Coming down from my high...

So in preparation for the progress reviews next week, I was experimenting with different things with my prints.  After re-etching my plate to darken the image, I dropped mono-prints of the trolley images from the first half of the project on top of the image of the person.  I really liked how these came out and actually ended up preferring the line prints rather than the actual etching.  Opinions were slightly divided on this but at least I was experimenting with my prints as I was supposed to be doing!

Its been a long and hectic week.  Having ran a mini marathon Sunday morning it was straight into research work as well as printing.  Lots of ups and downs this week, feeling your work isnt good enough and getting so many mixed messages...needless to say I am glad this week is over.

Now home to my mommy who will no doubt get the ear worn off her with all my bitching and giving out! 

:) x

I'm actually high from inhaling acid and white spirits...

So a manic day in the Print workshop today, loads to do so twas full steam ahead sur we were "clane liftin!"

To start the etching process, I had to begin to prepare my metal plate.  After sanding down the edges of my metal plate to take the sharpness away, it had to be heated on the hotplate before then applying the hard ground and using a roller to spread the mixture.  It was then left to cool before bitumen was applied to the back of the plate.

Once the plate was dry I was able to draw my image on the plate.  For my image, I was still using the concept of the Recession forcing people to do things they wouldnt normally do.  So for my image, I chose to draw a faceless person who is covering their face.  This gives the concept a more universal feeling, that person could be anyone.

Using carbon paper which I laid over the plate, I placed my image on top and then re-drew over it to make a marking of my picture on to the plate underneath.

Carbon Paper transfer

Image

Using a scribe which is basically a pointed needle, I etched into the plate using cross-hatching to form areas of light and shade.  The next step was the acid.

Obviously acid can be dangerous so extra care has to be taken when working in such close proximity with it as we are when it comes to etching.  The acid eats away at the metal that has been exposed by the needle to leave grooves, marks and textures in the metal.  The longer the plate is immersed in the acid bath, the deeper the lines will become.  This basically means that the lines exposed to the acid the longest will be the heaviest and give the most darkness in the print.  The parts of the plate that I wanted to stay light are covered with bitumen which acts as a barrier against the acid.

Bitumen applied to light areas

Using a long strip of tape wrapped over a piece of wood, the plate is slowly placed into the acid bath where it hangs for different periods of time to expose different areas.  I first did 3 mins, then applied more bitumen, next 6 mins, 10 and ended on 12 for my darkest areas.

being dipped in the acid

Plate in the acid bath

Once the plate has been in the acid for a total of 40 to 45 minutes, the plate is now ready to be cleaned.  So using White Spirits, the whole plate was cleaned down to prepare for inking.

Plate being cleaned

Plate after cleaning

Next I applied ink to the plate using card, then using scrim or cheesecloth I rubbed in the ink to make sure it got into all the lines.  After that, I used newsprint to clean the plate up for printing.  After moistening the paper, I placed it on top of my plate in the press and sent it through.

Finished print

I was happy with how the print came out but tomorrow I have more ideas for it.  I'm going to play around with colours and also drop another print on top of the existing one.  Print is extremely messy but I'm happy with how clean my prints are coming out.  Having worn gloves all day however, I may aswel not have bothered as my hands have a lovely black hue to my skin tone!

Typical busy evening in the Print Room

Another busy day ahead tomorrow no doubt!  Already cant wait for my Saturday sleep in :( 

Tuesday evening slump...

So this blog is all about my Photoshop work.  I take this class as part of Multimedia every Tuesday evening.  It's fair to say I was never a fan of Photoshop cause I could never use the damn thing!!!

But just a few weeks in and I've finally learned the basics as well as being able to bluff my way through a few other parts of it!

We started off easy, just taking images from Google and making wallpapers which got us used to cropping, transforming, canvas size etc. Basically the very basics of Photoshop.  So to start with I took an image of a donkey (just because I had got one as a pet on that day!) and took different sections of it.

 

I then changed image size, copied layers and fliped the images to form a wallpaper.

 

 

 

 

I also did the same again using the image of a puppy just to get used to the whole process.

 

 

 





 

 

From here we then went on to learn how to layer and change the filters.  So using the images from the first half of my project i.e. the stolen trolley, I layered the photos to form new compositions.

 

 



So that basically covers everything we've begun to do in Photoshop over the past few weeks. During my tutorial with Breda Lynch this morning she mentioned that she liked my distored imagery of the trolley, so using Photoshop I'm going to continue working in that way.

As well as all this, tomorrow is the beginnings of the last stage of printing for this project.  Started etching so got to get my plate prepared using the acid and then hopefully have it all printed by Thursday evening!

