious process and I wouldn't have been able to do it without Nikita :)
There definitely will be changes in terms of the print designs for the finals which I will get done professionally. I've put away my drum of coating solution for a year at the least!!!

Thumbnails_v2

Since the narrative changed, quite a few of the layouts and illustrations changed as well. The book is currently at 48 pages not including the cover.

Narrative V_3

The garrulous gastronaut v3

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Review 5

Feedback on the Narrative (overall):

·         Re think the cover type- Garrulous Gastronaut should be the highlight. You don’t need to include “by” Pushpi Bagchi- Just your name is fine. As you are mentioning one Gastronaut “The...” it would make more semantic sense to have just one illustration of the main character on the cover.

·         Keep the typography in the inside pages simple and make it bigger in size.

·         Overall the layouts don’t have a relief of contrast, there is too much happening and the flow is a little monotonous. Perhaps create a pattern of contrasting pages using illustration, colour, type, etc.

·         Rethink the shapes of a few of the flaps as at the moment most are simple shapes- squares, rectangles, etc. Perhaps they can be in the shape of food? Also the type size under the flaps can be smaller as it is like revealing a secret underneath.

·         Edit the copy. It’s too lengthy.

·         Can increase the size of the book.

·         Also consider making the cover hard bound while getting the book bound.

Colour Palette for the Book & Products

Material Scouting

I initially thought I would buy my materials from Commercial Street and get them stitched some place in Yelahanka. However after speaking to Meera she told me about Chindi Market in R C Puram where you can buy canvas and other materials to make bags etc at lower prices and find tailors that will have the right  skills to stitch bags, mats etc. She drew me a map that I later refined and have also looked up the place on Google maps, hopefully I find this place easily!

Meera's Map:

On Google maps:


View Larger Map

The Gastronaut's Kit

For all the products I want to use a common material that is durable, inexpensive, and washable.  I looked at the shopping bags that my parents currently use when they go to the farmers market.

Jute was out as the fibres tend to wear easily while carrying heavy weights and the texture isn’t very child friendly as it is coarse and “itchy”.

The bag below was featured in Etsy.com

The synthetic blue bag is something that has been around for forever. It is extremely durable, doesn’t get dirty easily and the material comes in bright colours. However it is uncomfortable to carry as the straps cut into the palm when the bag gets full.

The canvas bag is an easy favourite as it is durable, very comfortable to carry, washable and stretchable for when you’re trying to cram in a lot of shopping. The natural off white colour of the material offsets bright printing inks well and it is also not expensive. The material used for the straps thought synthetic doesn’t cut into the shoulders or palm white carrying heavy weights and makes the bag a lot more durable.

    

Canvas can also be used for aprons and the table mats.

I also want the child’s tote bag to double up as the packaging for the entire kit containing the book, adult tote bag, twin set of aprons and 6 table mats. This would need the bag to me somewhat sealable for the packaging and for when a child uses the bag in a market to avoid accidents where the contents spill out on the ground in case the bag slips off their shoulders. When I’d visited the Montessori School they had one exercise where the children had to button and unbutton a piece of cloth attached to a wooden frame to improve their motility. Having this type of cloth loops with buttons seems ideal for the child’s bag as compared to having a string to tie which involves a more complex skill or a zipper which is too easy and not sensible to use for a bag which is likely to get stuffed with food products or other things.