Adding to the Prints...

Every evening I've come home from printing during the day, I've been trying to add to the screen-prints and fill in gaps I've purposely left, using different ways of drawing/illustration, still based on the same idea of design. Below are some photos of development work... I like the way the illustration sits with the screenprint, although it does make the print look a bit devalued.

Colouring pencil...

Pen...

Inks...

Collage...

Inks...

Different colour combination prints... is it to playful?

Printing OTW - Testspace.

Whilst working i've thought about the work which I'm going to give to Jodie for the Test-Space gathering and realised that my name or blog address is not on my work and wasn't when I last went to Handmade.

Whilst printing today I quickly (which isn't good of me), wrote up my name, blog address and title for the work, then to put it on a screen and screen-printed my name onto the back of some of the work I had done to give to Jodie. The prints I gave were some repeat patterns that I created through printing the small strawberrys.

So therefore, I think throughout this project I will think about the design of a type of 'stamp' for my work and recognition.

Printing In Halftones.

From looking at some other artists approaches to printing with a 3D effect, I have picked up on the 'Halftone' printing that they use in order to achieve this. Printing your image in a different dpi, so that the image is translated into dots when you print it on a laser printer before going to expose an image and screenprint it.

Collecting: Leeds Art Gallery.

Today I went to collect my work from the Art Gallery and too take a quick peek at the open submissions exhibition. It was pretty embarrassing walking out of the gallery with my frame and work in my hand!

To be honest, I don't know whether I was just bitter and in a sulk because my work didn't get picked. but I wasn't overly impressed with the work displayed. Some of it was brilliant! There was a lovely piece which was 3d and was stamps cut into the silhouette of butterflies and put into a 'museum-esque' case/frame, with brilliant colours! But from other pieces, I just seemed to get the feeling they were in the exhibition because they were really different so stood out, but maybe not for the right reasons? But hey, it's all opinion based...

When I looked around at the work picked, I feel that now, I wish I had submitted my laser cuts as they would have stood out and been pretty different from things that were in there. Maybe there will be another opportunity to show these.

Prep of Images for Screenprint.

Today I've begun preparing some of the 'air-berry' images for screen-print that Simon would prefer in print form...It's a nice way to start my summer :)

I spent a couple of hours, writing down different combinations/colours to print in, that would compliment each other, design and positioning on the page and also thought about papers I would print onto and the possible paper colours I could print onto.

I've been sat on photoshop and illustrator this morning seperating the layers of each image which I need to print, I think I'm going to need a few screens!

I'm still deciding on colours and how many colours to separate out and print and onto what paper?

Wall Art.

As I'm going to be producing some work for 'On The Wall', in the hope that Simon likes it, I started to look at places online which sell 'home' type stuff, and who have art sections on their website, seeing what type of art people buy for there homes, one of these websites was Habitat - which stand for 'this is my habitat', selling furniture and objects to decorate your house.

This sort of research will help me in understanding the kinds of images people spend their money on for decoration.

http://www.habitat.co.uk/fcp/content/Services-Art_on_demand/content

They have work from photographic looking stuff, to messy/contemporatry painting/mark making...

There's also more intricate line drawings and contemporary colour...

There's also type based images...

It was interesting that on the website there was no repeat pattern design work, is this trying to tell me something? Or is it an opportunity for me?

Getting Started...

Recently I went to 'On The Wall', to have a chat with Simon, and show him some work which I had produced under the theme of Picnics. Simon seemed to really like the work I took him and said that it was crazy that I should take him lots of repeat pattern, as the shop is wanting to get together a collection of wrapping paper design now and Simon said my stuff would be perfect.

He's asked for me to screenprint my strawberry repeat design and we arranged a follow-up meeting for next Friday, to then show him the screenprinted design.

I emailed Simon yesterday, to ask specifically what he was expecting next Friday when I meet him, today he's emailed me back and set me up for my next weeks work and over the next few weeks.

My main focus is on the strawberry stuff, below this is what Simon talks about...

'As far as screen printed stuff goes, I’d love see to the ‘Hot-air-berry’ Screened... I think it’d would look amazing as a 2 or 3 part layered screen... I’m guessing you guys have access to water based inks? I’m really interested in images that have layers overlapping bold water based inks as it mixes colours where they are layered –( I’m sure you’ll be familiar!) Blows my tiny mind how cool it looks though!!....

I also like the idea of you screening the giant strawberry in maybe two colours , but each layer being slightly off-set so you get that almost 3d effect, then maybe using a spare laser cut stencil you could perhaps aerosol the hot air balloon over the top??... to be fair, I think however you go about it – it’s going to come out looking superb... I’m just all giddy right now about layered water based screens and then mixing that up with other processes like lino-cuts, fine lined illustration, stencils etc... Once you’ve made your screens up just bang out as many variations as you can be arsed to do!.. There are so many products I want to build up a folder of possibilities for I’d rather have too many options than too few.

Ok, so that’s Mr strawberry... he’s a winner, big, small, various colours, mix up the processes, use as much of the colleges paper as humanly possible!!'

This is really exciting... and is a good start to the 'professional project', it will hopefully set me up well for 3rd year as well and building this relationship with Simon is important.

Had a quick look at so 3D print work to give myself an idea of good colours to use...also looking at the kinds of images it's used in. Seeing as my image is simple dots with an illustration in the middle I think that it would suit this style of print.

Paul Davis Lecture. Knightsbridge - London.

This evening, Aaron and I attended a Paul Davis Lecture In Kentish town London, with the tickets at £10, it was a bloody barg!

It was based around typography, but we found this was very loose, he mainly spoke about his work, his routine and how clients he has, react to his work, that he produces for them.

