Assignment 4 - project 1 Portrait of a friend

Assignment 4 is all about portraits. The first project called for a portrait of a friend or relative.  I have drawn and painted Michael a few times, he is happy to sit for me, so didn't anticipate a lot of problems with the sketching preparation.  However, when I finished a couple of sketches I realised that I wasn't happy with them because they didn't represent his character or interests. He also looked quite severe and very serious without his glasses.

I decided to map some ideas in my sketchbook - his hobbies, what he wears etc.  Photography, writing,wine, maps,walking and his hat were all on the list.  I started to look at photos of him as inspiration.  Usually he is behind the camera so the choice was very limited.  I had taken a picture of Michael kneeling to take a photograph. It is a dynamic pose which I think illustrates his energy, he is wearing his hat - even though indoors - to shade the camera and his eyes from the light - anyone who knows Michael will always think of him in his hat, he is taking a photograph - so typical - he is never without one of his four cameras - and his concentration on what he is doing is absolute - again typical. This says everything about Michael - and is very recognisable to anyone who knows him - I have decided to use this as the image to start the project.

The next photo my son took and shows him smiling broadly directly at the camera again wearing the beloved hat - a very obvious choice.  I wanted to include the idea of maps and walking in the design so played around with the photos, pieces of map etc in my sketchbook.  I finally decided on a dry point portrait, a two plate lino cut, chine colle of the map and some bootprints walking over the print. This might not be a conventional portrait but it does show his interests and character.

I found an old OS map that we didn't want anymore and used that as chine colle with the dry -point, the printed the lino cut and finally the bootprints which were cut from individual rubbers and stamped on.  I wanted an uneven effect like a boot print of a muddy boot.

I would have liked to have included a reference to his interest and great knowledge of wines and his work as an author but didn't feel that they could be fitted with the rest of the images I had chosen.

The first proof of the drypoint and map was ok but I was concerned that the map was too large.  I next printed the two-plate lino cut and added the boot prints by cutting two small stamps from rubbers. 

I found that I had to adjust the lino cut and also cleaned more of the plate. I used Japanese vinyl for the matrix. This is a product I haven't used before but which was recommended to me for ease of cutting and the fact that it is economical because both sides can be used. I found it very easy to cut, but, perhaps because I do tend to cut deeply, I found that using both sides was not totally successful as the second plate was mostly cut away and therefore when printing the plate was evenly supported across its whole surface and this impacted both the inking and the printing process which in this case was hand burnished.

Reflections

• some of the prints where printed on Japanese Simili paper and others on thicker Fabriano Rosbina.  The thinner Simili made better lino cuts but the Fabriano was better for dry point.  I need to experiment with more papers to find the optimum for both techniques for the future.
• the map paper was too thick for chine colle and was difficult to lay completely flat - it would have been easier and made a better balance on the final print if the map had been smaller.
• I didn't spend enough time proofing the two plate lino cuts - I had to make further adjustments into the printing which meant that some prints were already spoiled
• I had taken time to set up an accurate registration system but didn't take enough time making sure the plate was properly placed - hence only one or two properly registered prints.
• the embossed edge of the dry point and the edge of the map paper interfered with the lino cut - creating white spaces in the print. The print might have been improved in the dry point had been printed after the lino cut.
• I am disappointed with the simple technical errors I keep making - uneven inking, registration and too little time taken in proofing.  Most of these are caused, I feel, by time restraints.  The prints I make for myself or in workshops show none of these errors, but because of lack of confidence, I delay the actual printmaking for the assignments to the extent that I am always rushed and make silly mistakes.

I realise that I stop working on my prints at too early a stage. I settle on a design and when I am disappointed at the print, I don't review and critical access it and try to identify what I can do to improve it.

In the light of this insight, I decided to review the print even though this would delay submitting the assignment. I do think the print represents Michael - his interests and personality - but decided that the design of the elements could have been improved with a different placing, with a smaller piece of map.  I cut out the elements from a print and rearranged them. I feel this balances better and also, it would mean that the lino cut was printed on flat paper, making the ink lie flatter.  This new design does have plenty of blank paper so there is plenty of space to include representations of Michael's other interests but I don't have the time to explore them with this print.

These prints are more successful

• the registration is better - I took longer over setting it up
• the inking is better - although the Fabriano Rospina printed the lino cut much lighter than the Simili - I presume because on the Simili, the ink is sitting on the top of the paper rather than being absorbed
• I think the final print is better balanced as a design

future development

• add one of Michael's photographic images from a walk - by gum arabic or emulsion transfer.
• try different colours for the lino cut - picking out of the colours from the map