Classical Drawing Workshops - Female Model

As part of the Interdisciplinary Actions - Drawing unit we are encouraged to attend a Classical Drawing Workshop run by Asher and a couple of other Professors. The class is based around life-drawing of female or male models but so far they have been dressed rather than naked. This workshop, alongside poster design and intaglio printing, is a class that actually features other students because work is created there and then, rather than discussed about in a 1 to 1 tutorial format. There was slight engagement from other students but as life-drawing is generally quite personal and focused, quiet concentration is required and therefore we didn't chat to the others much.

On arrival at the first workshop, we were told to select an easel and buy some paper from the University art shop for drawing onto. I bought a piece of B1 scale paper to allow me to draw largely. We both went into drawing the figure on this larger scale straight away but we possibly should have began with smaller, quicker sketches, as Asher later suggested when she came round to discuss our work with us.

It had been a fair while since I had last done life-drawing so it took me a while to get into it again but I did enjoy it and I liked the challenge of drawing the female model fully clothed, looking closely at the creases in the fabric of her dress created by the way she was sat at the end of the bench seat.

I used a graphite stick to create a bold line, I hadn't brought all my graphite pencils from home so for the next session, I made sure I had a wider range of pencils from 2B to 9B so I could create softer and darker marks. I also bought some charcoal sticks to experiment with using in a later workshop. As the workshops continue and my drawing skills develop, I may also purchase some oil pastels so I can experiment with adding colour to my figure sketches, to begin with I am just focusing on creating a tonal variation.

Around an hour into the class, Asher came to look at the drawing I had done so far and discussed my work with me. She advised that from now on, I should start off by doing some quick small sketches to get my drawings of bodily proportions accurate before I work on a larger scale. The Thursday workshop can be focused on quick sketching and Friday workshop can involve working on a larger scale and adding more detail to my figure drawing. I can also draw body features such as hands and feet as small separate sketches around the page to practice drawing them before adding them into my larger figure drawing. I do struggle to draw both hands and feet so this was a useful tip.

To summarise, at this stage it is more important for me to get a feel for figure drawing, focusing on drawing proportions accurately rather than creating a great final drawing, I need to practice a lot.

I think I drew the proportions fairly well, I did struggle with the legs so need to observe the angle in which she is sitting more closely. If I use a wider range of pencil grades, I can create more of a tonal variation and the drawing will appear more lifelike. I definitely need to practice drawing hands in different positions as well as different sizes when considering proportions.

In the following week's workshop, I took Asher's advice and drew the female figure on a smaller scale as a quicker sketch. The figure was sat in the same position, I worked on A4 scale paper and used a wider range of pencils. I think this figure drawing has a better quality of proportion. I enjoyed adding tonal detail to the bench seat she is sat on as well as the embroidery on her dress. The angle in which I was drawing from was slightly different from the previous workshop so I did find it easier to draw her legs this time. It was less of a challenge perhaps but I'm glad I was able to draw her body features fairly accurately. Her hand again needs practice and I'm aiming to have improved my hand drawings as these classical drawing classes continue throughout the rest of the semester.

Krakow Exploration

On Saturday 3rd March, we got the 8am flixbus from Katowice to Krakow with the three other Erasmus students at our University. The journey took about an hour. We had planned in advance to go to MOCAK - Museum of Contemporary Art Krakow as well as explore the Old Town part of the city.

To make a full day of it, we got up early to get the bus at 8am and planned to get the 8.30pm bus back. It was a very cold day and felt even colder when we arrived in Krakow. When we reached the bus station in Krakow, we made our way out and explored a few back streets before finding the Old Town. We took some photographs and had a look around the beautiful architecture. The hot drink and food was good for warming up in Costa Coffee, yes we could have tried an independent coffee shop but at this time we were more concerned with getting warmed up! I didn't take as many photographs as I wanted throughout the day whilst we were outside because my fingers kept getting too cold even with gloves on. After the refreshment, we made our way to MOCAK, using the tram.

