Dissertation Chapter 4

Instead of attempting to write chapter 4 right away, I came up with a load of bullet points that I could then expand on later. Doing this was really helpful when it came to editing it at a later date and will help me as I finalise the dissertation for 4/1. This has highlighted the importance of planning ahead, and also getting ideas down as and when I think of them.

Chapter 4: Reflecting on own practice

• Idea that images have historical connotations that are not always known or understood
• Torture / punishment
• Synthesis: Historical research into the witch hunts, the Inquisition, the control or society / repression of people through drastic measures. Witches were tortured horrendously until they were forced to confess for crimes that they couldn’t possibly have committed. But during this era the attitude toward punishment was completely different to today. Public displays of punishment to send messages. Just being seen tied to a pillary/in a scolds bridal/shame mask/in the stocks etc was humiliating. Became the subject of further ridicule, punishment, victimisation, torture, torment. 
• The tools were were symbols. Practical work: Turn these symbols of horror into beautiful, crafted images. Reflects the idea that something can look beautiful but be horrendous.
• Project rationale: research methods. Primary research through printmaking
• Deepened my knowledge: Learning about contextual research behind projects - importance of understanding, not just drawing image or symbols without knowing what they mean / represent
• Relates to CH2 & CH3: Public displays of punishment serving a function - to deter others / acting as a warning / to show the model way to live / reenforcing ideas of right & wrong

Chair of Torture

I was really excited to cut this image, although a bit nervous that I'd have to redo it a load of times like the thumbscrews. I was looking forward to trying to capture all of the textures. For this, I used a photograph that I'd taken myself while visiting the Kriminalmuseum in Rothenburg.

I thought that I'd captured the form of the Pear of Anguish pretty well, and by using shadows communicated the three dimensionality successfully. I wanted to do this again with this cut.

I was concerned for a while about how to describe the spikes as well as the shadows etc. But for the shadow of the band that goes across the chest, for example, I just left the area blank, and only cut anything around that.

I also experimented with a method of cutting to describe the texture of wood. By carving waving lines and leaving areas of lino to suggest texture and shadow, this worked successfully.

Pear of Anguish

I took a break from reattempting the thumbscrews, as I'm still not happy with it.
I had really struggled with the angles and straight lines, so wanted to do something smoother and more flowing. I felt that this would be a welcome break and would possibly be a little bit more forgiving.

I found some existing images to use as reference, but wanted to add a higher level of detail to the image so I researched some patterns that I saw as being relevant.

This cut was far more successful and I never had to recut it. It went much better because I really took my time, and any slight errors were easier to rectify, although I didn't really make many. I think that carving the smoother cuts and more fluid line work came more naturally than the sharp line work of the previous cuts.

Xmas break stresses

Over the xmas break I started considering the following, and worrying a bit about the outcomes for this module:

My linocut has developed a lot throughout this project and improved so much since my proposal and ideas for the final outcomes that I feel like my outcomes aren't as good as the level they should be now. I've tried to incorporate the new skills I've been developing on into the final designs, but I've really been struggling. What I've developed on is my detail and mark making as well as composition, but the final pieces for this project are floating images with restrictions certain kinds of restrictions on the marks that I feel I can make. Because they are existing objects, I've been struggling because I can't create more detail than there actually is.
In a way I'm really pleased with the developments I feel I've made as they boosted my confidence. But then my confidence was knocked as I tried to create all my final outcomes at the level that I've been wanting them to be.

A couple days after writing this though, and reflecting on it, I figure:

I'm being too much of a stress head. Of course I can create some interesting, detailed floating illustrations. I just need to get my head out of my ass and stop thinking 'I can do more' because if anything, it's more successful for me to be able to cut beautiful, detailed single objects than to rely on a background or surrounding details.

I can do this and I will do. I've just got to push through the crappy work to get to the good stuff.

Thumbscrews

After the struggles with cutting the garrotte, I moved on to the thumbscrews instead. I was feeling more positive after the whole Krampus thing, but this ended up almost driving me insane! I drew it and redesigned and redrew and threw away the sketches then redrew it again.. all in all I think it was redrawn about 7 times.

I recut it 3 times too.. but am still unhappy with the outcome. Really unhappy actually, the more I look at it the more I despise everything about it.

Problems

I had real issues trying to create sharp angles, and clean, straight lines.

I switched to using a new U blade for some details, and found that it kept undercutting sections too much and making it hard to get really crisp edges. I was testing it out because I hadn't used it before but realised that the V tools are the best for the really sharp corners.

Some of my tools are getting blunt and need sharpening (getting a sharpening stone thing for xmas) so they're dragging slightly.

Solutions

Keep going? Redraw again? Probably best to move on to another design

Test different blades on spare lino. I don't know why I tried to use it straight up on the real thing.

Sharpen dull blades!!

