Grain direction in paper

When binding a book it is important to know which direction the paper grain is going in, as this will affect the outcome of the book. The panels/fibres in the paper run a certain way and create a direction. The grain direction can be found out by bending the sheet of paper; the paper should be easily bendable when folding it in the direction of the grain and difficult to fold against the grain, meaning it’s more resistant and therefore an uneven fold.

When binding a book, the grain should be running from top to bottom so that it is parallel to the spine. We went through a few examples of books that had the incorrect paper grain, which were stiff to flick through. Books might still be made with the grain running in the false direction because they are cheaper to produce if they are able to get more sheets cut when going against the grain. If the grain direction doesn’t run parallel to the spine, or the grain direction in book pages are mixed, the pages could resist turning, the edges of the paper can become wavy or the binding edge could become bulky and distorted.

Three-hole pamphlet stitch

This binding is fairly simple and straightforward, yet looks impressive.

Dos-à-dos

The name comes from French and means “back-to-back”. This binding method has two covers and could be used for depicting many illustrations, for example ones that may have a never-ending story or don’t have a start or finish.

Japanese stab binding

This is an ancient technique, which dates back to the 14th-19th century when western style binding supplanted it. There are four basic variations of this, with the four-hole binding being the most common and straightforward style, however people choose to create many unique variations on the standard method. Japanese stab binding is cost effective and doesn’t involve many tools, expensive material or any machinery.

The aim for Act 3 is to combine all of the work from Act 1 and 2 together to create a final piece. We weren’t made aware that we had to merge all of the work into one project, which meant I had a ‘visual toolkit’ full of work that didn’t relate or had many corresponding pieces. Therefore it seemed logical for me to create a magazine as my final piece in which I can have work relate to one another, but also have separate artworks without much in common. Before creating my own, I researched other art magazines and things to consider when designing one.

• Create an attention-grabbing cover. This is crucial in terms of selling the magazine once it has been produced. An illustrative cover can look unique and modern, and gives the reader an idea of what to expect inside. Use strong, balanced headers and a layout that is graphically bold.
• If it’s a Fashion / Lifestyle or Art and Design magazine it should be designed very minimalistic using a blank canvas for the work to stand out. Two-thirds of a page should be photographs. People will often buy a magazine based on the pictures, with the text content being the secondary role. Photographs and pictures should, therefore, be the main focus when considering the layout. The images could be placed slightly off centre to give the layout a subtle art look.
• Colour should be used moderately as too much could make it look cheap and tacky. A vibrant splash of colour can look much more striking. Less is more.
• Typography sets the identity and mood of the magazine. Don’t use more than three typefaces, as too many will cause confusion and it’s better to stick to simplicity.

Aesthetica

Aesthetica

Icon

Icon

Look Lateral

Look Lateral

Wallpaper*

Wallpaper*

Black & White Photography

Black & White Photography

When visiting standpoint gallery we went to see screen printed posters as well as photographic installations created by Michael Peel. Within his work, he “sought to expose the forces of power and control, with all their mechanised horrors, injustices and resulting social disintegration.” His work is made up of printmaking and photography; he gathers grainy imagery from TV, printed media and graphic text to produce powerful and bold works through the use of a striking composition. 

His ‘Modern World’ series has been produced in response to political events and how the government in power handles the resources of the nation. Instead of being shown in galleries, this work has been advertised on billboards, lampposts, and streets around London, to appeal to a wider and popular audience. The work is made up of fragments of neon colour, a forceful tone, and an uneven composition.

We also saw photographic installations, where Michael Peel had been watching and taking pictures of surveillance helicopters. He had been concerned with the impact that politics and state affairs have on people and has therefore been observing and reflecting on them, while they’re spying on the public. Photography is often a suitable medium to use, especially in this case, because it is easily understood by everyone. 

Although I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Michal Peel’s poster works as well as photographic installations, I almost rather preferred his experimental collages and pieces that led to the final posters. There are also studios above standpoint gallery, in which each artist spoke about their work and influences to us. I really appreciated listening to them passionately speaking about art and the influence it can have on people and definitely find this more inspiring than seeing finished pieces of art in galleries.

