Posted on: Monday, May 9, 2005

Fabric designing gives shirt shrift to your art

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer

It is possible to wear your art on your sleeve — and shirttails, or dresses. Kailua textile designer Emma Howard, who has created prints for Reyn's, Kahala Sportswear, Iolani Sportswear and Patagonia, to name a few, is offering a class to teach artists how to turn a painting into a textile design.

The class takes place 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday and May 16 at Hawaiian Graphics, 1923 S. Beretania St.

Artists are asked to bring a piece of original art to class. They will learn to select key elements from the painting that can be adapted, and repeated, to create multiple yards of fabric. By the end of the two-day class participants should have a design that can be printed on cloth.

Registration required: 973-7171, or call Emma Howard for more information: 261-0957.

Cost: $135 (includes a private one-hour consultation with Howard to assist with design completion, within 30 days of workshop).

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Step 1: An original work of art is translated into a black-and-white line drawing, simplifying to create interesting shapes. The artist must also consider how the design will repeat. Step 2: Colors are selected and swatched on a strip of paper. Step 3: The design is painted in the selected colors to show where each color block will go. Color bars at the bottom of the painting indicate exact tones and hues.

Step 4: The textile is printed and sent to a manufacturer to be sewn up as a garment.