Evaluation

I enjoyed trying out the different print techniques (even though i had done many of them before last year) and it was interesting to see what could be done with flock and foil. I would definitely like to use some of these methods in future work to reproduce some other images and maybe experiment with texture and layering colours. I have become quite interested in the blown up image and some of the qualities it can produce from something like a very small drawing, which i could also apply to some of these print practices such as the silk screen print.
I found dry point a very interesting process, i quite like 'messy' ways of creating images and things that look quite raw and not too clean cut. So this process was really effective for those reasons. I didn't get around to using the laser cutter due to time, but i will try using it in the future.

All in all, this print process module has been very interesting and helpful in terms of developing my own skills when print making. I now feel confident enough to go in to the print room and be able to do each process on my own, without any help (well, maybe a little bit of help...).

My Lino Prints...

My design on the lino

First print, the block of colour didn't come out very solid but i quite like this effect.

Second print, again, colour not spread evenly over the image.

Third print, i used a lot more ink this time and mixed two colours together. Some of the ink had started to seep in to the cut grooves, so parts of the teeth, leg and arm did not come out in full detail.


This process was probably my least favourite for a few reasons. For the type of image i wanted to reproduce, it was hard to cut in to the lino the detail i wanted, so i ended up having to simplify it. Then when printing, it was hard to get an outcome i was happy with. However, i have seen other peoples work who have used this process and i think for some particular types of design it can work really effectively, it just wasn't for me!

My Screen Prints...

Screen Print 1

Screen Print 2

Screen Print 3

Screen Print 4

Screen Print 5

Screen Print 6

Screen Print 7

Screen Print 8 - White on black fabric

Screen Print 9 - White on black fabric 2

Screen Print 10 - Blue/ green on dark blue card

Screen Print 11 - Blue on green card

Screen Print 12 - Foil on red card

Foil on card

Foil after being used

Flock print

Negative of used flock print

The whole silk screen process has probably given me the best outcomes. I really liked using Flock and Foil and would like to use it again in the future (even if it is a bit costly). I think that this technique can re-produce some really nice images, especially when experimenting with colour and materials. My attempt at printing on to fabric didn't work very well, but i think that was because the fabric i used was just a scrap piece, i don't know what material it was exactly, but it had a very elasticated feel to it. Combined with a little too much binder with not enough white mixed in to it, it came out quite seepy. However, the flock printed on to fabric worked brilliantly, only missing a few of the monsters hairy bits out!

My Dry Point Prints...

The ink mixture.

Ink layered on to acetate.

The acetate after having the ink wiped off.

Tester acetate after having ink wiped off.

First print with tester - obviously didn't come out too well! I didn't put it through the press properly, or check it, or wet my paper before hand...

Second attempt with tester sheet came out much better, after following the process step by step properly!

First print with the monster - a few smudges here and there but i actually quite like the smudges.

Second print with monster, i think this one was on card but i can't quite see from this picture.

This one i intentionally tried to keep a few smudged bits of ink around the edge, it didn't really work as well as i had hoped as i think i rubbed away a bit too much.

I tried to make this one a bit smudged too but more so around the actual edge of the monster.

I really enjoyed this print process and some of the printing effects it created. I really like messy, unpredictable ways of creating images and this was both exciting and rewarding. It's definitely not as clean as the screen print but i think it can make for some really interesting illustration when experimenting on different materials. It reminds me of old black and white, simply illustrated books, and i like it very much.

Laser Cutting

Laser Cutting...

1. First, put your design in to illustrator and live trace it. Save as a vector file.
2. Open it back up in the Laser Cutting Software.
3. Select either the CUT or ENGRAVE options.
4. Follow instructions on the wall!

Screen Printing

How to do a Screen Print...

STAGE ONE:

1. FIRST! Fill out a Screen Request Form for the day you need the screen. It can take up to 3 days.
2. Prepare the designs you intend to print by photocopying on to acetate and adjusting the size if need be.
3. Take the prepared exposure screen from the dark cabinet. Place acetate in to the vacuum machine, printed side up. Now place the screen on top, flat side down, and adjust positioning of the design or screen if needed.
4. Pull down the lid, clip the locks down on each side.
5. Press Vacuum,
6. Press Start,
7. Wait until the number gets to 85 and unclip the lid.
8. Now wash the screen thoroughly until the full design is visible, and place in the dryer for about 15 - 20 minutes.

