DRY POINT
TITLE: Confidence
SIZE: 12.7 X 17.8 cm
OCTOBER 2015
EXHIBITION TEXT:
I created this piece by scratching it on a proxi-glass with scratching tools and using oil ink and a rolling press machine that help to make a copy, and by being inspired by René Magritte and my own thoughts to create the dry point piece by reflecting our identity and confidence in our own self's.
SIZE: 12.7 X 17.8 cm
OCTOBER 2015
EXHIBITION TEXT:
I created this piece by scratching it on a proxi-glass with scratching tools and using oil ink and a rolling press machine that help to make a copy, and by being inspired by René Magritte and my own thoughts to create the dry point piece by reflecting our identity and confidence in our own self's.
ARTIST INSPIRATION
For this art piece it was easier to find an inspiration, for this art work I was inspired by René Magritte. I got inspired by this Surrealist artist because of how he would develop all his work, how he would related to self identity and many times to how to we see or think of our own self's. Also how René Magritte use different colors on his painting that made them all unique and very interesting to see because most of the time your attention goes into the different parts that are not normally seeing in self portraits and those painting by being surrealistic are develop with different kinds of point of views. However most of René Magritte art work is done as how the viewer was inside his dreams his ideas and how he view himself. In addition, in most of this art work we see how he critics himself by creating different kinds of styles, shapes, colors, and keeping a dreamy way of doing many of his paintings. Other thing that got me inspired by René Magritte was the way he use his own ideas on his art work but also putting into his painting the perspective that he thinks people have from who he is and the perspective that he has from himself towards the world and his own way to identify his own self as an artist and as person.
ART WORK INSPIRATION
The Son of Man
René Magritte
Oil Painting
Surrealism
1946
I got inspired by René Magritte art piece The Son of Man because of how it relate to my dry point art piece. Also I identify many characteristics that both art works had in common as how one had an apple in the face and the other a bouquet of flowers on the face. However, both also hide their faces, both painting s hide their real identity to the world, and to their own self. Also the colors that the painting contain were very nostalgic and kind of dark, but also how was a self portrait from a person perspective on their own identity.
CULTURE INSPIRATION
Cultural Identity
I was inspired by this culture because of the self perceptions that sometimes people get from their own self's. Also by how society, our own family, our friends have a unique perception of us and from that we create our own identity. How also this kind of environments make us who we are and mange to change us, but also help us to put together our self confidence from our own identity that we got my experiencing those kind of things around us. Besides the cultural identity is also affected by other kinds of factors, factors as our nationality, religion, and the people that we are normally with. Most of this things are part of who we are as people and this kinds of factors are the ones that makes us be confident of our own identity and the increase our self confidence, but also to begin to trust our own self's more. Many of this things got me inspired do to my final art piece the way I did it. |
PART I OF PRECESS & IDEAS
MATERIALS
The materials that I use to develop my Dry Point were:
- Plastic Blue Box: I used that material to be able to get wet the papers that I was going to use to develop my print. On the blue box I put water, and in the water I would place the papers that I would use to get my ink on them.
- Oil Ink: The ink first on took I little bit from the container that comes in with a spatula and then I would take the ink that now is in the spatula and put it on the plexi-glass that I scratch the sketch that I made before in my sketchbook.
- Paper: The paper that I use to make up the copies was a hard and thick and because of it I put it on water to make sure all of those layers that were in the paper got off of it and I could use a thin layer of paper to elaborate the copies that I was going to use by use in oil ink on the plexi-glass.
- Spatula: The spatula I used to spread up all the oil ink that I got from the container and then I spread it all over the plexi-glass to develop a thin but not that thick layer of oil ink over and to make sure I would have a good copy later when I got it done and dry up.
- Latex gloves: I use the gloves to make sure I didn't get any of the oil ink in my hands because it would be hard to get it off of them. Also I used them because when it was the time to get the paper out of the blue box containing water and I need it to have my hands clean to make sure I didn't get it over the paper and would have black spots and would ruin the copies that I would made.
- Timer: I used the timer to measure the time that the paper should be in the water. The papers needed to be in the water for almost 8 minutes and then I needed to put it out because then the paper would be to wet to make the copies on it.
- News Paper: I used the news paper to clean up the excess of oil ink on the plexi-glass. But also I used for a base to develop my copies.
- Plexi-Glass: With the plexi-glass, I was able to develop the drawing that I was going to add to the the paper. By using an scratching tool, I scrape the sketch that I had in my sketchbook.
- Rolling Press Machine: It was the machine that I used to press the ink into the printing paper from the oil ink that was in the proxi-glass.
- Towels: I use the towels to put the papers that I got out of the water and dry them, but also by putting them on the towel the excess of water that the paper got from the water while it was in the plastic blue box for 8 minutes.
PROCESS PART II
1. I elaborated five different sketches that were base of my ideas that related to the topic that I was focusing on to develop my dry point.
