11/4/2013

Beginning Drawing

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Introduction to Printmaking

-Solar plates can be a challenge. Ron has indicated their exposure / development has varied from semester to semester. “Printmaking in the Sun” (Dan Welden) is a useful reference text that essentially serves as an instruction manual. Even as I showed students transparencies, plates, and prints – there was great confusion about the process. The major issue seemed to be that students didn’t realize there was an exposure component AND a development component (so many questions came after the exposure discussion that students didn’t realize there was another step that visibly / physically changes the plate). Give students 2 plates to work with (a 5X7 inch plate costs $10). Group this with the relief project and give students 2 linoleum blocks to work with as well. Here are a couple thoughts on solar plates:

-Transparencies need to be much, much, much lighter in value than you would think (based on experience with any other photochemical process).

-Open biting occurs when an area on the image you wish to be black is exposed and reveals a recessed open space that won’t hold ink (and therefore prints white). Texture is required to make it print black. Therefore the “double” exposure (1) one minute for a halftone / texture directly on the plate 2) second exposure for image) is required. This is also why transparencies need to be light in value.

-In a transparency, the image area blocks light, dissolves in solvent (water), creates texture, and prints darker.

-In a transparency, the negative area receives light, hardens, remains after the solvent application, remains smooth, and holds less ink.

-There is both a “relief” exposure / development and an “intaglio” exposure / development. The intaglio method is more akin to other photo-printmaking techniques. The “relief” exposure essentially creates a negative of the transparency. The dark areas in a transparency rinse away in the developer, creating recessed areas in the plate that don’t print. The areas that remain are rolled with ink and print.

2D Foundations

-Students had mixed results painting their forms directly for the “Not Another Color Wheel” project (as opposed to painting color swatches and cutting shapes from them). The advantage is that it’s more direct. The disadvantage is the technical objectives suffer (opacity, homogenous mixtures, etc.).

General Art History

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General Art

-Showing one stitch and one book form was an effective use of time. Consider creating a presentation with a number of other book forms. I think there would have been enough time to create paste paper in class as well. Consider purchasing a class set of sewing needles and threads / ribbon.