STAGE TWO:

1. Line up screen with material you have chosen to print on, mark it down for future reference.
2. Tape up the edges of the screen to seal them, and divide from any other persons work.
3. It is best to work in pairs so that someone can hold the screen down for you when printing.
4. Line up a layer of prepared binder to print with (This consists of about 3 tablespoons of binder, and a few drops of colour - be sure to use just a small amount of colour as it is very strong.)
5. Pull the Squeegee down over the screen with a fair bit of force, making sure the binder goes through, check the design, remove and excess binder.
6. Place print on to drying rack.

Flock + Foil...

For both flocking and foiling, you will need the silk screen again. Both processes use a heat press, the only real difference is that the foil goes on the top of the paper foil side facing upwards, and the flock goes on top of the paper flock side facing down. Before using the heat press, the silk screen must be used to apply a glue binder mixture on to the paper or what ever you wish to print your flock/ foil on to. This glue takes 20 minutes to dry. The paper is then ready to go in to the heat press, along with the flock/ foil. The print is ready when the heat press sings you a little song!!

Lino Printing

Notes on Lino Printing...

1. Take one piece of lino and copy the design on to it (to do this quickly and easily, go over the design in pencil, turn it face down on to the lino and rub it straight on).
2. Use a chisel to cut out the design, this can be quite time consuming and it is important to take care and not cut towards yourself.
3. Once happy with the design, ink the sheet of lino with a roller (using a small amount of ink, no bigger than a 10p piece).
4. Now place the lino ink face down on to whatever it is you wish to print on (paper, fabric etc...) on to the press, cover with paper and felt layers, roll under the press and pull the leaver three times to print the design.
5. The design will come out negative, as the design itself will not print because it was cut out.

Dry Point

How to do a Dry Point Print...

1. Etch design on to a piece of acetate.
2. Make up ink and extender mixture, consisting of 50% ink and 50% extender.
3. Smear a layer of the mixture over the design on acetate, until all details of the design are covered.
4. Now use paper/ yellow pages paper, to remove the excess ink from the acetate, making the design visible.
5. Soak some paper to print on for about 10 minutes, and then dry by sandwiching between dry sheets of paper.
6. Now take the acetate and prepared paper, place the paper on to the roller, place the acetate ink side down on to the paper, cover with layers of paper and felt and then roll through the press.
7. Check work to make sure it has come out, if not roll through the press a couple more times until the design comes out.

My Symbol...

"Grrrrrrr..."

OK...so he's not really a symbol. I thought about designing something a bit simpler, like a logo or a hazard/ road sign. I flicked through my sketch book, looking for a bit of inspiration, and came across this drawing i had done that i hadn't used for anything, i think i just did it when i was bored one day. So i decided to use it, i felt that the quality of lines, especially when using the dry point technique, could be quite interesting. The above photograph is my drawing that i have photocopied on to acetate, i can't seem to find a picture of the original drawing.

Research

Robert Rauschenberg

Rauschenberg is another influential artist who used print techniques in his work, also reflecting the state of America in context of its time and expressing views on the way he saw the world.

I am a big fan of Rauschenberg, he was one of the first artists i felt i really understood when doing GCSE Art at school. I remember reading somewhere that he thought himself as a citizen of the World, and not just a citizen of America. This is something that has always stuck with me and i think that some of Rauschenbergs views and what he was trying to express through his work are very important issues and reflections of the state of the world we live in.

Like Warhol, a lot of Rauschebergs work explored themes of American culture and society, using images of recognisable popular culture and famous figures such as President Kennedy;

Retroactive I - 1964

Rauschenberg used magazine photographs to create silk screen prints, overlapping them on to canvas and adding painted brush marks, creating a collage like effect. In using images from magazines, his work commented on current affairs and contemporary society.

