Sketchbook: Module 1: Chapter 7

It's possible that I haven't done anything print related since I was at school. I can't remember particularly enjoying the activity then, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed doing this chapter and I hope there is scope for doing some more (and more) complex printing in later modules. Of the chapter I really got the most out of the first and second activities. I enjoyed the third but found the possibilities limited by the concrete shapes of the fruit I'd chosen in Chapter 5(?) ***Looking back now though in the editing stage I did enjoy the final activity especially mixing the acrylics***

I used acrylic paints throughout except on the new colourwash pages I made for the final section of this chapter. It was delicious to get back to acrylics.

Listening to Radio 4 while typing this up.....

7.1: Making prints from a piece of fruit.

I also used an apple for this exercise using the exercise to play with colour as well as pattern. I made a few notes to start with

I started by choosing a blue violet and moved two colours around the wheel - blue green. Although these colours had worked well side by side they didn't really work one on top of the other.

However I was determined to work these colours a little more. I added an irridescent medium to the blue green, which I liked

I then added buff titanium to the blue green and used this as a base, which I also liked

I made a greener shade and added this to the surface of the blue violet, this was a stronger contrast. I love the blue violet

Then I moved onto other colours. Red to orange - yum

I picked out a few of the sheets I had made in the colour wash chapter

I then tried out colours in a simple grid pattern

Listening to the Archers

I started to use up the paints

I had some calico to hand. I really enjoyed using the acrylics on fabric

The Archers were as interesting as usual

7.2 Potato Prints

There were so many possibilities for potato prints, simple shapes and more complex. In general I found the simple shapes the most rewarding

I went for a roughly double 'm' shape to start with:

it had a tendency to disintegrate but got me through the exercise. I made some great pages with this shape but also some that were rather dismal.

I combined this 'm' shape with a cross

Then moved on to other possibilities

Repeating square pattern

The potato prints really lend themselves well to colour printing and definitely bear visiting again, maybe use swedes for a bigger pattern

7.3 Repeating patterns using a card printing block

As I said before I found this the most limiting activity in the chapter but the process of making the printing block was really useful and I'll certainly think about using the process to print on fabric

I went back to the sketchbook for chapter 5:

then made a print block

This was actually a rather large print block but I made a few prints with it.

I really enjoyed painting the blocks as I had no idea how they would turn out once printed and enjoyed a return to grey for the first time since chapter 4 (?)

I made a couple more printing blocks:

These were about half the size of the first one and allowed me to have a try at making some interesting patterns, working in layers etc. I didn't feel I managed as much with these shapes as I did with the more simple potato shapes.