One Week Book: Screen Printing Session

Today was the day we did our screen prints! I was really excited because I'd never done it before.

First off, we exposed our design in a vacuum seal onto the screen that had already been coated in emulsion, this had to be done for six minutes.

We then had to wash the screen to reveal the stencil (where the black pen had previously been.

Our next job was to prepare the screen bed for the process. This involved sponging down the surface and removing any tape marks.

We then had to mix our two chosen colours in acrylic medium with a special emulsion paste. It was important that the two were mixed well together to ensure the colour would stay thick, without going streaky.

 The next task was to apply some true grain paper to the print bed above the vacuum holes, this was to ensure that both colours of papers lined up correctly. 

The 'squeegee' tool used for applying colour. The blade is square to allow the colour to be applied with precision against the mech, (it needed a little clean before we used it!)

Applying a border around the frame to section off which part we wanted to print, and not needlessly apply excess ink.

During the screen washing process, some little specs of emulsion were washed away by accident. Here we filled in these holes to prevent black ink leaving specs on our print.

Fixing the screen to the top hinge of the bed, following applying the paint by applying a line at the top of the screen and dragging it backwards using the squeegee, collecting the ink at the bottom end and then pushing it backwards whilst elevating the top hinge around 45 degrees.

The result of the first print!

We then had to create a sort of template made from about 4/5 layers of masking tape to guide where the next pieces of paper would line up appropriately.

The result of the red screen print! 

The process was then repeated with black emulsion

The finished screen print,we are all so pleased with the way that it has turned out. All we need to do now is to carefully cut and fold it into the hotdog book format.

My personal input: the two elderly ladies complaining about not being able to draw in the merrion centre.

                                           

One Week Book: Drawing and Design Development

Today in our group we made a rough version of our hotdog book to figure out where each image would be placed, we also decided which page we would each tackle. It was difficult to figure out if our book needed a direction of narrative for it to make sense, however after doing a little research on 'zines' and other hotdog books, they mostly consist of a collection of illustrations that don't necessarily tell a story.

We had a look at Eleni Kalorkoti's work on zines. Last year she produced a zine based on a particular theme for every month of the year.

     

              Some pages from Kalorkoti's zine 'Glitch'

We made a rough copy of our hotdog book, deciding to call it 'Welcome to the Merrion Centre', illustrating our experiences of the day and up-playing everything negative that we discovered about it.

I decided that I would illustrate the two elderly ladies having a conversation about actually being allowed to draw wherever they wanted in their youth, especially in the merino centre. My drawing is quite simple, drawn in a 'doodle', minimalistic sort of style. I tried out some different methods to refine the image, like adding pattern and texture through the use of line and different ways to portray hands/arms to create gestural impact.

I was then able to refine the final image, ready to transfer onto the clear transparency film in order to complete the final screen print.

It was a tricky and delicate process drawing onto the film. The A3 sheets had to be perfectly cut and divided carefully in order for the book to fold in the correct sequence. All of our illustrations had to be transferred on the same sheet too, so if one of us messed up we would all have to start again! It was quite confusing due to there being two separate sheets for each colour, although both had to be completed in black.

Eventually we finished transferring our designs onto the clear transparency film, ready to be screen printed on Thursday. W

We were shown some work by illustrators who use screen printing in their work. Blex Bolex's Seasons is a beautifully rendered picture book illustrating sentiments of each season created by using screen print. The book displays powerful images through shape and texture using a bold colour scheme that is aesthetically pleasing for any age. 

This one Summer by Jillian Tamaki is a comic book telling the story of a fourteen year old girls antics throughout a particular summer. The textures throughout the book are stunning, and particularly interesting as a particularly narrow colour scheme is used.

Photography Induction

Today I finally learned what all of the buttons on a DLSR camera actually mean, which was extremely useful! 

So the first thing you have to do when renting out a camera is to format the memory card and clear settings so that no one else's photos are clogging up photo space. Then you have to set the ISO, the white balance and the file type (TIFF or JPEG).