Work on getting more control for straight lines using other hand pressing against the top of cutter blade

Use a craft knife on some edges and corners

Cut alongside a metal ruler for longer straight lines

I found this really frustrating because after my little epiphany the other day, I couldn't get this to work agian.

BUT the shapes aren't flowing / natural and it has way more clean angles. If I draw a curve a little wrong, I can work with it, but if I bugger up straight lines and make angles wonky etc it sticks out like a sore thumb.

It sounds blatant but it's taken me a while to realise that 99% of the time, when the cut isn't working it's because the design isn't good enough. So I need to redesign this and revisit it, but for now I'm going to stop looking at it before I hurl all the drawings out of the window.

Using the print room

Following my stresses with the garrotte cut, I took a break from CoP and linocut something for myself.
I think I wanted to prove to myself that I could still do something good!
So I sketched and cut a Krampus print in the spirit of christmas..
This might seem irrelevant to talk about in regards to CoP.. but it made me realise a lot.

I didn't have any pressure when I was cutting this. I just did it because I wanted to.
I didn't overthink it or plan it out too hard. I just drew until I was happy with the sketch and then started cutting.
I spent a good four hours or so doing it, and I was absolutely stoked with the outcome.

Another point is that I used my keyholder privileges and spent the day in the print room, using the press. I couldn't believe the difference.
I've always worked from home really, having bought some high quality blades and inks.. but using the print room facilities escalated the professionalism and quality of finish on the prints to a new level for my work. Using the oil based inks instead of my water based ink, and the press gave me much higher quality prints, cleaner lines and more even pressure. Plus the oil based ink stays wet for longer and goes further.
I came out with stronger, bolder prints.
I loved it too, the whole process was really good fun. I learnt a bunch about how to vary the pressure by swapping out the padding etc to get different quality of prints..

I feel like an idiot that it's taken me this long to realise how good the facilities are here and how much using them benefits my work.

I've been limiting my work quality by printing by hand at home
not making the most of the facilities when i really really should because I wont have them anymore after these next 5 or 6 months.

What this taught me about my work this module:

- I've been putting way too much pressure on myself to make something absolutely amazing. I'm not just getting on with it. Being less stressed out and pressured will result in better quality outcomes because I'll be enjoying the process.

- Using the print room will give me miiiiiles higher quality prints, as well as access to more coloured inks, and the benefit of having people around me that I can talk to / work with / share ideas with etc.

- I CAN do good linos still! I haven't lost it, I've just been too critical and too stressed out.

- The Holbein exercise has been the best thing I've done in the past year of linocut. It's definitely had an impact on the way that I cut now, the marks that I make, what I choose to leave blank / white / solid.

Lino Cutting finals - Garrotte

I started the cuts for the final outcomes with the Garrotte.

Immediately I struggled. I'd been trying to work on developing my cutting skills and the level of detail in my prints, and then was faced with making a single object, with not much variation in texture, seem detailed and interesting.

Going from the idea of floating images, to wanting to avoid floating images, to figuring out a setting / background, to going back to floating images again had me feeling a bit lost.

I attempted this cut twice before I figured it really wasn't working. The line work wasn't clean, the mark making wasn't relevant, and overall it looked boring as hell.

I realised that I was overcomplicating it. Instead of just cutting the object, I was trying to figure out ways of making it more 'interesting' and wasn't actually considering the textures that I could work with.

I decided to take a break from it and move on to something different.

I'm started to worry that the final outcomes aren't going to be the brilliant cuts I've been thinking they could be....

Tutorial 5 - 6/12

Written:

- Get CH4 & Conclusion finished 

- Cut word count down by about 1000

- See essay feedback & edit accordingly

Practical:

- Why backgrounds? Putting the torture tools in their context takes away from the essence of the practical outcome...

I didn't really think about this before because I got so caught up trying to design compositions that would allow me to be really detailed, and that would incorporate loads of different elements. I was hoping this would emulate the style of the Holbein cut, creating depth and using different mark making techniques to describe varying textures..

I was worried about not developing my compositional skills, and having work that always appears as floating images or vignettes. 

After discussing this in the tutorial, I realised that the whole point of the images is that the focus is on the objects themselves. They are supposed to appear interesting, intriguing and beautiful. If they're presented on a table in a dungeon, it takes away from this. People will see the dungeon first, and then consider the object in its normal context. The point was to take the object out of context and present it as a well-crafted illustration. 

In future, I will create illustrations that incorporate more elements. But for this project it isn't the best or most relevant outcome.

- Get lino cuts started & finished for before xmas, for printing after xmas break

Roughs and Compositions

I've been thumbnailing the final image ideas to make sure that I'm thinking about the composition, depth and value of the images. I want the torture tools to be the main focal point but I want them to be in a setting. Through this, I want to demonstrate an understanding of the lino cutting process and mark making methods.