It was a short journey and the museum was listed on direction signs near to the tram stop so it was easy to navigate our way to the gallery. One of the Slovakian friends had visited the gallery before so she could also guide us in the right direction. When discussing what we would like to do in Krakow before the trip, our friend told us that it would only cost us 1 polish zloty for admission into the museum because we are students at a higher education art institution. This converts to just 21p! Very good value for money considering the amount of art we saw on display. We were in the museum for around 4 hours, there was alot to look at and some of the exhibits were interactive. I took notes and photographs using my phone, noting down artists I felt inspired by and pieces of work I could include in my research for various different projects I am working on currently.

Malgorzata Markiewicz, 1979, Polska (Poland)
A Map, 2013
'The starting point of the work was a political map of Europe, printed on paper. The artist stitched in such a way as to obliterate the boundaries between countries and creating a colourful network that demonstrates the mobility of the continent's inhabitants. The work can be seen as a comment on the problems of globalisation and emigration'

Joanna Kaprowicz (1976)
Anastazja 2015-2017, acrylic/paper
'The original drawings from the comic Anastazja. A story of a mother and daughter who in 1926, left Kansas to seek a new life in Hollywood. The story is presented in the convention of a thriller; it shows the dark underbelly of the film industry in the 1920s, based on research into the appearance of Los Angeles at the time as well as fashion, customs and art in that era...'

Monika Drozynska (1979)
'It used to be popular in kitchens to put up wall hangings with embroidered aphorisms, prayers or comments often based on folk sayings. A popular one was "A good wife's pride are the dishes that her husband relishes', referring to the woman's role in society, home and hearth. The artist takes up the traditional technique of using embroidery as a form of writing to record what she has overheard, slogans that she has altered and playing with words, such as repeat misspellings. She speaks for women, referring to events that mark the women's struggle for their rights in Poland...'

One of our favourite exhibits as a group was a 'self-timer' camera positioned on a tripod with two screens and a printer surrounding it. As people approached the area in front of the camera, it would detect human presence and move around alot before capturing a photograph when the human subject matter least expected it. We spent quite a long time having our photographs taken, one of which was particularly funny because one of our Slovakian friends is very tall so his head got chopped off the group photo! We were allowed to take the photographs with us as well, a nice reminder of the fun we had throughout the day.

The camera exhibit is called Photo Robotoid, 2016, object. It is described as; 'an autonomous photographic robot that reacts to the presence of the viewer by triggering a self-timer and printing a photo. The viewer has no control over what the picture will be like, in spite of having activated the process. The apparatus itself makes decisions about close-ups and focus - the results can be surprising...'

We finished the visit with a look around the bookstore. I found two books that had English translation within them. I will use them for research purposes and may photocopy some of the imagery to use in my projects. The books I bought are called 'Tribal Print' and 'Marks of Memory'. The Tribal Print book is about trying out classical studio skills and features a glossary of graphic techniques represented at the exhibition. The Marks of Memory book focuses on post-industrial spaces, photography and reflective writing is used to describe this subject matter. I think both books will be invaluable in my research into Polish art and culture in general.

Leaving the museum, we decided to go back to the city to find a restaurant that one of our Slovakian friends suggested as a good place to go, she has been there before. We got a tram and managed to find the restaurant but unfortunately the opening hours listed on Google were wrong and it was closed. We looked around a few more places but they wanted to find somewhere that had more of a 'Krakow' vibe about it, perhaps in term of traditional food and interiors. We walked down to the riverside and were greeted with such a wonderful sight. Swans standing on the frozen river in a flock. A perfect photo opportunity and a sight I will never forget as I don't think I've seen a completely frozen river before let alone swans standing on the frozen water.

We walked along the riverside, stopping to read the menu of a boat restaurant. It looked quite posh but the soup price was fairly reasonable and we all really needed a warm up. We went in and each had a bowl, I had traditional Polish chicken noodle soup, the portion size was small which is what I expected for the price and interior of the restaurant but it was tasty. After finishing our soup, we continued walking and went back into the city centre to find a more reasonable restaurant to have a bigger meal in. The soup had been our starter. We found a sort of themed restaurant that had English translations on the menu. The staff were wearing Polish traditional dress so it was quite authentic. I had this ham and cheese baked pancake with chips and tartare sauce - a little odd considering I normally only have tartare with fish. It was tasty and very cheap, the homemade lemonade was lovely. The day ended with a walk through the huge Galleria shopping centre back to the bus station.

I look forward to going back to Krakow on a warmer day so I can spend more time outside. I also hope to visit some more attractions such as the Krakow Museum and Wawel Castle.