2. The from the five different sketches I choose only one them that I thought was the one that had more connections to the topic that I was basing my dry point.
3.Then I got the proxi-glass (it had blue paper in both of the sides, so I separate the blue plastic from the transparent proxi-glass), and I put it over the sketch that I choose and put pieces of type around the proxi-glass to maintained straight and make sure it didn't move while I scratching with the scratching tool.
4. After putting the tape on the proxi-glass I check that the proxi-glass does not move and take the scratching tool and I began to scratch (on the lines that I see in the sketch and were they go) into the proxi-glass while I am seeing the sketch bellow the transparent plastic.
5.Then after I finish scratching I took off the tape that sustain steel the prozi-glass into the sketchbook and take the proxi-glass (with all the scratches of the sketch that I develop before) and I check all the lines and make sure they are all alright and that I can see them.
6.Later I put on top of a table newspaper and put over the news paper the proxi-glass with the sketch on it.
7.I take out the container with oil ink, the plastic blue box, the printing paper, a timer, a spatula, and a pair of latex gloves.
8.First I take the blue plastic blue box and pour water on it, and then I took the printing paper and put them on the water and set the timer for 8 minutes (the minutes that the paper needed it to be on the water).
9.While the paper is in the water, I put on the latex gloves and take the spatula and open the container with the oil ink and then with the spatula I take a little bit of ink and put it on the proxi-glass (with the sketch already on it).
10.Then with the spatula I take the oil ink and spread it all over the the proxi-glass covering all the lines from the sketch that I scratch on it.
11. Then I take more newspaper and rip off a little part of it, and used to clean up the proxi-glass from the excess of oil ink that has.
12. In the middle of the cleaning of the proxi-glass, (the timer have already ring), and I take out the papers from the water (on this part I took the latex gloves off to take the papers) and put them over a towel and then a towel on top to take out the excess of water from the paper by putting pressure with the towel over the paper.
13.Then I put again the gloves on and I keep cleaning up the proxi-glass with the newspaper until I see define black lines of oil ink on the proxi-glass.
14. After is all clean up I take one of the papers (I take off my latex gloves off) and also I take the proxi-glass (all clean up) and I take them into the rolling press machine to develop my copy.
15. On the rolling press machine I take and open the thick plastic that it is inside the machine and place a piece of newspaper first as a base.
16. Then I take on of the papers that were in the towels (drying up) and put it over the newspaper and I check that is straight.
17. Then on top of the paper I put the proxi-glass slowly and I make sure that is straight on top of the paper ( I put the part that has the oil ink on top of the paper)
18. The I take the thick plastic and put it over the proxi-glass, then I began rolling the handle on the right side of the machine to make sure the ink goes into the paper.
19. Then I take slowly the proxi-glass from the paper and put it over a news paper and take the paper and I put it on a drying space. ( and make sure is completely dry)
2. The from the five different sketches I choose only one them that I thought was the one that had more connections to the topic that I was basing my dry point.
3.Then I got the proxi-glass (it had blue paper in both of the sides, so I separate the blue plastic from the transparent proxi-glass), and I put it over the sketch that I choose and put pieces of type around the proxi-glass to maintained straight and make sure it didn't move while I scratching with the scratching tool.
4. After putting the tape on the proxi-glass I check that the proxi-glass does not move and take the scratching tool and I began to scratch (on the lines that I see in the sketch and were they go) into the proxi-glass while I am seeing the sketch bellow the transparent plastic.
5.Then after I finish scratching I took off the tape that sustain steel the prozi-glass into the sketchbook and take the proxi-glass (with all the scratches of the sketch that I develop before) and I check all the lines and make sure they are all alright and that I can see them.
6.Later I put on top of a table newspaper and put over the news paper the proxi-glass with the sketch on it.
7.I take out the container with oil ink, the plastic blue box, the printing paper, a timer, a spatula, and a pair of latex gloves.
8.First I take the blue plastic blue box and pour water on it, and then I took the printing paper and put them on the water and set the timer for 8 minutes (the minutes that the paper needed it to be on the water).
9.While the paper is in the water, I put on the latex gloves and take the spatula and open the container with the oil ink and then with the spatula I take a little bit of ink and put it on the proxi-glass (with the sketch already on it).
10.Then with the spatula I take the oil ink and spread it all over the the proxi-glass covering all the lines from the sketch that I scratch on it.
11. Then I take more newspaper and rip off a little part of it, and used to clean up the proxi-glass from the excess of oil ink that has.
12. In the middle of the cleaning of the proxi-glass, (the timer have already ring), and I take out the papers from the water (on this part I took the latex gloves off to take the papers) and put them over a towel and then a towel on top to take out the excess of water from the paper by putting pressure with the towel over the paper.
13.Then I put again the gloves on and I keep cleaning up the proxi-glass with the newspaper until I see define black lines of oil ink on the proxi-glass.
