This post profiles recent experiments in my creation and design of art postcards whilst working in my studio and employing drawing, painting and printmaking techniques with uncertain outcomes. I love working in the studio and particularly in the post card production process, especially as it involves printmaking. I do small runs of prints, usually less than 50, although each card may go through the run multiple times depending on the number of layers, as indicated in the photos below.
A rough sketch idea for the design of a postcard. This one remains at that stage.Type overlay for postcard that has already received base layer(s). This one will be the top layer.Two different designs with the one on the left having received its base layer whilst the one on the right has had two printed layers: base plus overcoat.Sumi ink dish being used as a paint pot with Hake brush.The black postcards have had two print layers whilst the three cards above them have had three and the stack of post cards at the top left, having dried, have had four.The pumpkin was visiting the studio around Halloween time.A selection of different postcards most of which have had two runs through the print ing process. Note also the addition of my artist stamp, at top left or bottom right, on some of the cards.
As I have stated, making art postcards is one of my favourite artistic activities and I have been doing it for more than a decade. I plan to do more posts on this topic.
(Further additions and editing to this post anticipated).
This is the final of six posts on the creation of experimental fish prints using woodblock printmaking techniques. These were exhibited as art prints. They were also used as animation frames in my experimental animated film Toxic Fish (see the photos below).The fish in this post is the kohada. It has a static shape on the woodblock and in the film frame. This contrasts with the surrounding coloured toxins from commercial pollution. These eventually poison the fish. Variations in the volume of ink applied to the block produced a range of similar but different outcomes. Once edited in sequence, these contributed to the creation of the illusion of movement. The associated movement of both fish and toxins frantically appear to twitch and jump all over the frame. The action looks frenetic. That effect is reinforced by the percussive soundtrack. The film was selected and screened at CINANIMA, the Animation Festival in Esphino, Portugal. It was also screened at the Art Gallery of NSW. Later it was shown at the Big Day Out rock festival in Sydney. There is a certificate and photo on a previous post: PRINTMAKING: Fish Four).
Sitting at the Oxberry animation film rostrum stand back in 1990. I was shooting my film, frame by frame, from the individual woodblock prints I had made. It took a really long time. I appear both happy and calm and pleased with the process despite the frantic impact that the film makes. I do listen to music while I work. I don’t recall what I was that day but it looks like I was enjoying it.
A later grouping of one species of the fish for art gallery exhibition. This composition had torn and collaged prints assembled in a school formation. It completed the process from design to printmaking to animation to film.
Continuing my POSTCARD ART blogs with another post profiling the design and production of my art postcards. I have been creating and printing these for more than a decade. This post looks back to cards I back when I started in 2006 and 2007. There are also cards from subsequent years. My art postcard project was inspired by a study trip to Japan. I looked at Modernist printmaking approaches that had taken place there. My cards were produced by hand in limited edition batches. Each card produced was unique…similar but not identical, part of a batch with an approximate match.
This is one of the earliest examples, from the series of Abstract Art Postcards made in 2007.
These graphic production stage series of posts were made over several years. They show selected, shots of the “making” stage and my methodology…whether for animation, comics, postcards, prints or paintings, in a small studio setting, with music playing in the background. I always work to music. Sometimes I include an image or thought about the music I was listening to in the studio that day. Some photos show the music equipment and/or the selected CD I was listening to at that session.
This is the fifth post documenting the production of the experimental prints that I made with woodblock printmaking techniques…for both gallery exhibition and also as frames in my experimental animated film Toxic Fish (see photos below).The fish in this sequence is the gizzard shad. It has static shape on the woodblock…this contrasts with the flooding of toxins from commercial pollution which are overlaid around it which eventually poison the fish. Variations in the volume of ink and the choice of hue produced a range of similar but different outcomes. When edited in sequence these contributed to the creation of the illusion of movement. The film was screened at CINANIMA, the Animation Festival in Esphino, Portugal…and at the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney…and also at the Big Day Out rock festival. also in Sydney. (See certificate and photo on previous post: PRINTMAKING: Fish Four).
These and other examples of the art from the animation have been posted on the Doctor Comics website (doctorcomics.com) under the post heading PRINTMAKING: Fish 1, 2, 3 etc.
This post features one of my many visits to Japan to study and research anime, manga, comics and cartoons…not to mention fashion and food!
Doctor Comics in Japan, outside of Takadanobaba Station…under the railway tracks (see steel girder supporting a section of the tracks above the mural at top of photo). Here, near his former Tokyo Studio, is a memorial mural to the anime and manga artist, Osamu Tezuka, October 2016. (Photo by Louise Graber)
The ON MY TRAVELS… posts form part of my graphic based material. This includes painting, printmaking, cartooning and scrapbooking plus the odd bit of animation.
These production posts document the “making” stage, whether animation, comics, postcards, prints or paintings, in a small studio. I always work to music and some photos in my blog posts show the equipment and the CD…not these, unfortunately.
This is the fourth post documenting the production of my creative fish prints. I made these using woodblock printmaking techniques for use use in my experimental animated film Toxic Fish (see photos below).The fish represented in this sequence is the Kohada. Its static shape on the woodblock contrasts with the flooding of coloured toxins. These represent commercial pollution that is spread around the fish and eventually poisons it. There are variations in the volume of ink applied to the block and the choice of hue. These produced a range of similar outcomes when edited in sequence. This contributed to the creation of the illusion of movement. Film screenings: Animation Festival, Esphino, Portugal (see certificate at bottom of post),…Art Gallery of NSW and the Big Day Out rock festival.
Continuing my posts profiling the design and creation of art postcards that I have been making and printing. On this occasion I am looking at assorted batches that I have made in the past…going right back to the earliest designs in 2006 and some subsequent batches from the following few years.
This post features assorted photos of the production stage of my art projects…whether on postcards, prints, paintings or comics…produced by hand in a small studio…whilst listening to music (some photos show a glimpse of the music machine and the disc being played)…taken over the past few years.
Doctor Comics 