Interdisciplinary Actions 'Simulacra' - Exploring the Theme of Precious Time

In the last couple of weeks, I have tried to do as much research and idea generation as I can around the given topic of Simulacra. This began with our trip to Bytom, when we visited the Muzeum Gornoslaskie. I was particularly drawn to the Artefacts on display in the Archaeology Department, I tried to do some more research into the context behind these objects using the Museum Archives online. They don't actually list every artefact on the website so I may have to go back and take notes, then translate them into English so that I can gain an understanding into the historical context of artefacts that I choose to explore further. There is also a Department of Ethnography that I hope to conduct research into. The Artefacts that were on display in the older building of the museum include; a pocket watch, knife, pen, tools, smoking pipe, photographs, written letters and pottery/ceramics. I was particularly interested in the pocket watch because it is so beautiful in design and has an almost magical feel to it, I felt like I wanted to draw it and find out more about its context.

http://zbiory.muzeum.bytom.pl/# (Museum Gornoslaskie Archives)

Muzeum Gornoslaskie, Bytom

01/03/18 Tutorial
Last week's tutorial with the Interdisciplinary tutors was focused on what I had come up with so far in the development of my Simulacra project. At this time, I wasn't entirely sure on an exact theme or direction to go in but I had been looking more closely at Artefacts from the Museum and Architecture I have admired in Poland so far. I took lots of photographs and bought some postcards at the Muzeum Gornoslaskie in Bytom to provide evidence of the trip as well as to allow me to draw from and be inspired by the imagery I had collected. I had also intended to do some sketching whilst we were there but unfortunately didn't get round to doing any because it felt like the sort of place you walk around, not necessarily stopping to sit and draw. I don't think the staff would have had any issues with it but I decided I would draw from my photographs as reference instead. I talked through some of the imagery I had collected and some ideas I was thinking about so far - I would like to possibly focus on a few chosen artefacts, creating a narrative series of illustrations about them.

Postcards I purchased at Muzeum Gornoslaskie, Bytom

The tutors gave me some good advice. They said I should collect facts and begin to draw and paint to get my visual ideas down on paper. I could look into the Silesia district - the area in and surrounding Katowice. I need to do wider research - a collection of facts, photos, sketching, realistic realisation of what I am doing. There is a Silesian Museum of Mining in Katowice that I should consider visiting. I could also visit Krakow Museum, when we visited Krakow we went to an art museum. There is also a gallery in Katowice I will visit in the coming weeks, Szyb Wilson Gallery. In April, the Szyb Wilson Gallery hold the Festival of Art Naif. "This cheerful and colourful event gathers in one place the works of naive artists from all over the world. The remarkable undertaking has been breaking stereotypes and barriers and attracting thousands of art lovers for many years".

http://www.szybwilson.org/en

We finished the discussion chatting about the process I could take to develop my project further. I could choose an object as a subject starting point/topic and create research drawings. I should also look into the meaning of the object and after this initial research, choose a technique. I can use creative processes such as drawing, photography and painting to represent the object. Drawing as research is important - providing information to work from. I could take close-up photographs that I can then analyse, photos do give a different type of information to drawing. A high resolution photo shows exactly what is being observed whereas a drawing may have more emotion and feeling. I should connect ideas together and go deeper in my drawing and research. I can then use my research drawings to transform into a final work.

09/03/18 Tutorial
This week's tutorial felt more progressive for me because I had come up with a theme to explore. When drawing the pocket watch artefact I observed in the Muzeum Gornoslaskie in Bytom, I started to think about the concept of time. I came up with the question, 'How do you spend your precious time?' I also added a part of the dome structure patterned roof above a pew in the Muzeum to my illustration to represent the word, 'precious'. The pattern is decorative and beautiful, I often think that precious items can be described in the same way. I also think the pocket watch is precious because it would have belonged to somebody and they would have used it to tell the time.

I also showed the tutors a mind map of 'time' related meanings and ideas I had come up with as well as another drawing. It is of the doorway of St. Mary's Church, Katowice. I made it as a drawing to use for the design of my intaglio print for Graphic Art Basics class but decided I could also cross-over that theme to this class. The door has an element of 'preciousness' about it because it is intricately detailed. It could represent how a religious person may spend their time, this doesn't necessarily apply to me because I'm not a very religious person however I do admire the design aspect and I do enjoy observing beautiful architectural forms and then drawing them. 

