Screen Printing Induction

           

                            

          

                                                                   

                     I really enjoyed screen printing. Although there is a long build up and a lot of preperation before you can actually start printing, once you get there, it is a lot of fun. I liked how you can constantly create prints using different colours and different techniques. We tried a marble effect and simply just two colours side by side. The marble effect was really effective because the different colours mixed together creating further shades of colours.

With some of the black drawings, I feel like we maybe could have pressed a little harder, like with the umbrella women as the line appears rather faint. Overall i think it was very successful.

Marble effects 

Further map developments

Our Route

Carlton Hill

Christmas Market

Trinity - Primark, Kitchen

Lush

The Market

John Lewis

T2

Arcades

Merrion Centre

Up to Parkinson's steps

So throughout our journey we didn't really have a set theme. This enabled us to gather as much information as possible collectively. As the day progressed we decided to start refining our ideas and focus. Thinking about the screen printing ahead we thought we'd stick to the 2 colour idea. We chose to draw anything we saw in red.

I decided to use some simplified drawings with the pending screen printing induction in mind. Block red colour works really well with the black creating a striking composition, I think the minimalist style is extremely successful.

So one sheet will have simple blocks of red shapes and the other one (which will go on top of the red) will be the black out line of each object.

So this is a rough copy of what we aimed for our final outcome to look like. I think the clear motif of red works really well along with the simplicity. Perhaps when it comes to actually screen printing the design we could perhaps experiment with other colours?

One week map - Screen Printing

For this project, we were to create a two colour map of Leeds. Focusing on reportage illustration and psychogeography. In groups we went round Leeds and recorded our journey capturing the essence of Leeds through drawings, photography, recordings and senses. Despite the weather I thought It was a very successful exercise as it made me really focus on the beauty of Leeds.

 Rough sketches of interiors and people around Leeds.

I managed to ease drop on peoples conversations and pick up some key quotations. I found it particularly difficult to draw people when they are constantly on the move.

Shape and Texture 2

So I decided to learn from my mistakes and create another design - this time focusing on shape.

As you can see this is much more successful as the simplicity of the photograph works so well - inspired by my fruit project.

Shape and texture

I started to combine texture with shape. I used a photograph of myself as a subject matter and put my focus on creating textures. I used a variety of materials and paper with numerous techniques combined to add complexity. 

I really like prominent textures used and use of mix media but I feel i have lost a sense of structure and shape. I have focused too heavily on texture and forgotten about shape. What I should have done which would have worked better is cut out the outline of my face so I had something to work with, this would help me in terms of proportion. I aim on re doing this task but focusing more on shape. 

Shape

I started to look at the power of shape and simplifying more complex images, capturing the true essence of the image making it identifiable but not obvious. I chose a pineapple as my subject matter and started experimenting in my sketchbook with shapes and cut outs.

I wanted to chose a fruit that is so complex to give me a real opportunity to simplify it. I started to deconstruct the image, taking key areas of shape and furthering the simplification process until i'm only really using two solid shapes repeatedly. The more simple it becomes definitely the more successful as it creates more of an interesting, abstract composition, yet still identifying the fruit.

Tribal mark making

Marks to represent tone

Starting to look at tone and see how line marks can show types of tone. I used some tribal images from my previous projects and used pen and pencil techniques such as dotting, and decreasing pressure on paper to create gradation tone.

I also experimented with simple lines to show a sense of tone - the closer together they are the more of a solid colour it becomes. I learnt a lot about different ways you can create tone.

Using water as a form of tone, mixing colours using water colour pencils. The colour corresponds nicely with the actual image and creates quite a sad tone. The gun adds to this but because of the colours, doesn't show a sense of power but perhaps a sense of honour and vulnerability.

Dream House

Tone, texture and mark making

For this small exercise, I focused on shape, tone and texture in creating a 'dream home'.

My idea was focused around the idea of a screw. I particularly liked the shape and structure and thought it would be interesting as a house, with the screw bits representing the slide going down the building. In terms of materials, I used ink and white acrylic paint used in quite a free flowing, expressive way to emphasise texture. I used a dry brush effect which created really interesting textural marks.

Mark making

Creating marks inspired by certain words.

For this we were given 6 words for example loud/quite, fade/bang. We created a series of experiments using different kinds of mark making to visually communicate the words.

Some of these capture the word really well. I think particularly the one with the circles of nothingness representing quietness surrounded but paint splatters of noise. The lines coming out from the middle represents bang very well with the gradation tones and cross hatching representing fade. I wanted to have more controlled lines to show calmness and more dark expressive fluid brush strokes showing a sense of noise. Thicker lines represent deeper sounds and thinner lines represent high pitch volume.

Line drawings

Continuing with the line drawing theme, I decided to choose a subject matter (shoe) and create a series of line drawings experimenting with line and ways in which I can manipulate it.

                                          

 I did some continuous line drawings of my shoe. Some capturing just the essence of the shoe by using large brush strokes, really simplifying the subject matter into obvious features. I also used a dry painting technique which created really interesting textures and tonal quality.

I learnt a lot about line and the various ways i can use and manipulate line to create various compositions.

Line

Line is used for so many purposes:

To convey beauty

To divide an area/space

To delineate a thought/symbol

To define form by edge/contour

To catch and direct an eye

To produce a grey or tonal gradation 

To create a design

I explored the use of line and experimented with a variety of materials and techniques to create different line compositions.