I roughed up six different ideas for each and circled the best ones or the ones that I feel have the most potential. I want them to work together as a cohesive series, but obviously don't want their layouts to be too similar. So in some cases as with the smaller tools that will be in a dungeon setting, I've tried to come up with variations on the composition to make sure the images aren't repetitive.

Garrote - Scaffold setting / public courtyard / surroundings being buildings. Sky/clouds

Gibbet - Landscape - Sky/clouds and land / hills

Thumbscrews - Table top in dungeon, Stone wall bg, barred window and chains on wall

Judas Chair - Dungeon corner, stone walls, archway shapes, dark shading looking dingy - other tools hanging on wall?

Pear of Anguish - May look similar to thumbscrews. More table surface on composition, (less height) more tools on wall, neck torture & other mutilation / flogging tools and equipment.

Scold's Bridle - Resting on step / w placard. Texture of ground, dirt / weeds, wooden step / platform and stone wall.

I'm looking forward to refining these sketches for lino cut. I think I can apply what I've learnt from the Holbein cut and translate it into my own illustrations.

Backgrounds

When coming up with the compositional sketches and roughs, I realised I needed a bit more research into what setting to put the torture tools in. Like I've said, I don't want to just create floating images, because this is something I do a lot.

I've looked at Holbein again because that aesthetic is what I want to try to emulate. His compositions are all really well thought out and well balanced, so this is what I want to achieve with mine.

It was hard work but I really enjoyed recreating his woodcut and am hoping I can incorporate what I've picked up from that process into my own cuts.

Backgrounds:

Holbein Cut

In order to help me to understand better the aesthetic that I want to replicate, I decided to try to recreate a woodcut by Hans Holbein.

I'm hoping that this process of redrawing and cutting will help me to learn about the use of line and mark making better.

I printed it at about A5 - just smaller - and traced it out on a lightbox. Already I could see the intense detail and fine lines could potentially be a struggle when I cut it. The fact that I'd printed it relatively small was so that I didn't spend far too long making a big cut, but I could get used to the aesthetic. However, this could prove to be a bit of a mistake in regards to me trying to get the detail in.

The point though is to understand the lines and marks better, consider the way that they're used to shade and suggest texture...

I'm hoping that the small scale will also help me to practice getting some really tight details too. I'm wanting my final outcomes to be really neat and fine, so although it could be a downside in some respects, printing and cutting it on such a small scale could prove beneficial.

Technical stuff I'm learning about cutting:

- Contour lines can be used fairly sparingly in order to suggest a shape or form

- When cutting the fine lines, to avoid a 'wedge' kind of shape, I have to cut once one way, then carve back into it, either on one side or from the opposite direction. This sharpens it off to more of a tapered point instead of a dull block.

- Always cut the inside of tiny details before the outline

- Take breaks ! Having neck pain and crippled hands is no fun.

- The plates always take longer to cut than I think they will - So I need to factor this in when I'm doing my finals

- Move the block as I cut in order to get smooth lines and curves

- Drawing the stencil in pencil makes it easy to transfer onto the lino, but it also smudges and rubs off really easily - do I need to go over it in marker to stop it from losing the details? Even when I cut from top to bottom or the other way, it's hard not to lean on the rest of the plate - Doing curves or something where I'm moving the plate around means I end up smudging the rest of the drawing.

I've mentioned some of these and other things I've come across in the following issuu doc:

All in all this plate took me about 10 hours to cut. 4 hours on Friday, and around 5 - 6 hours on Saturday.

I love that I spent ages trying to get all the details accurate and the one thing that I messed up was the frame! The straight lines. So clearly this is something I need to work on. I'll guide the cutting tool along a metal ruler on my final prints.

It's made me realise that I definitely have the ability to cut the kind of refined prints that I'm after. It's down to my drawing and image making skills to come up with interesting, developed compositions, and accurate shading etc.

I feel happier now though about my final outcomes and what I could possibly achieve.

Illuminated Letters

I've mentioned that I want to include a preface style text or explanatory text to accompany the prints, and that I want it to feature an Illuminated Letter.

There's a range of different styles / images

I've referenced Hans Holbein a couple of times before, but he also created a Dance of Death alphabet:

The simplicity of the single colour prints makes them really striking on the page. 

The main priority at this time is to get the illustrations cut, but I definitely think that the accompanying text will be important to the final outcome, and that the use of an illuminated letter will tie the textual element and the illustrations together.

Lino test

I wanted to test out an example of the rough line work surrounding an image, and actually linocut it. I drew a pair of 'denailing' pliers, mmmmm....This ones a little messy - the lines should be more structured next time I reckon. But it gives the impression of the aesthetic I'm exploring. 

I tried to capture lighting hitting the top of the tool as well, using really fine lines. I cut the kind of shape below:

Then worked back into it to try to create a smoother finish: 

For next tests:

Background: Finer, neater, straighter lines