Technical Qualities
This project was one of my favorites, because all though it was time-consuming, the end result was really worth it. To create this piece, I used a 6 x 12 inch piece of linoleum, carving tools, and printing ink. I used a piece of black paper, so first I carved out the parts I wanted to be black and then used the white ink to print the design onto the paper. I repeated this step of carving, inking, and printing with all four colors of ink until I had the image I wanted. This project took a little over two weeks in total to complete the research, sketches, carving, and printing. At some times, I faced challenges when the ink appeared in places I didn't plan for it to be or I wouldn't align the linoleum perfectly. I found this really frustrating at first and honestly hated my prints because I thought they were ruined, but I slowly came to the conclusion that the slight misalignments and small lines of ink added to the piece, rather than taking away. I tried printmaking on a much smaller block in Art 1 and mine turned out TERRIBLE, due to lack of patience, attention to detail, and lack of artistic skill. This time, I actually love my final prints (or at least the one that came out okay) and I'm really proud of how much work I put into them and how well they turned out.
Depiction
My prints are of the Spaceneedle, an iconic tower located in Seattle, Washington. I adore Seattle, it's my favorite place I've ever been to and where I'd like to live one day, so I really wanted to incorporate the beautiful city into my artwork. Ms. Rossi told us we could choose a historical subject or an architectural subject, and I knew this was the perfect time to create something centered around Seattle. I looked at many reference photos for the Spaceneedle itself, but I used a bit of imagination for the background. On special occasions they can light the top part of the city up in different colors, but it's normally black and white. I decided to do blocks of color in the background to resemble buildings and I created a pink sky with purple clouds to add more color into it. I also put small touches of color in the tower itself. I love the way the color scheme turned out, I think blue, purple, and pink really complement the contrast of the black and white tower. I think the structured shapes and sharp lines of the prints really emphasize the sleekness and modernity of the Spaceneedle and of the city itself.
Design
When looking at my print, I think it's very interesting and aesthetically pleasing. The focal point of it is obviously the tower itself. At first glance, someone would immediately look at the tower because of the contrast of it against the background. I think the lines and shapes within the tower as well as the spots of color are really eye catching and capture the viewer's attention. The soft clouds and lighter, softer colors in the background create a really cool contrast and I think overall it is very interesting to look at.
Expressive Qualities
When I look at my piece, I feel a sense of calmness. I think the pink sky and purple clouds make it seem like it's sunrise or sunset, which are times I automatically associate with peacefulness. I feel proud of my work when I see it, and I also feel really happy because I do love Seattle so much. I think most people would immediately recognize the Spaceneedle as a major landmark of Seattle. I think its beauty and calmness will really catch people's eye and make them feel a sense of happiness or serenity. Perhaps other people have particular feelings associated with Seattle, so I think the feeling people get from the prints really depends on their relationship with and feelings toward the subject.
I am really pleased with the way my project came out and it really made me enjoy printmaking, I would love to do another project like this one. The frustration and time were so worth the final project. I enjoy looking at my piece and I hope others will experience the same kind of happiness that I do when they see it.
This project was one of my favorites, because all though it was time-consuming, the end result was really worth it. To create this piece, I used a 6 x 12 inch piece of linoleum, carving tools, and printing ink. I used a piece of black paper, so first I carved out the parts I wanted to be black and then used the white ink to print the design onto the paper. I repeated this step of carving, inking, and printing with all four colors of ink until I had the image I wanted. This project took a little over two weeks in total to complete the research, sketches, carving, and printing. At some times, I faced challenges when the ink appeared in places I didn't plan for it to be or I wouldn't align the linoleum perfectly. I found this really frustrating at first and honestly hated my prints because I thought they were ruined, but I slowly came to the conclusion that the slight misalignments and small lines of ink added to the piece, rather than taking away. I tried printmaking on a much smaller block in Art 1 and mine turned out TERRIBLE, due to lack of patience, attention to detail, and lack of artistic skill. This time, I actually love my final prints (or at least the one that came out okay) and I'm really proud of how much work I put into them and how well they turned out.
Depiction
My prints are of the Spaceneedle, an iconic tower located in Seattle, Washington. I adore Seattle, it's my favorite place I've ever been to and where I'd like to live one day, so I really wanted to incorporate the beautiful city into my artwork. Ms. Rossi told us we could choose a historical subject or an architectural subject, and I knew this was the perfect time to create something centered around Seattle. I looked at many reference photos for the Spaceneedle itself, but I used a bit of imagination for the background. On special occasions they can light the top part of the city up in different colors, but it's normally black and white. I decided to do blocks of color in the background to resemble buildings and I created a pink sky with purple clouds to add more color into it. I also put small touches of color in the tower itself. I love the way the color scheme turned out, I think blue, purple, and pink really complement the contrast of the black and white tower. I think the structured shapes and sharp lines of the prints really emphasize the sleekness and modernity of the Spaceneedle and of the city itself.
Design
When looking at my print, I think it's very interesting and aesthetically pleasing. The focal point of it is obviously the tower itself. At first glance, someone would immediately look at the tower because of the contrast of it against the background. I think the lines and shapes within the tower as well as the spots of color are really eye catching and capture the viewer's attention. The soft clouds and lighter, softer colors in the background create a really cool contrast and I think overall it is very interesting to look at.
Expressive Qualities
When I look at my piece, I feel a sense of calmness. I think the pink sky and purple clouds make it seem like it's sunrise or sunset, which are times I automatically associate with peacefulness. I feel proud of my work when I see it, and I also feel really happy because I do love Seattle so much. I think most people would immediately recognize the Spaceneedle as a major landmark of Seattle. I think its beauty and calmness will really catch people's eye and make them feel a sense of happiness or serenity. Perhaps other people have particular feelings associated with Seattle, so I think the feeling people get from the prints really depends on their relationship with and feelings toward the subject.
I am really pleased with the way my project came out and it really made me enjoy printmaking, I would love to do another project like this one. The frustration and time were so worth the final project. I enjoy looking at my piece and I hope others will experience the same kind of happiness that I do when they see it.
Photo Descriptions:
I have included photos of my initial sketches, reference photos, in-progress shots, and the final picture is my final project.
I have included photos of my initial sketches, reference photos, in-progress shots, and the final picture is my final project.