When researching more about the theme of time within art, I started by looking at different meanings. It can be defined most broadly as; 'the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present and future regarded as a whole'. That is a definition when considering 'time' as a noun. If considering 'time' as a verb, it can be defined as; 'plan, schedule or arrange when something should happen or be done'. I looked at synonyms of the word, listing other words such as dated, moment, point, occasion, instant, stage, phase, stretch, interval, duration, lifetime...

To begin with in a visual sense, I want to look at clocks/pocket watches in more detail, different ways of telling the time, asking people if they wear a watch and if yes asking if I can draw/photograph it. I would also like to depict how myself and others like to spend their time here in Poland. My timely activities include drawing, exploring, seeing landmarks and sightseeing, meeting new people, going out for drinks/food and shopping. To summarise I want to be able to answer my initial question;

How do you spend your precious time?

The Concept of Time

I also looked more closely at the concept of time, finding out that it is believed to be an abstract concept with an ephemeral quality, transitory and lasting for a short time. I researched ways of using different types of line to depict time. 

A linear line shows the beginning (the past) and an end (the future). Between the two is the present, always moving forward. Examples of linear lines are digital clocks and time-lines. 

A circular/cyclical line has a repeating process, like cycles or seasons. It creates continuous and infinite outcomes. Examples of circular lines are analog clocks and labyrinths. The Traditional Native American Medicine Wheel is an example of a circular line representing time. 

A sacred hoop of life that has four directions representing humanity as one person of many hues.
Red is for East, awareness and beginnings
Yellow is for South, healing, youth and growth
Black is for West, inner vision, soul searching and endings
White is for North, wisdom of ancestors, high power and guidance

Time-Based Art

Artwork that changes through time is known as time-based art. The effect of time on artwork is explored as well as how that affects its meaning in 'actual time'.

Representing a captured moment, creating an illusion of time passing or the evidence of time already past is known as 'implied time'. 

Time-based media in visual art includes film, video, performance art, interactive internet art and installation art. I may try to explore some of these different disciplines within my project work. 

The tutors said my theme sounded interesting and they are looking forward to seeing what I come up with as my project develops. I should look into different meanings of time and conduct further research into the use of line to represent time in visual form. They made the important point that 'Time is limited' I could explore this through creating some very quick sketches and others longer, more detailed sketches. I could think about important moments in time, in periods of an hour, second, month or year. Symbols of time could be useful to look into and talking about time in an abstract way, exploring how I like to spend my time. I need to do lots more drawing and could focus on specific details for some rather than draw everything that I see. I should use books to inform my visual ideas and research. I should also think about using special materials, in particular deciding on paper. The paper I use will help me to convey a meaning portrayed by the imagery I create. I could consider drawing onto printed paper that contains information such as old papers from old books. They believe it will be good to make a strong connection between the type of paper I use and the drawings I create. I could also use collage, I will definitely do this as it is a process I enjoy. 

I will research Philosophers of Time such as Henri Bergson. I will try to focus on aesthetic aspects and using strong symbols within my work. I could look into old ways of telling the time such as looking at where the sun is positioned in the sky. For the time being, I think I will focus on watches as my object and think about elements such as sound and counting time. I have been given another museum I could visit in Poland, the Museum of Watches in Jedrzejow so I would be very interested in taking a trip there. My main aim for the present moment is to do as much drawing as I can and research deeper into my chosen theme to generate more ideas and gain informed knowledge that will help me in the development processes of the Simulacra project. 

Literature Interpretation, 'Light Sensitivity' Project - First Consultation

On Wednesday morning at 10am, we met with the two Graphic Art: Literature Interpretation tutors to discuss the work we have produced so far. In the previous week, one of the tutors gave us an overview of the class and we each chose a word to interpret and create visual imagery from. I chose 'swiatloczulosc' which translates in English to 'light sensitivity'.

We were asked to create a map of meaning so I started by looking at different definitions of the word. A similar word is 'light sensitive', this means having a photoelectric property, such as the ability to generate a current, change its electrical resistance etc. when exposed to light.
I think this concept is a little scientific for me, I don't have a great interest in physics so I would rather find a meaning that is more conceptual and creative.