14. After is all clean up I take one of the papers (I take off my latex gloves off) and also I take the proxi-glass (all clean up) and I take them into the rolling press machine to develop my copy.
15. On the rolling press machine I take and open the thick plastic that it is inside the machine and place a piece of newspaper first as a base.
16. Then I take on of the papers that were in the towels (drying up) and put it over the newspaper and I check that is straight.
17. Then on top of the paper I put the proxi-glass slowly and I make sure that is straight on top of the paper ( I put the part that has the oil ink on top of the paper)
18. The I take the thick plastic and put it over the proxi-glass, then I began rolling the handle on the right side of the machine to make sure the ink goes into the paper.
19. Then I take slowly the proxi-glass from the paper and put it over a news paper and take the paper and I put it on a drying space. ( and make sure is completely dry)
FAIL COPIES - COPIES THAT DID NOT TURN OUT WELL
CHALLENGES AND ADVANTAGES
CHALLENGES:
The challenges that I went through the process of making this art piece were kind of a lot ( but they didn't stop me to get my final piece). Some of the challenges that I face were that at first it was hard to think about the ideas for sketches from the topic that I was focusing on. Other challenge was a the time to narrow my ideas and choose one of the five sketches to do and make it as my final sketch. Also the scratching part was very difficult because to make the curves or the flowers designs in the proxi-glass were really hard to create and develop with the scratching tool in the proxi-glass. The other part was cleaning up the oil ink from the proxi-glass because every time it was hard to see clear lines and not taken off too much ink from it. Also sometimes while taken off the oil ink, to see where the lines of the drawing were located on the proxi-glass were hard to see while cleaning it up. In addition, the most hard part was that I need to repeat the process of making the copies six times because they did not came out as good copies to make them my final piece of work. All of them were coming with really light places were the ink wasn't enough and other with too much ink on them that make the copies seem really bad and I could not see the detail work that I did on the proxi-glass |
ADVANTAGES:
The advantages that I face throughout the process of making my final piece for my dry point were not that many ( but they let me get to develop my final piece). One of my achievements while elaborating the dry point was that I didn't take so long to choose a topic to create the dry point and with this I could manage more easily going to the part that I needed to develop the different types of sketches for the dry point. Also that It was kind of easy to choose the things that I wanted to see in each of the sketches that I was creating base on the topic that I was thinking about. Other type of achievement that I face during the process of making the dry point was choosing the sketch that I wanted to make as my art piece to use for the dry point. The other advantages that I got from the dry point process was that I was able to finish kind of quickly the scratching process in the proxi-glass (while I was scratching the sketch into the proxi-glass). In addition, the use of the different materials to develop the copies (each time that I needed to repeat the process), I got to manage them better every time that I used them. Also using the spatula to spread the oil ink, and the oil ink were pretty easy process for me to accomplish my final piece ( the 7 trial that I did) and develop the dry point. |
REFLECTION
The different ideas that I got to develop the different ind of designs were base on the research that I made over the sketches made by the Grimm brother. Most of their drawings had a lot of detail on them, but also they had certain style that make me be interest on them. Also the comments that I got from my family and friends about my sketches were good because they give their points of view about what kinds of things I need to improve or add to create my final piece. However, the process of making the different copies to find the one, was kind of challenging (in my opinion) because sometimes the ink was too much on the proxi-glass or not that much in the proxi-glass so the copies would come up with different kinds of things that would make them bad copies and they will not work as my final one. Also after each of the trials I got to manage to work better with all the materials that I was working with and I felt better every time that I was going to do a copy because I was getting closer to get the one that I wanted to see and on the 7 trial I got it. Most of this process was challenging but at the same time really fun to do because I was able to create different types of things from my ideas and research
THE MEANING BEHIND MY PIECE
What I wanted to express and the meaning behind the piece that I wanted my piece to be, was about self confidence. I was trying to express that how sometimes we are afraid to be who we are, to express our own and our original identity towards the entire world, our family, our friends. Also I wanted that this piece had a part of me because sometimes I am not confident in who I am, in the things that I made, the decisions that I take, and the way I express who I am because I am not able to get that confidence in myself and express the real me to the world. So my piece just is talking about that we as people, we hide our self before we are find out by others, we are afraid of being rejected by who we are, by the people we love as our friends and families and sometimes society. This kind of factors are the ones that makes us be week and lose all the confidence that we have in our own identity in our own self.
RESEARCH
- The Most Beautiful Illustrations from 200 Years of Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales. (2015, July 20). Retrieved November 16, 2015, from https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/07/20/best-brothers-grimm-illustrations/
- Grimm: Hansel And Gretel by Granger. (n.d.). Retrieved November 16, 2015, from http://fineartamerica.com/featured/1-grimm-hansel-and-gretel-granger.html
- The Son of Man, 1946 by Rene Magritte. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2015, from http://www.renemagritte.org/the-son-of-man.jsp
- Cultural Identity Theory. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2015, from http://communicationtheory.org/cultural-identity-theory/