We then learned about exposure which was really interesting. This is how light or dark an image is, which depends on three things:

Shutter Speed- How quickly the image is captured, also how much light is let in depending on how slow/fast the shutter speed is. 

Aperture- How much light is let in. For example a wide aperture will be lighter than a narrow aperture.

ISO- Basically how grainy the photo is. A slow ISO e.g. 100 lets in less light but is firer, whereas a fast iso e.g. 3200 is noisier (has more grain)

When it came to trying out these techniques for ourselves I was a little daunted and confused, but after playing around and testing the different settings I eventually got the hang of it. 

Shallow depth of field- focusing on an
object in the foreground causing background
blur.

Shallow depth of field, this time focusing
on the object in the background allowing
the foreground to become out of focus.

Slow shutter speed using a tripod, showing
multiple movements in one frame.

One Week Book: Exploring the Merrion Centre

Our task for Studio Brief 1 is to create a two colour hotdog book in groups of six on a given theme to do with a place in Leeds. My groups theme is The Merrion Centre, which is a bit of a run down, tacky shopping mall where one tends to find an array drug addicts  obese people, and of course, bargain shops.

Whilst carrying out research, we had to do the following:

• Record a conversation
• Pick something up and put it in your pocket
• Take photos of things
• Draw architecture space
• Draw objects/people
• Find a piece of factual information 

Unfortunately we were restricted in the majority of these areas as we were not allowed to take photos/draw the shops because the centre 'didn't own them' which was a shame. It was certainly interesting to take in information by people watching and listening in to their conversations!

I did some quick sketches (of what I was allowed to do) around and outside the centre.

Towards the end my drawings turned towards the more biased and sarcastic side, playing on the ironic fact that we were not allowed to draw in the Merrion Centre.

As a group, we decided that our colour scheme would consist of, red and white in correspondence to the logo of the centre, with the addition of black to add strong definition. We presented our days experience and ideas for the book with the rest of our class, and decided that we might make a 'welcome brochure' advertising everything bad that we figured out about the Merrion Centre today.

Here is a summary of or day! Using these ideas we will be able to come up with some effective imagery to collaborate into an 8 page book.

Visual Skills End of Module Evaluation

Which practical skills and methodologies have you developed within this module and how effectively do you think you are employing them within your own practice?

In this module, I have learned that clear communication is essential in able to gain a positive reaction from the appropriate audience. My drawing skills have enhanced in the way that they are clearer to read, using more obvious gesture and expression and implying themes that are easy to relate to. I have also developed my ability to produce pieces of work that tie together well as a set by using similar techniques and processes as well as introducing colour schemes, which I have struggled with previously. I have been able to employ these within my own practice by building on the positive comments I receive  at the end of each brief via peer review, and carry them through to the next brief to build a stronger method of practice. 

Which principles/theories of image making have you found most valuable during this module and how effectively do you think you are employing these within your own practice?

In each module there has been some sort of restriction or rule, for example working in a certain colour scheme, working with dimensions or working only in association with a particular theme responding to a word. This has been a useful principle in the aid of helping channel my focus in terms of using the right tools to produce the best possible results. Learning to work within dimensions has taught me the importance of scale and composition in order to make the best visually interesting image possible. I am using and will continue to use this in further briefs that both are and aren't restricted to the use of dimensions. 

What strengths can you identify within your submission and how have you capitalised these?

Throughout each project I have taken time to clearly document each ideas process so it shows how I have developed my practice. I really enjoy intertwining my own interests into each brief, and try to think outside the box without being too one sided or biased. I'd like to believe I am able to capitalise these areas by finding the right balance between simplicity and complexity, creating a happy medium for the viewer that is also open to their interpretation. 

What areas for further development can you identify within your submission and how will you address these in the future?