Earth Day - 1970

Interesting Rauschenberg Quotes:

• 'You begin with the possibilities of the material'
• 'The artist's job is to be a witness to his time in history'
• 'I think a painting is more like the real world if it's made out of the real world'
• 'I wouldn't use the same colour in a picture in more than one place'

Research

Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol reproduced images concerning American popular culture and consumerism, reflecting contemporary life and expressing the desires, trusts and mistrusts of American culture in the context of its time.
He created silkscreen prints for both person projects and on commission from the 60's, up until the year he died in 1987. His early prints (1962 - 1968) featured stills from his own films. His edition prints (1962 - 1987) explored the manipulation of recognisable images known throughout America and the world.
These prints ranged from images of famous icons such as Marilyn Monroe, President Kennedy and Muhammad Ali, recogniseable products such as the Campbell's soup tin and re-works of famous art works such as Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus'. He also explored religion, advertising, famous landmarks and buildings, current events, films and books etc.

Interesting Quotes on Warhol and his work:

De Salvo - "...defining images of the American consciousness-the images that expressed our desires, our fears, and what we ... trusted and mistrusted." "subtle variations and permutations that Warhol was able to achieve through his expanded notion of the printing process.... With nearly scientific fervor, he dissected the very mechanics of image production and, through this unexpected commonplace vehicle, discovered a way to be original."

Prints

Empire State Building - frames from his 1964 film.

Kiss - frames from his 1963 film 'Kiss'

Marilyn Monroe - 1967

Campbells Soup I (Chicken Noodle) - 1968

Reigning Queens: Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom - 1984

Print Processes

Print Making Techniques:

• Screen Printing Textile Based
• Dry Point
• Flock and Foil
• Laser Cutting Processes
• Lino Printing

Blogging - Document design journey, Photograph print processes.

ARTISTS TO RESEARCH: Fran Watson, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg.




Colour Theory Notes:

• Primary Colours = RED, YELLOW, BLUE.
• Complimentary Colours = OPPOSITES.
  
• Semiotics of warm and cold colours.
• Tints, Shades and Tones - Tint = Add White. Shades = Add Black. Tones = Add Grey.
• Use photographs or visual images as colour reference.
  
• Look up blog on colour theory/ combinations - David Airey.
• 'KULER' - http://kuler.adobe.com/#themes/rating?time=30 - allows you to mix colours, shows complimentary colours.

PRIMARY COLOURS - Red, Yellow and Blue. Two primary colours mixed together make a secondary colour. These are the most vivid colours and are useful in design that wants to promote urgency and speed.

SECONDARY COLOURS - Orange, Green and Purple. They are located in between the primary colours on the colour wheel, which indicates what colours were mixed to create them.

TERTIARY COLOURS - Tertiary colours are made by mixing one primary and one secondary colour together, creating an 'in-between' colour. E.g. Yellow/ Green.

COMPLEMENTARY COLOURS - Red and Green, Blue and Orange, Purple and Yellow. These are the colours that are directly opposite each other on the colour wheel. When used together they become very vibrant and heavy in contrast.

ANALOGOUS COLOURS - Colours next to each other on the colour wheel for example; Red and Orange. They match well but create hardly any contrast.

REF - http://colortheory.liquisoft.com/

The Art of the Print

Brief: The Art of the Print

Formative Deadline: 09.02.2011
Summative Deadline: 09.03.2011

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

1. Explore and utilise appropriate specialist techniques, processes and presentation methods.
2. Demonstrate and appreciate the properties inherent and creative potential of a broad range of printing processes.
3. Practice and analyse aspects of print processes and potential applications.
4. Implement, plan and utilise a production framework to fulfill conceptual aspirations.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:

• Research - Experiment and practice with a broad range of specialist print processes.
• Development - Develop independent knowledge and understanding of a range of techniques and skills in the production of final concept pre-production stages.
• Realisation - Produce a body of work demonstrating technical skills, creativity and awareness of the range and capabilities of print processes.
• Reflection - Evaluative journal reflecting on independent progress and understanding of the inherent qualities of a range of print processes.