Map of meaning 

Photophobia
This is an intolerance of light. Sources such as sunlight, fluorescent light and incandescent light can all cause discomfort, you may need to squint or close your eyes.
Headaches may also accompany light sensitivity.
Light-sensitive people are sometimes bothered only by bright light. In extreme cases, any light may be irritating.

I went on to look into the meanings of fluorescent and incandescent light to clarify the differences.

Fluorescent Light
Low pressure mercury-vapour gas-discharge lamp that uses fluorescence to produce visible light. Fluorescence is explained in the scientific subjects of physics and chemistry. It can be defined as the emission of radiation, especially of visible light by a substance during exposure to external radiation as light or x-rays.

Incandescent Light
Emitting light as a result of being heated such as lightbulbs. It was the second form of electric light to be developed (after the carbon arc lamp).

Causes
Light sensitivity is believed to have effects and causes. Some people experience light sensitivity which means they have problems with certain levels of light. Lots of people become more sensitive to light as they get older and some people are naturally more light sensitive than others. The sudden onset of light sensitivity could be caused by inflammation of the eye - foreign body in the eye, an infection of the cornea or an inflammation of the iris or uvea. I have quite sensitive eyes that can be affected by bright light at times so I could explore visualising my own experiences.

Research Topics
I made a spider diagram in my sketchbook of possible research areas I could explore.

• Photosensitive - having a chemical, electrical or other response to light
• Light sensor - passive device that converts light energy, used to detect the current ambient light level - how bright/dark it is
• Camera ISO - the level of sensitivity of your camera image sensor to available light. ISO levels - 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600... The lower the ISO, the less sensitive the sensor is to the light and so the more light is required for a proper exposure. The extra light required comes from a slower shutter speed which allows more light to fall on the sensor
• Analogue photography - photography that uses a progressively changing recording medium which may either be chemical process based or electronic. Using an analogue camera and film. Light interacts with the chemicals in the film and an image is recorded

I also did some quick visual imagery examples to start to visualise the word. The first is a quick drawing and the second is a collage. I will do alot more drawing as the project develops as well as use other artistic disciplines such as photography and film. 

An eye affected by the light conveyed by the bright colour of magenta with yellow subtleties 

A delicate flower that could represent light sensitivity because of the way it is angled and the subtle tones. The zigzagged imagery underneath depicting natural landscapes could affect someone who suffers from light sensitivity because the light emitted is of a bright quality

The consultation with the tutors went fairly well, they seemed interested in what I had written and collected so far but encouraged me to 'stretch' my map further, looking into many other possibilities associated with the word. A subjective reality, thinking about the consequences of light sensitivity. They suggested that I could look into the relationship between light and space as well as human perception. I should collect images, photographs and visual materials - visualise what the word is. I can keep these on a memory stick to show them next week and also collect actual images.

Other ideas for thought include human relationships regarding light sensitivity, colour perception, how a photo is affected by light. I can look into similar words such as Enlightenment - ancient human philosophy, light, knowledge, brightness and development. I should then find and follow one aspect of my research, finding more meanings, ordering and creating a conclusion of what to do and how to do it. I am not limited and can use any media I want to.

They also gave me some literature recommendations such as Camera Lucida by Roland Barthes, I actually studied this book when researching for my last theory essay. Keywords around this book include light in photography, image consumption, reflections on photography. Allegory of the Cave by the Greek philosopher, Plato was also recommended.

I should read about the techniques of using the analogue camera and camera obscura. I will use sources from the shadow seminar we had last year at UCA as well to help me with my research.
I was advised to collect camera obscura images as these could be helpful. I could also go to the darkroom at ASP Katowice to see how they develop film and use photo sensitive materials.

An important part of my development for this project will be to see how the word has been represented in other disciplines such as film, art (painting, drawing), and books (fiction). This will help me to come up with better conceptual ideas. I will refer to artists and look into more conceptual meanings of light sensitivity. I hope to create a mood board of ideas for next week. We have also given the tutors our email addresses so that they can add us to Dropbox where there is resources available for students of the Literature Interpretation class.