Using a variety of different sized brushes and using different amounts of paint creating interesting textures. I experimented with the pressure of the pen slowly decreasing until there is nothing, creating a gradation tone. I also experimented with cross hatching to create a sense of tone. What I find quite interesting is the ink slowly becoming less opaque as it travels across the page, having a translucent feel. I used the back of a paint brush to create more of a scratchy feel which is quite interesting because there are so many tones within the line because of the texture. 

Transferring techniques into subject matters

I focussed on a subject (someone in the room) and tried to transfer my different line qualitys into the portrait.

Combining large brush strokes with little paint on, and smaller brush strokes with more paint on. I used the large brush strokes as a background effect. I think this is so successful as the low opacity large brush strokes make the focal line drawing stand out but creates an interesting background texture. The two line drawings compliment each other very well.

Using a Large paint brush. I simply just used a large paint brush with ink, making the absolute most of all angles of the paint brush. I have created some really interesting lines and I really like the contrast between the darker tones and lighter tones how they overlap to create even darker tones. I feel like this would look good as a screen print using various colours.

Using two pens, blue and black. This mirror image is very effective as the combinations of line drawings create an abstract composition fraying away from the obvious portrait drawing. 

Photoshop Induction

I chose one of my best black and white plant studies and created a series of Photoshop experiments. I used a variety of different simple process including inverting, colour balance, double exposure and painting into the composition. I think the more simple the image becomes the more successful. If i was to develop this further i could perhaps reduce the complexity even further and create some kind of logo maybe? 

Evaluation

At the beginning of the module, I started with minimal work in terms of development, but now I feel there is no end to creating pieces of art work, and the more generated, the more successful my final outcomes will be.

Using blog for the first time was very useful to me. I liked seeing my work posted online and felt I could be more organized with the posts and layout as opposed to a separate hand written critical journal.

Without having inductions for anything yet I wasn’t able to use facilities such as screen printing which would have worked quite well for some of my projects. I learnt a lot about layout, particularly with the ‘Illumination’ project – I enjoyed playing around with the same design but from different viewpoints. I think I’m lucky in having fairly strong ideas from the beginnings of my projects.

I am happy with all my outcomes but particularly the poster design. I enjoyed the project because I loved all the possible variations of design I created for it, which turned out being so useful in the process of creating 24 drawings. One session I particularly enjoyed was when we were given a word and had to visually communicate the word in as many ways as possible – this really opened up my creative mind and enabled me to generate a range of ideas. The small grids we had to work in also added to the success.

I found group crits extremely useful as they gave me alternative ideas and people pin pointed their favourite designs. It’s good to have an outsider’s perspective.

I learnt a lot throughout – I learnt it was ok to do rough sketches and be proud during the development stages. Maybe with some of my projects like the first one, I could’ve experimented with more techniques and materials. With the ‘Illumination’ project, I could have generated a broader range of ideas throughout my book. Also, at the beginning with the blogging, instead of describing what I was doing, more critical analysis was needed and more questions to ask myself. This is something I improved on as the module progressed.

For future projects, I aim to blog a little every time I hit a problem or am inspired by something which informs my practice. I will also talk in more of an analytical, reflecting way asking myself questions. I also want to start using the facilities LCA has to offer to broaden my experimentation skills.

                          

Final book cover

This is my final book cover design. I think the simplicity of the design works so well and the fact I have decided not to put the title on the front cover works as a subtle compliment - making the book become more intriguing and alluring, wondering what this book is all about. I decided to stick with a particular colour scheme to not over complicate the design. The mirrored image works well as it depicts a sense of double personality, and showcasing the idea of many sides to someone. The fragmented shapes represent the complexity of the brain.

If I were to do this again I could perhaps make it seem more professional by scanning it into the computer and smooth up the edges.

Rough sketches for final outcome

                                         

      

I did some rough sketches to see how my final design will look in terms of layout. I have decided to go with the two faces facing each other, front and back, looking at the title which will be on the spine and not on the front cover (actually i haven't decided yet) I just don't want there to be to much going on with the front cover and feel the title may create too much chaos. 

Research and development

So i started to play around with shapes and continuous lines with portrait to show a completely alternative side to consciousness. I think these are so successful as it is not quite obvious that it is a person. The designs have both a sense of alter ego and multiple personalities, as well as a fragmented structure with the shapes breaking away from the face, representing the different thoughts and mind processes. I think the overlapping lines give it a real sense of abstract value and make the overall composition even more intriguing. I think the combinations of various colours works really well - on a white background making it really stand out. 

I plan on sketching out my book layout with this design on it and start thinking about type as well as what i am going to have one the sleeves, spine and back.

Testing and experimenting

Sticking with the idea of simplicity, i moved on with another design, which is an adaptation from the original book design.

 I took an area from the complex book cover and played around with the shape making it come across more powerful and significant as i feel there is so much going on with colour and line that it takes away from the beauty.

 

                                            

 The science symbol works so well and just a simple line drawing of that with the font represents consciousness in more of a subtle way, staying away from the more obvious side. I experimented with a range of materials with this design, from expressive abstract brush strokes to more refined line work. I definitely feel the ones with colour are most successful. 

I will now start to explore shape within portraiture, suggested by people in my silent crit group.