I had tutorial with our tutor Sinead. She provided me with many advice. Some to do specifically about the composition and story [like scene with the fright not being clear enough and needing a change]. She suggested that I simplify the whole images into less colours, she said I would be able to communicate better and the images would benefit from it. Also because it is about sequences and movement I should try to guide the eye with my composition and use of colour and tone as at the moment all the elements in the images had equal importance. A way to work this out, she said, would be to work the images first in black and white and after applying the colour.
She also suggested me to be more expressive on the use of colour and encouraged me to experiment with screen-print if I wanted to use that technique for my final outcome.
After experimenting with monotyping I used those textures to develop the images further, trying to associate each emotion with a specific texture and colour.
I also modified the the format of the book and the way you read it. The format will be a square [as it is a symmetry and every page you turn will be an imperfect mirror of the other].
I consider emotions to be something that breaks routine and structures that is way emotions are show with colours and the character’s sequences on grey. However the emotions won’t only transform and break the confines of the body will also change the direction in which you read the book so the composition will lead the reader to have to turn the book around to be able to see what is next.
And the printing day arrived.
First we tested out the inks the studio had and decided which tone I would go for. I chose a dark red which I thought could convey well the emotion anger.
We got our roller up and going, making sure it was covered by a thin layer of ink.
Then we prepared the plate. First we had to clean off the black ink with white spirit and a cloth, after that we dried the plate with cold air. We prepared two sponges with water; a dirty one and a clean one. First we used the dirty to wash all the spirit left in the plate. Afterwards we used the clean one to damp the plate and ink it when it is still damp. Finally we dry the plate again, placed the paper next to the plate and pressed the press button with the arrow to start printing!
Lithography is a traditional printmaking technique; etymology of the word comes from Ancient Greek, lithos means ‘stone’ and graphein ‘to write’. Originally the drawing is made on lime stone and its process is based on the water and oil immiscibility.
On the previous experiments I had been trying to bring line and shape together with texture but couldn’t do it successfully, that is why I decided to pay a visit to the printmaking studio and experiment directly with lithography rather than with computer. Lithography is a very direct print method, to create the desired effects you have to draw them yourself in opposed to using acid like you would do in etching.
Ioannis, the technician at the printmaking studio guided us thoroughly through the whole process providing us very useful tools to experiment with. Unfortunately they don’t have lime stones at the studio but they’ve got zinc plates which were very fun to play with.
Below some of the materials we were able to use.
Tusche.Box with lithographic crayons and pencils.Crayons from 0 to 5. 0 being the hardest and 5 the softest.Intaglio ink. Good to create details. It is really dark and registers the mark very precisely.
Tusche can be used mixed with dionised water [letf], white spirit [middle] and methanol [right]. Methanol doesn’t mix well with the ink, that is how it creates really beautiful textures.
Firstly we prepared the plate by washing it with water and brush it with Prepasol as shown in the picture below. After that I drew the line of my drawing using the greasy pencils. I continued applying a mask in the background with arabic gum, by doing this I was protecting it so the marks I created after wouldn’t print.
My image is about anger and the body breaking that is why I tried to convey this feeling by using folded, wrinkled papers textures on the figures, trying to create and atmosphere and a direction; going from a more calm argument to a more agitated one.
Once the image was ready we put resine on it [yellow powder shown on the picture below] to help the chemical process, and applied the 1st etch [since my drawing is quite light just a weak one was enough,1 part atznol,3 parts arabic gum]. We buff it [with a cloth] to make sure the arabic gum covers the plate with a thin homogeneous layer and left it there for the next day.
On the next morning we applied the second etch and I will be printing next week!
Emotional | Symmetries 