Mind map of my ideas for visual imagery - from the discussion I had with the tutors

Beginning 'Loss of Balance' Project (Digital Graphics Basics)

We had arranged to meet the Digital Graphics tutor (Marta Pogorzelec) on Wednesday morning at 9am but unfortunately we could not meet because she had the flu. I had emailed her the night before as she had requested to see some examples of our work and initial ideas for the project, when she replied I found out that she wasn't going to be at University the next day. I decided to still write about the work I have produced so far and how I intend to develop my visual ideas further. 

In the previous week, Marta sent us both an email with some example works we could use for inspiration, the topic title and some links to artist websites. These were very useful to look at and gain ideas from. I like the email communication because it helps us to keep focused when we are not in the class especially as we have only arranged to meet for an hour once a week. I have decided to stick with the topic she gave us, 'loss of balance' as I think it sounds quite interesting with many possibilities in the creation of digital graphic images. Below are a couple of example works she sent us in the email:

There is clearly a loss of balance as you observe the three heads across the image, the head on the left is in focus, the middle head is slightly out of focus and the right head is out of focus/blurred. This image has quite an intense appearance especially with the use of a black backdrop. It references the theme well.

This work appears to have lost balance because the figures don't have heads. I like the blocks of colour and the way transparency effects have been used to create a layered variation of tones, you can see colour layers underneath layers that have been placed on top. The expressive marks also help to create a loss of balance, kind of like a shaking effect.

In my email reply to Marta, I explained some of my initial ideas in a list format. The ideas I wrote down are for the theme 'loss of balance':

• Falling
• Head spinning, world spinning - blue atmosphere
• Uneven scales
• Yoga pose failing, unbalanced pose
• One-sided
• Weight
• Psychedelic patterns - looking at optical illusions (I have some of my own photos of these that I may use)
• Unbalanced diet - apple falling out of a person's hand, doughnut being lifted to mouth, healthy to an unhealthy diet, loss of balanced diet, food choices affect our body's balance
• Spilling something being balanced in hand - teacup spilling tea

I attached the three digital graphic images I had created so far, giving a short explanation of what each is about/what I am trying to convey. Each of the photographs I have taken myself whilst being in Poland and I used Photoshops to edit them e.g. using effects, adding colour using my digital drawing tablet and pen. 

The first image is slightly off centre, it is an inverted photograph. I have added blue and gold marks using my digital drawing tablet and pen to add some unbalanced colours to the black and white contrast

The second image features only 1 eye I saw spray painted on a wall. I used Photoshop effects such as posterise and colour lookup. The colours could be described as unbalanced because they are contrasting - I didn't change these colours. The eye is unbalanced because it does not feature a second eye as well as the rest of the human face

The third image has an adjusted composition, it is not straight. I have added purple specks to the snow beneath the bicycle structure to create a clash with the green. I changed the exposure and colour lookup, as well as some other effects using Photoshop

Balance is not something you find, it is something you create

I look forward to finding out the tutor's feedback when we have a consultation next week to discuss the work I have produced so far. In the meantime, I will continue to experiment and may do some more digital painting combined with my own photography. 

An Introduction to Intaglio Printing

Last week, I sent an email to the Intaglio printmaking tutor to ask a couple of questions about the process. These questions included the following. How do you teach students about the intaglio printing technique? Will we need to bring something to print onto like our own paper or is it provided in the studio? What are the topics for intaglio?

The reply from the Intaglio print tutor, Marcin Bialas was as follows, "We learn in studio basic techniques: etching, aquatint, drypoint etc. Students should bring one or two graphics in A4 dimension (for example). You will need: zinc plate (I can sell to you, 35x50cm for 20 Polish Zloty), solvent: benzyna ekstrakcyjna, denaturat, a steel needle (with a link to the art shop website where we can purchase one). I will tell you the rest when we meet. We have studio on Tuesday and Wednesday. See you!"

We arranged to meet him on Tuesday, he told us he would be in the studio from 10am to 7pm. On Tuesday afternoon, after completing some work in the morning, we went to meet the tutor in the Intaglio printing studio. Printmaking is a huge part of Polish art education and the facilities here as ASP Katowice are amazing. There are dedicated rooms for different printing techniques and the studios are large, open and airy with the perfect amount of natural light. We found the right printmaking room and managed to find Marcin. He asked us if we had done the technique or any other printmaking techniques before, we replied that we had not tried intaglio but we have done lino printing and screen printing. He asked to see our portfolios or a sketchbook but unfortunately we didn't have examples of these with us at the time so we will show him next week. Drawing is an important aspect in the creative process of intaglio printing so I think this is why he wanted to see some examples of our drawings beforehand so he could see which intaglio printing technique would suit us best.

