More exploring

Now I think I can fairly reliably make a straightforward gum arabic print I want to push the boundaries a little. I’ve started to experiment using the technique to combine images (with a view to adding text for book projects) and  to print my own drawings.

Combining  photographic images

I like the torn effect and the layering but I’ll need to work out how to incorporate the coloured ‘plate tone’ in the negative space into the design if I’m going to use this technique for text  (unless anyone out there knows how to get rid of all the ink on the white of the plate).

I made 3 plates exploring hand drawn and computer generated marks using a combination of drawing, scanning and Photoshop for a three colour print.

This one was nearly A4, a bit difficult to register with soggy paper plates.

This second one  I printed the image plates smaller on the laser printer to make it easier to handle These experiments are more about the mark making and layering than the colour palette. They are a bit garish.

I do like the ghost print made from the last plate. It doesn't photograph well. The print is delicate in colour but the drawing lines are also visible. The paper plate lifted colour as it was printed the first time and then offset it when I ran it through the press a second time.

It will take more time but I think there are definite possibilities with this way of working

Plan C

The more scanned drawings I added to the text the more it reminded me of old kitsch wallpaper (the sort with views of Tuscany interspersed with peppers and Chianti bottles). Time for Plan C

The object of the exercise was to experiment with the printer so I decided to see how I could use it to add text to pre-prepared papers. I made several different coloured surfaces using watercolour and water-soluble crayons on cartridge paper, and when dry I ironed them flat. 

 

Some work better than others, the salt is too busy 

 

but the cling film is really effective as a background.

I also revived the artwork from an old idea for a book. ‘Twelve Dancing Princesses’ is meant to have the feel of traditional fairy story imagery, princesses and delicate colours, but if you look at the text that makes up the pattern on their dresses it picks out the qualities that seem to apply to the ‘heroines‘ of many fairy stories (eldest, youngest-the middle child never seems to do anything remarkable, kind, meek, dutiful-nothing wrong with them as qualities on their own but put together its a depressing role model for girls)

I printed some in black only to hand colour later....

and some in blue and pink as well. 

The Barbie colours fit the subject matter. The colour is miss registered which I quite like. It fits the disparity between the feel of the artwork and its commentary.

The printer uses soy ink which will take a while to dry completely before I can start to cut and assemble the books.

Plan B

I had thought of making the images in a similar way to ‘Rapunzel’ but it just wasn’t working so I’m working on Plan B

A few years ago I did some work photocopying charcoal drawings onto acetate and then placing them over simple flat underpaintings. Slightly misregistering the layers made the images more interesting. I’m going to try something similar with the risograph, taking advantage of the difficulty of registering colours exactly.

First the charcoal drawing.....

 Then using photoshop to add colour and layers...

And putting these under the text grid.

The image manipulation isn’t quite there yet but I’m confident enough (famous last words) to carry on making all the drawings.

Another shop

It wasn’t until I looked at the drawing here on the blog that I realised the perspective lines in the paving stones were going the wrong way. A bit of Photoshop later and they looked better. I’ve also used some photos I took locally as a starting point for another shop.

I added flat colour to both and now have a set of colour separations ready for the risograph. I’m hoping they will look similar to lithographic illustrations when finally printed

Holes

After deciding that the bookworm book was the wrong size for the parameters of the ‘Holes’ swop (Artist Books 3.0) I decided to revisit family photographs again.

When looking through old photos we usually can recognise Aunty Jean or Cousin Fred but often in a group there is someone who nobody can identify. I decided to use this idea of missing identity and take it further by taking the anonymous person out of the image altogether leaving a hole where they had been.

The images are all presented in scans of different sized photoframes.

This frame theme continues on the front and the back of the book

The Ruin

The Ruin, for Artists Books 3.0 ready to be posted out.

I thought it was finished a couple of weeks ago but just as I was about to put it in envelopes I decided it needed more of a cover.

Productive few days

I’ve finished printing the covers and the book block for a swop through Artist Books3.0.

They are now folded, glued and are drying under weights. Hopefully these will be mailed out in a few days

I’ve also finished assembling the first alphabet for ALAW in a book. 

 It consists of 26 monoprints made with acrylic paint on a gelli plate (plus front and back covers)

 I was exploring how little of the letter was needed in order to make it ‘read’ 

Progress of sorts

I decided to make a concerted effort with Personal Histories this week.

I finished the digital illustrations, decided on a cover, printed laminated and stitched a prototype. I liked the idea of a hole in the cover to add another layer of transparency but it doesn’t work in practice. I think I’ll probably put a title in the central panel instead (when I decide what to call it)

Most of the images work but one of the gentlemen needs a stronger surround, at the moment bits of his image are disappearing when printed 

 I used a range of colours in this version to try to decide which to use in the final book. I’ve not made any decisions yet other than not the bright blue.

 I also need to consider some kind of box or wrapping to present it in. I’m not sure whether to use translucent or semi transparent materials or whether to box/wrap it as though it had been long forgotten in some cupboard.

Flattening the book

I was thinking of making this book so that it could be wrapped to make a star book with three cut out layers; the landscape,the ruin and the words on separate sections.

After putting layers together in Photoshop in order to show here how the sections of the book might look I’m beginning to change my mind.

I'll see what they look like printed at the right size but I think I may go back to a straightforward accordion.

Time to catch up

Its half way through half term and I've had chance to put some sustained effort into my books.

I've almost finished two more sets of pages for 'Where the Dead Live'.  Joe's Cup is done, and I've only got one and a half of Alice Harrison to do.

This means just two more pages to go. For one of them I want to use the idea of seed pods and the blue commemorative plaques that we put up on buildings in the UK for interesting or famous people associated with them, but I haven't decided yet how to do this yet. Nor have I worked out how I'm going to put the pages together in the final structure.

Rapunzel is changing again. I originally thought it would be hand printed in black and white, responding to Beardsley and Arts and Crafts woodcuts/early book illustrations. When I decided to print digitally I tried to include the textures and colours of old paper and faded inks. These worked well on screen but either wouldn't output as I wanted (inkjet printer) or flaked when I folded the the print (laser printer). This week I started playing with the colours and altering the way the layers blend. It has resulted in a much more colourful image than I intended, and its more complicated than the original drawing, but I like it. However I still have to get the printer to give me at least ten uniform versions!)

One step forwards....

Although work on it has slowed down since term started 'Where the Dead Live' is making progress.
I've made another batch of pringles (if in doubt start squishing paper!) and printed another set of etched pages.

I also finished the scanning for Rapunzel and put the textures into the image last week so I thought I'd print out the final artwork and start to put it all together. I'd decided to laser print the whole edition as the test pieces and mock up I did before the holidays (using found textures) worked well even though they weren't the right colours.

All the decisions have been made and this was meant to be the easy part. The printouts looked great. The colours and the textures worked well together. The dark  had a rich leather-like feel to it. But.....

when I started to fold the prints the ink started to flake off leaving white paper showing through

It doesn't look worn and in keeping with the subject it just looks tatty.

I thought I'd print it on the inkjet instead. On printing paper it bleeds and the colours are decidedly grubby.

 So I ordered coated inkjet paper. It prints cleanly and the image is sharp but now the printer is resisting all attempts to calibrate it to the monitor and has decided it can improve on my colour scheme.

At the moment it favours custard yellow and something that can only be described as poo brown.