He's always been an image maker I've been interested in, likening him to David Shrigley is mostly how I've referred to him in the past. Infact this was asked during the lecture and he just shook his head and said that him and David are actually doing some work together at the moment which should be really good! He really didn't enjoy being compared to another artist and being asked if he's kind of copied him though!

He began by talking about his work and how images he makes come about...such as, relating feelings to what's going on in the world, also creating image through things he overhears and reads: blogs, newspapers, magazines.

He mostly said that his work is there too take the piss and that through: 'being quite free, people will laugh'.

An interesting piece of his work which he spoke about was, 'Hate her sleep', which a bit of it is pictured below. In his recent work he's been exploring with flow charts and some are based around this idea of insomnia...I think they work brilliantly as they seem to be thoughts that we've all had at some time in our lives, the frustration of not being able to sleep and a partner being asleep, you some how feel jealous and hate towards them. I think the simplicity of the image and the difference in line is really nice in how it looks to the eye, but also the idea of these flowing thoughts and comments, really draws you in and makes you want to read it all, you kind of get really nosey! It must be pretty comforting to any insomniacs out there!

Another interesting thing he said about himself, which I'd like to take up as well as 'design', is that he see's himself as a 'recorder', rather than a photographer, he takes photos to remember and to record things he sees.

What I really find I like about Paul Davis is although he produces mostly negative imagery, it some how makes me feel positive. One of his books which title makes me smile is: 'What happens is good'.

Clients.

He commented on projects he had undertaken whilst showing us a slide show as examples of what was produced, he spoke about wine labels that he was commissioned to do and said 'we got paid very well, which is rare these days', it was a scary thought to have whilst youre sat there in a room with someone you idolise, for them to say that they don't get paid well, makes you doubt yourself and the prospects of making enough money freelancing? Another comment he made was about scraping by but he just enjoys what he does.

He also commented on how it's good to collaborate with others and how it really amazing and rewarding when you hand your work on to other artists that do different things. He used the example of illustrations he's done which were then given to animators to put together the advert, he said the idea of him just doing his own illustrations and then to see them played back to him like that was mind-blowing!

In regards to clients, he commented by saying, do what you want in response to a brief, it does however depend who it is you are working for and whether you trust them/what your relationship is like with them. He also mentioned that 'an Idea can be structured OR Random', through over-hearing things, it becomes random. Drawing through 'remembering' is also a good and random way of working.

He's in the process of trying to get his own Gallery...

The lecture was also nice, in gaining an understanding of how other artists go about dealing with a professional project. I've been thinking about the professional project we've started over summer and are briefed on as soon as we get back to college.

Even got this free signed poster at the end and had a chat with Paul, he's pretty laid back and was a funny guy.

Leeds Art Gallery, Open Show subbmission.

The day before I went home for summer, I'd just read up on the fact that there was an open show at Leeds art Gallery and with nothing to loose, I'd decided to submit a piece from the work I'd just done for Simon. I got a letter through a couple of days ago telling me that my piece had not been selected for the open exhibition, it was a real shame as it would have been great to have had my work out there and especially in Leeds Art Gallery. Although I'm going to try for it next year as well! I guess it's all good experience and a learning curb...

Maybe I should have thought about it a little more, as in the piece I submitted and what would be more suited to the gallery, but I had to do it in a bit of a rush. I would definitely think more about what I submit next time, what would stand out from other work...?

I went to Leeds market to get a nice frame, which was dead cheap and worked with the image really well. It was a totally new experience and was the first time I'd had to fill in any sort of from about a piece of my work or write down how much I would want a piece of work to be sold for or how much I'd put down for insurance, it threw me a bit, but gave me the chance to think about my work in a more professional manner and think about what price I put on my work for people that might be looking at it, as the price is important in selling the work.

Test Space - Was Shit.

Firstly I want to thank Jodie very much for taking my work...On Saturday just gone, she ran a stall with some peoples work, including mine, at the Testspace event, which sounds as though it was a complete failure.

Jodie says they were pretty unorganised and even moved them to 42 Briggate in the hope that it would be better there, it was pretty much worse with less space and less tables. No one really came because it was badly advertised, only about 5 people who weren't involved came in and didn't even look at the stuff for sale.

The only thing that sold was one of my Barbie head prints and with no one really about to even look at the work, there really was no hope! However, this Barbie print seems to sell a little where ever I take it, I might mention it to Simon at on the wall and see if he'll try and sell it for me...

I think we're all wary of bothering with Test Space Leeds again, as one of the people who was selling stuff there also, said that a guy running it told her that it wasn't about selling our stuff it was more about getting people in the there are looking at the space they've got.

Other Printers...

I've also taken a look at The On the Wall website again to refresh my memory but also to see what kinds of design is printed and how. Looking at what is already sold, will be a way to pin-point ways to make my work stand out and hold it's own.

I've also taken a look at other screenprinters approch to printing there work:

1. 'Arrow 3' - A US based artist who has managed to place his unique hand crafted arrows all over the globe. It's a 4 colour screenprint, I can liken the colours in the middle - cyan and magenta overlapped to what I want to do and how I want to make my image look 3D.

2. I particularly like the way this artist - Mark Pawson, has used layers of printing in this image. It's done using 6 colours and the way they overlap and form another shade of colour is also what I'd like to do within my work...

3. This last piece is part of the OBEY campaign, a 3 colour screenprint and I particularly like it because of the good alignment within it and the 'blocky' feel of it. This is important in putting my -air-berrys together, I want to concentrate on printing it really well, perfectly alligned, so it looks crisp and fresh.