Project #4:
Lost hopes and dreams
Dry Point
Dry Point
Exhibition Text:
This piece was a block print that explored the theme of lost youth and dreams. I wanted to explore this concept because I wanted to have youth as an overarching theme. While driving down a road, I saw balloons that read "Happy Birthday" in a trash can. For some odd reason, when I saw this, I thought that it would be a wonderful metaphor for youth and lost dreams.
Meaning:
The meaning behind this piece was very simple to understand. I wanted to convey lost youth and dreams. What better a way then through balloons, which are popular items/decorations at a child's party? I thought that a garbage can would be a conventional way to show that the youth was wasted or possibly thrown away.
Artist Inspiration:
The artist I chose to emulate is Bill Watterson, who is a popular cartoonist. Watterson is most popular for his series Calvin and Hobbes. He is also known for his negative views on licencing, as demonstrated in the above comic on the right. He wanted to elevate the comic-strip business to make it an accepted art form. Watterson spent most of his childhood alone, drawing and cartooning. He was heavily influenced by other famous comic strips such as Pogo and Peanuts. The two pieces I focused on for my artist inspiration was The Contract and Licensing. I didn't focus on the meaning of either strip for my piece, but more on the aesthetic qualities. I wanted to use to cartoon aesthetic for my piece because I think cartoons are really heavily tied to childhood and youth. I liked that his work was in black and white and ink, which reflects my artwork.
Journaling, Planning, and Process:
Experimentation:
At first, the print did not possess enough ink. The piece has large spots that weren't covered with ink, leaving the image warped. This was due to me not applying enough ink. The second print was slightly better but still did not possess as much ink as it could have. There were still spots that had no ink on them. Lastly, this print was the best but it still wasn't good enough to be my final. The ink was still missing in certain spots, though those spots were now small. The main problems were that there wasn't enough ink applied.
Actual Tools/Process:
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Step #1: Carve the desired image out using the carving tool, which looks like a short knife except triangular-shaped.
Step #2: Once it is all carved out, you place a piece of paper in water and let it soak for 5-8 minutes. After the paper soaks, place it on a towel and dry it. Step #3: Spread a thin layer of ink onto the plate Step #4: Force ink into the scratches you made onto the plate Step #5: You wipe the ink off of the plate gently with newsprint. You want to place ink into the crevices but not take any out. Step #6: After that is completed, place the plate on the press in newsprint folder. Step #7: Place the moist paper that was soaked in water on top of the plate. Place the E-Z cut on top. Step #8: Roll in the press once, back and forth. Step #9: The print is now finished. |
Comparison:
My piece was very similar to my artist inspiration, Bill Watterson. I think a main concept that are obviously similar is that both of ours are in a "Sunday-comic" aesthetic and black and white. Both of our pieces are in black and white, really supporting the comic art style. Another similarity was that we both uses thin lines to make our characters. I used thin lines mainly because my piece is a dry point, but I thought this added a really nice look aesthetically. I think that the connection between our pieces is obvious. Some differences are that my piece is a print while his is not. I also don't have solid black parts like he does everywhere. My piece also doesn't have a political message like his do. My piece is about youth while his is about licencing and other politic-related subjects. I think the main difference was the message we tried to convey.
Reflection:
I believe, overall, that my piece was a success. I admit that this piece wasn't that hard to create or draw, but the message is something that I like to create artwork about. I liked that there was a possibility to add other meanings to my piece due to it's simplicity. My piece was just balloons in a trash can. It can't get any simpler. I think that one of the main problems I stumbled upon was actually printing the piece or getting a apt physical copy. I had to go through many trials in order to get the end piece. The end piece was either too inky or not inky enough. Another problem i had was keeping the lines clean and neat. The tool that I used was very sharp and any sudden movement I made could effect the piece. I didn't want any random lines in my piece anywhere. A success was the end piece, which I think looks nice. It's neat and clean and the ink actually worked after a few experimental pieces. Overall, the piece was a success for me.
ACT Questions:
1) Due to Watterson using thin, black lines, I used thin, black lines in my piece.
2) My artist inspiration did not focus on my message(youth), but he was involved in political messages and issues, which is similar to my meaning.
3) Youth is frequently taken for granted even though it can be lost. Youth is thrown away by people, which is what I wanted to demonstrate in my piece.
4) My central theme was youth and the loss of it.
5) I came to the conclusion that youth should be held higher in life and should be valued.
2) My artist inspiration did not focus on my message(youth), but he was involved in political messages and issues, which is similar to my meaning.
3) Youth is frequently taken for granted even though it can be lost. Youth is thrown away by people, which is what I wanted to demonstrate in my piece.
4) My central theme was youth and the loss of it.
5) I came to the conclusion that youth should be held higher in life and should be valued.
Work Cited:
Bill Watterson's RAREST!, www.platypuscomix.net/otherpeople/watterson.html.
martincoull, •. “Bill Watterson: Creative Genius and Absolute Inspiration.” Elements of Daftest, 4 May 2014, scotdaftestdesign.wordpress.com/2014/03/23/bill-watterson-creative-genius-and-absolute-inspiration/.
martincoull, •. “Bill Watterson: Creative Genius and Absolute Inspiration.” Elements of Daftest, 4 May 2014, scotdaftestdesign.wordpress.com/2014/03/23/bill-watterson-creative-genius-and-absolute-inspiration/.