I definitely need to practice my digital skills in photoshop and check simple things that could lead to higher overall quality, for the example the dpi of images. I also need to spend more time and care on each project instead of being panicked to finish everything on time. This will teach me to pay more attention to detail when creating work and simultaneously increase the quality of my work resulting in a more efficient, professional overall finish.

In what way has the module introduced you to the BA (Hons) Illustration programme?

Visual Skills has introduced me to the structure of the programme and the quality and standard of professionalism that is expected. It has also taught me to further discipline myself in terms of time management. The process of working and learning has introduced me to a higher level of self reflection and critique through responding to the learning outcomes, and also through peer reviews, allowing me to see how other people have responded to my work and identifying areas for further development.

How would you grade yourself on the following areas:
5= Excellent 4= Very Good 3= Good 2= Average 1= Poor

Attendance-4
Punctuality-4
Motivation-5
Commitment-5
Quantity of work produced-3
Quality of work produced-4
Contribution to the group-3

Play Play Play 2- Evaluation

My three final pieces

Initially, I struggled with this brief as I felt that I could only create really obvious suggestions in response to the word 'light'. However after doing some research I was able to come up with some more sufficient ideas.

As I am eager to try out new techniques, I had a go at paper cutting in my roughs and decided to continue with this process in my final pieces. I tried to simplify the ideas but portray them effectively, although I actually managed to finish the pieces relatively quickly which made me wonder whether or not I had rushed them a little and could have spent more time and delicacy in the craft. 

Peer Review

I agreed with the majority of my feedback. It was extremely fair, giving me points of constructive criticism as well as praise.

The negative points include 'neater craft lines'; I did find it a little difficult as I was cutting through card, although next time I guess I could change my craft blade more frequently for a higher level of precision. Also, that I could have put more detail into the image as it looks a little bit rushed, which I completely agree with. I need to get out of the habit of panicking about finishing my work on time! Some people commented on the use of silver pen; I used it to add highlights and detail to contrast with the black and silver, but some people said I could have established it more and made more of a statement with it. Maybe I could have used a thicker pen to do so. Finally, one of the comments stated confusion of the lightbulb and globe image. The process is explained via my rough sketches with the initial idea of 'let there be light' and our societies dependence on electricity, however I understand that this might not be as clear without the text. Although I thought it would be more appropriate to use the text with the timeline image to communicate the purpose more clearly.

The positive comments praised the use of two tone contrasting colours working really well together, and as a series which I was happy with, as I have struggled previously to make images work well as a set. There were also comments about the concept and ideas being clever and unique, as well as 'perfect consistency', which I was really happy to hear. I can take this positive feedback and continue to develop on the things I have achieved in further briefs. 

Self Evaluation- Studio Brief 3

I think I've applied my media relatively well considering that I've tried and pursued the process of paper cutting that I'm not too familiar with. I tried to apply the media simplistically yet effectively, using two bold, contrasting colours; black and yellow to symbolise the contrast between light and dark. 

My rough sketches were an essential part of my developmental process, they allowed me to figure out the dimensions I had to work in (A3). I wasn't used to working on a scale as large as this so this was useful to try out drawing in this frame to gain accurate composition. My strengths lie within coming up with clever concepts and communicating them clearly. However one of my major weaknesses is stressing too much about actually completing all of my work on time and a result of this is rushing the process of making the product. This is a negative shortcut that I need to stop carrying out if I want the quality of my work to increase in future due to spending more time paying attention to detail. 

In conclusion, I have produced a clear communicating set of images in relation to the word 'light' using bold colours and shapes in paper craft form. I came up with my ideas quickly, and pursued with the final images very quickly without considering any other form of media. Although I'm really happy with the outcome, my ideas and thought processes, as well as the crafting itself could have been a lot more detailed and exhaustive, which could have resulted in a higher quality of final image. 

In future, I will take more time and be more attentive when completing a brief. I will also take forward some of the positive attributes I have gained in this brief such as producing images that work well in a set and ideas that illustrate the concept in a clear and clever way.