Have a feeling the next few days could be a bit of madness in the Print workshop!

Wooo It's Friday!!

I have finally completed Lithography!

After leaving the Gum Arabic to do its work on my limestone, yesterday I was finally able to start my edition of prints.

After positioning the stone on the press and selecting the right size bar, I began to prepare my stone for inking.  The same process as I used for the first etch - apply white spirits to be left with a negative image, followed by asphaltum, buff down with a cloth, apply the water with a sponge and get ready to ink up!  The stone has to be kept moist at all times during inking, should never ink on a dry stone.  So I had my little helper Grawnya with me who helped with the washing of the stone whilst I inked up.

Following this, paper was placed on top of the inked up image.  Once the paper is down, it cannot be moved so you have to pretty accuarate with it when it comes to initially laying it down.  A layer of newsprint was next followed by the sheet of tympan which had to have grease applied to the top so that it would slide through the press easily.

Getting the hang of the press at first was hard.  I was used to the manual press, where you roll the stone through yourself.  If you ever want to work out your upper arms then spinning the wheel on a printing press is perfect for toning!  But for my actual print I had to use a motorised printing press.  Using magnets, this press will stop once the top of the stone goes under the bar, leaving you to pull down the arm of the press to apply the correct pressure needed to print your image.  The press will stop again because of magnets once the end of the stone meets the bar.  This all makes sure that both the press and the stone dont get damaged during the printing process.

The first two prints I did came out quite faint so I knew then to "charge" the roller and apply much more ink in the printing of my edition.

So after re-applying ink, I was able to produce dark tones - exactly what I wanted for my edition.

I liked how the prints came out and how the edges disappear off the sides of the sheet rather then just hang there.  If I had had more time I would have liked to have done another colour over it so it's an idea for the future!

On an end note, I spent all of first year giving out that I had nothing to do everyday; there was no structure to the course; I had too much free time; I wasnt learning etc.  After just a month in second year I realise just how good I had it! To say this course is hectic and jam-packed is pretty accurate.  There's always something that needs to be done.  There will always be some late nights staying up to do extra work.  There will always be long days and last minute rushing to get work done.  But I think I'm finally starting to come around to its crazy ways.

Starting Intaglio next week so weekend of brain storming and composition work ahead!

Love dealing with bipolar weather and bipolar people...

So it's what, the 4th week back to college?  And i am STILL dying sick.  The abnorally cold Print room isnt exactly helping the situation so I'm pretty much just on the way out I think.

I finally got to print this morning!  After applying the Gum Arabic on friday, it had to be left dry so I couldnt touch it again until today when I was in the workshop.  For this process, I had to set up the big scary press and transfer my stone from the work bench on to the press. 

I applied White Spirits (mighty stuff to be inhaling at 9.30am) to the stone and rubbed it down till i was left with a negative of my original image.  I then applied this browny-black crappy stuff (thats the technical terms there) better known as asphaltum and rubbed it into the stone with a cloth.  After this I had to wash down my stone with a sponge and water to remove excess and also the cloth fibers that got stuck to the stone. 

Once this was complete, I could start the roll-up method.  Using a leather roller, I rolled in a fan like motion to get an even spread of ink over my image.  The aim of this is to get the negative image back up to its original levels of tone and detail that I had prior to applying the White Spirts.

Then, a layer of newsprint paper was placed on top along with a large thick piece of acetate like material better known as tympan.  Grease was then applied to the sheet of tympan so that it could slide under the bar of the press easily.  Once the pressure was right and the stone was properly aligned, I was able to send the block through the press.  With this you have to be very careful about when the arm of the press comes down and when you have to stop rolling the press.  With other presses you can send the print right through to the other side but with Lithography presses, the stone goes someway in, then comes back out the same way.

The result was my first proof.

The image was quite faint so i re applied the ink to bring it to the levels of darkness and tone that I wanted.

I then had to re-do the Etching process that I did on Friday to prepare the stone for its proper printing. 

As well as Print workshop, Im also doing Media on Tuesday evenings.  Here we're currently being taught the basics of Photoshop which is something we need when studying Print.  It's quite a complex programme at the start but the more time we spend at it the easier its becoming.  We completed very basic assignements like creating wallpapers for desktops etc. and then yesterday we began to learn how to blend images.  Basing it on what we were dong with our main projects, we all created our own images.  Seeing as I was dealing with Recession and everything that comes with it, my image depicts these events.



Its not the most difficult or amazing image but sur im only learning ;)