Dry Point
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Planning
Inspiration
This symbol is a Tabono. It symbolizes a unity of purpose, strength, confidence, and hard work to reach a destination or goal. I like the message that although women have faced centuries of oppression and inequality, they've always had these qualities in them even if they're not expressed. And now, these qualities can shine more than ever. It also symbolizes perseverance, which is something that is needed to fight these stereotypes and be true to oneself.
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Planning Sketches
My first sketch was practice for the Art Nouveau style. It's very stylized and aesthetic, aspects of my own art I want to work on. At this point, I had no tangible ideas for my piece. I was hoping that I would get ideas for things to incorporate into my own piece as I worked. It was also good practice for the flowers,since I wanted to incorporate them into my dry point. |
My second sketch is of a girl looking out of a window. Just like "The Children," she is surrounded by the borders of the window that seem to trap her. There is a wolf outside that symbolized independence, strength, and bravery. Her facial expression is worried, and she's looking out at something far away from her. The flowers that seem to be coming out of the girl show her internal beauty coming out. I moved on because I felt there wasn't anything special about this sketch and it wasn't meaningful enough. |
My third sketch is the one i decided to go with as my final product. I tried to include as many elements from my inspiration pieces as possible. The borders around her are an aspect I took from. I wanted the piece to feel claustrophobic, even if she's surrounded by beautiful things. Art Nouveau is concerned with curves, movement, and pushing the boundary between fine arts and decorative art. Since one of the themes I wanted to convey is women feeling trapped in expectations, I thought that I could use the purpose of the Art Nouveau movement to my advantage. It's a movement concerned with beauty, which is something that is pushed on many women even now. I think that having elements of Art Nouveau surrounding her head, and therefore her mind, is fitting for the themes I want to express. The wrapping around her eyes and mouth symbolize how women's voices and perception have been taken from them throughout history. It's only in the last 100 years that women in America have even gained the right to vote! The cross-like symbol above the woman's head is the tabono. It means "oar" or "paddle" in the Adinkra language of Western Africa. It symbolizes strength, confidence, and hard work to reach a destination or goal. I wanted to include it as a piece of hope. It contrasts well with some of the more negative feelings in my piece. I don't think that reflecting on women's struggles in the past have to be a somber affair. They can be inspiring if we look at how far we have come and what we can do to go even farther. Despite these things, she sits tall and appears confident.
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Process
The first step was placing the plastic panel over my sketch. I put tape over the corners so I could carve without the panel moving too much and messing up my lines. Using the tool, I started carving at the top and moved downwards. I carved thin lines first, then went back and made the necessary lines thicker. I tried to carve in the same direction so it looks nicer and there's a sense of movement.
The next step was the printing process. Before I started with the ink, I put watercolor paper to soak in water for 4-8 minutes. It made the paper more absorbent. I noticed that when I let the paper soak for a longer period of time, there was less ink left on the plastic panel after pressing. While the paper was soaking, I applied some oil-based ink onto the plastic panel with a palette knife. With a plastic ink spatula, I spread the ink over the entire surface of the panel. I used scraps of newsprint to remove ink from the smooth sections and press the ink deeper into the grooves.
The final step was to transfer the ink onto paper. I dried the watercolor papers by patting it with a towel. Next, I placed a new sheet of newsprint, my panel, and then the watercolor paper on top of each other on the roller. I rolled everything through once and then set the paper up to dry on the rack.
The next step was the printing process. Before I started with the ink, I put watercolor paper to soak in water for 4-8 minutes. It made the paper more absorbent. I noticed that when I let the paper soak for a longer period of time, there was less ink left on the plastic panel after pressing. While the paper was soaking, I applied some oil-based ink onto the plastic panel with a palette knife. With a plastic ink spatula, I spread the ink over the entire surface of the panel. I used scraps of newsprint to remove ink from the smooth sections and press the ink deeper into the grooves.
The final step was to transfer the ink onto paper. I dried the watercolor papers by patting it with a towel. Next, I placed a new sheet of newsprint, my panel, and then the watercolor paper on top of each other on the roller. I rolled everything through once and then set the paper up to dry on the rack.
Experimentation
My experimentation process for this piece consisted of using different colors of watercolor paint. I had no particular idea about which color I wanted to use, but after using pink and purple I decided I wanted a color with more meaning. Red is a passionate color, and I wanted it surrounding the woman to represent her feelings coming out. Another part of my experimentation process was the amount of ink I left on the plastic panel while printing. Leaving more ink left the product dirtier looking. I decided that I didn't really enjoy the dirtier look, so I made my final product one of the clearer options.