Intaglio print examples exhibited on the studio walls

Marcin invited us into his office next to the intaglio print studio so that he could talk us through the technique and show us some example work. The process involves preparing an image on the surface of a metal plate - zinc or copper. The image can be a line drawing or tonal drawing, depending on which style you want to produce. The metal plate is prepared, an incision is made inside the plate and it can then be etched. It is best to start with a small plate and in this studio they almost always work on a zinc plate.

There are different possibilities that can be explored to create an image. The line technique is similar to a pen or ink drawing, the quality of line is precise, a few layers can be created and the thickness of the line can be altered from strong to delicate. This is known as Etching - an image is created from line. Aquatint technique is when images are prepared from tone; it is similar to painting or using a brush and ink. The technique uses paint and different tones. Drypoint involves drawing directly onto the plate. A strong drawing is created with an intense line. It is the only technique in which you do not need to use chemicals in the process. Instead, the plate is covered in resin.

Another possibility we could explore is mixing techniques. Aquatint (tone) can be mixed with the etching and drypoint techniques to create a mixed media print. I'm interested to try this out as I have never thought about combining printmaking techniques together into one print before.

Sugar lift is another technique we could experiment with, it is similar to etching. The technique involves creating painterly marks onto the etching plate using a sugar solution and a paintbrush. The areas painted are positive marks; it is a form of aquatint etching. This technique works well when combined with lino printing, the two techniques printed together. The intaglio tutors will help us to decide which of the techniques will suit us best when they see the ideas for our work next week. They can also help us to decide on the size of the plate once they see the proposition although it is advised that we start on a small scale so that we can check we know how to follow the process effectively. I think I will probably start working at either A5 or A6 size.

We managed to buy one steel needle from the shop he gave us the name of in the initial email, we will go back to buy another so that we can both work on our own individual plates. Marcin told us we can purchase the chemicals we need in the university art shop and also in another shop in the city. We also need to purchase paper to print onto, delicate sandpaper (1500/2000 grade) to polish the surface of the plate and scratch remover paste.

He went on to explain the first process, this involved preparing the zinc plate. I took photographs of the process along the way to help me to understand the order in which the plate needs to be prepared.

Filing the edges of the plate to remove ridges, using a 45 degree angle on the right side of the plate

Adding a chemical paste to clean the plate

The plate after its first layer of cleaning

Adding another liquid chemical to clean the plate - we also had to rub the plate with a piece of chalky substance and rinse it with water until you could no longer see any water marks

The plate on the heated surface covered in a varnish that is spread across the whole plate evenly, the experienced professor did this for us as the first time we tried we were unsuccessful as we weren't shown how to do it properly by the student helping us whilst the professor had to go out the studio

We met this tutor on our first day at ASP Katowice, whilst we were being given a tour of the university by some current students. He speaks only Polish but we have been able to converse with him. We were amused to find out what he said on that first day when asking our Erasmus friends a couple of weeks ago. The words he spoke weren't translated to us at the time but apparently he said something like, 'You are cute little girls. Please join our studio either to work or to party with me!'

Another of the chemicals used to clean/cover the plate

The plate was now ready to be drawn onto using the steel needle

We had to wait for the plate to cool down and the professor then advised us to cover the back with thick sticky tape. He also explained the drawing process. We should create a step by step drawing from a light to dark line. The lines should be separate. A simple sketch once made on the plate will be soaked in a bath of acid, then cleaned with water. Another layer can be made, 3 layers in total, keeping the design simple but precise. The first layer must always have separate lines. Any ideas can be used. We need to ensure we don't make big dents when using the needle on the plate, just scratch the surface with marks to create the image.

I look forward to coming up with a drawing that I can transfer to the plate. I will then be able to learn the inking and printing process. I hope to link my intaglio prints with some of the projects I am working on for other university classes such as Interdisciplinary. Within the project we have been set, Simulacra, I have been looking at architecture and artefacts so would like to create some intaglio prints with these subject matters.

More example Intaglio prints exhibited on the studio walls