Friday 10 September 2010

Activities over summer

I sent my work off to my Tutor and eagerly await feedback! During my holiday and most of August/September I have been collecting photographs and sketches for the next project on relief printing using lino cuts.

I have collected images from churches and graveyards wherever I have been. There always seems to be a church or graveyard around and they are all different so this is a fruitful source of inspiration. The theme will be 'The Architecture of Death'!!

On Saturday I did my first test cuts on A4 sheets of lino divided up into squares. I systematically used different gouges and recorded the effects. I then did another A4 sheet divided up into squares and experimented in creating different textures, again recorded systematically in my note book.

I inked both of these up and printed from them and then took another print with the residual ink. I then took the first block and printed from it in one colour and then overprinted the second block in another colour.

I was surprised at the variety of effects I could get with the different sizes and shapes of gouge, some were smooth and curved and some were ragged edged. The difference inspired me to experiment with the next block of textures mentioned above.

If there's one thing I've learned so far it's that printing has a special dimension, which is the unpredictable effects you get from experimenting with techniques and processes.

Whilst a commercial printer might want to eradicate this unpredictability to achieve a perfect replication, as an artist I want to embrace the unpredicatability and use it to my advantage.

I am particularly drawn to textural effects using colour combinations. However I know that I need to complete the stages of the course so I need to produce some clear printed images first but it will enhance my portfolio if I then do additional work exploring the textural opportunities that present themselves.