Reflection
Critique
I like how my final product turned out, but looking back there are aspects I wish I had done differently. For one, the composition of the piece is something I wish I had changed a bit. Instead of the woman sitting in a chair, perhaps I should have made her laying in a bed or standing. It would have given more open space, which I think would have looked nicer. Another component I wish I had changed was linking my piece closer to Charles White's and making the borders more window-like. Almost like the window was a portal to another world. Other than these small changes, I'm satisfied with this piece. My inspirations clearly link with my final product and I like how it looks.
One new thing I learned from this project was the slew of African American artists that worked during the Civil Rights movement. Along with Charles White, I learned about such artists as Norman Rockwell and Jacob Lawrence. They all made their art with the issues at the time in mind and used their work as a way to speak up against discrimination and injustice. I really respect their fearlessness and bravery. I feel like this has broadened my knowledge on an era of artists and I can better understand the feelings of people living at the time. For my future projects, I want to continue learning about what inspires art and the intentions it is created with.
One new thing I learned from this project was the slew of African American artists that worked during the Civil Rights movement. Along with Charles White, I learned about such artists as Norman Rockwell and Jacob Lawrence. They all made their art with the issues at the time in mind and used their work as a way to speak up against discrimination and injustice. I really respect their fearlessness and bravery. I feel like this has broadened my knowledge on an era of artists and I can better understand the feelings of people living at the time. For my future projects, I want to continue learning about what inspires art and the intentions it is created with.
Compare and ContrastSimilarities:
Differences:
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ACT Responses
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork.
"F Champenois" is highly stylized and contains flowing lines, flowers, and curves- aspects that are all present in my piece. An aspect of "The Children" that can be seen in my dry point is the borders around the subject(s) to induce feelings of claustrophobia and entrapment.
What is the overall approach (POV) the author (from research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author's perspective on Charles White is neutral, with a bit of passion. The author's perspective on Alphonse Mucha is mostly factual and a little awestruck by the beauty and detail of the piece. The purpose of both authors was to inform readers while also praising the artists.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Art can be a powerful tool in fighting for equality, such as Charles White using his art as a form of social commentary on the discrimination of African Americans in pre-civil rights days. It speaks to people in ways writing can't.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The use of lines and composition when trying to emphasize emotion and the internal thoughts on a subject or group of people who feel oppressed or put down.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I inferred that art on the subject of Civil Rights often uses symbolism and focuses on feelings rather than explicitly stating the problem. This gives a human side to the feelings African Americans felt and helps people sympathize.
"F Champenois" is highly stylized and contains flowing lines, flowers, and curves- aspects that are all present in my piece. An aspect of "The Children" that can be seen in my dry point is the borders around the subject(s) to induce feelings of claustrophobia and entrapment.
What is the overall approach (POV) the author (from research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author's perspective on Charles White is neutral, with a bit of passion. The author's perspective on Alphonse Mucha is mostly factual and a little awestruck by the beauty and detail of the piece. The purpose of both authors was to inform readers while also praising the artists.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Art can be a powerful tool in fighting for equality, such as Charles White using his art as a form of social commentary on the discrimination of African Americans in pre-civil rights days. It speaks to people in ways writing can't.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The use of lines and composition when trying to emphasize emotion and the internal thoughts on a subject or group of people who feel oppressed or put down.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I inferred that art on the subject of Civil Rights often uses symbolism and focuses on feelings rather than explicitly stating the problem. This gives a human side to the feelings African Americans felt and helps people sympathize.
Bibliography
“F Champenois France.” F Champenois France by Alphonse Mucha,
http://www.alphonsemucha.org/f-champenois-france/.
“F. Champenois: Mucha, Alphonse.” V&A Search the Collections,
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O590845/f-champenois-poster-mucha-alphonse/.
“The Children.” Charles White, Smithsonian American Art Museum,
https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/children-77526.
http://www.alphonsemucha.org/f-champenois-france/.
“F. Champenois: Mucha, Alphonse.” V&A Search the Collections,
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O590845/f-champenois-poster-mucha-alphonse/.
“The Children.” Charles White, Smithsonian American Art Museum,
https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/children-77526.