“Varoom magazine is changing the perception of illustration in the creative industries”

Varoom magazine is a well-known place of discussion about the illustration community, with the aim to convey “a live reflection of what is happening in illustration at any given moment… presenting new work and giving insight into how it’s done, but also asking questions about it – Why make it? What does it mean to people?” (Olivia Ahmad, Varoom magazine’s new editor). The articles involve debates and opinions, and due to the title of the magazine being named “Activism”, it is able to attract attention and stand out compared to other publications. Varoom argues that illustrators have an unrecognised skill set and visual language which is displayed in this magazine, proving that illustration is not one-dimensional.

I think Varoom is a positive influence that can help illustrators become more recognised as curators, writers or event organisers, while publishing exceptionally captivating work.

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For the Politicize workshop, we were to gather a short extract between 10 and 100 words. The extract could be a quote from either a novel, an article, podcast, film or similar. We were told to look for depth, publicity, and energy and find something that we resonate with. 

The extract that I chose came from an essay about “Sound and the influence of sound on the human body,” by Denise July Regina Nolten. I was drawn to this piece of work, because I have started using sound as an influence for my work recently, for example in Act 2 – Wheels in Motion. I have listened to and recorded sounds in different environments and then created work following from it, but this extract is about cymatics. This interests me particularly because you can directly see a visual representation formed by different sounds. (See image below.)

“Cymatics (from Greek: “wave”) is the study of visible sound and vibration, a subset of modal phenomena. Typically the surface of a plate, diaphragm, or membrane is vibrated, and regions of maximum and minimum displacement are made visible in a thin coating of particles, paste, or liquid. Different patterns emerge in the excitatory medium depending on the geometry of the plate and the driving frequency.”

Essay “Sound and the influence of sound on the human body,” by Denise July Regina Nolten

For me, this quote explained cymatics and presented a new way of being able to apply sound to art. 

In the workshop, we were divided into smaller groups and shared our extracts with our peers. We discussed their meaning and why we chose them and then created a poster individually in 10-15 minutes containing some or all of our extract. Because my quote was quite long and a lot to take in on a poster, I decided to use a different part of the essay and cut it down slightly. We were then given the task to politicize our work, either within LCC or around Elephant and Castle. We filmed ourselves doing this and produced a short clip in our groups publicizing our posters. 

Watch video here

The aim was to place the posters in an environment where they would stand out and possibly create a reaction. I picked the middle of the roundabout at Elephant and Castle. This was an ideal location, as it is placed outside the tube station, university, shopping centre and much more, meaning there would be a large number of people walking by. I stood on a bench, turning my quote into a statement that people would read on their way past. Other members in my group chose the entrance of university, the tube station and underneath the traffic lights on the road, as a spot to publicize their posters. I felt that our quotes were powerful and were able to make readers question their meaning. By being placed in the open environment, they were very thought-provoking, striking and provocative. 

The word “tangible” is defined as something palpable and real that has a physical existence and can be distinguishable through touch. The works shown in this book are created as three dimensional objects that are approachable. This creates an inviting urge for viewers to further explore the experienceable projects. They vary from being uncomplicated structures to unbelievable arrangements that have been exhibited as an actual presence in a space.

The following works have been created by graphic designers but go beyond digital or virtual designs as they identify as touchable. It is not only the use of a creative mind that is required to be able to delve into the installations, but rather the entire body. The installations may have initially been designed to act as flat media, like posters, and yet have become a three dimensional interactivity where the viewer’s participation is essential for them to act as interactive media.

The installations manage to question the prominent misinterpretation that interactive design must be displayed on a screen. They draw the viewer in closer in an attempt to reveal ideas and thoughts behind each project.

The next section appealed to me because it contains works that take the use of material into further consideration. An element of surprise is created as objects are recreated from a completely different material that we usually associate them with, changing our common perception of the object. This makes the viewer question how an object was initially constructed and what defines it. The most important aspects to consider when deciding what defines an object are form, matter, size, colour and application. For example, you wouldn’t necessarily trust or bite into a red banana or a burger made out of wool.

Although the shapes are usually kept the same, certain adjustments and proportions divert the observer from the object’s original purpose. We question the initial intention of items and the materials they are made from through seeing things form a surrealist’s perspective. “Fake” things manage to turn into real objects because they are tactile.

Another section that really grabbed my attention was where we question who we are and what an identity is. Artists manage to shift our familiar interpretation of what humans are through altering ones personality and appearance by having people merge into the settings and dissolving their personality. Ideas have been turned into a materialised and actual reality that has a physical presence.

People blend into landscapes, becoming one with the environment through carefully created costumes that have specifically been produced for the surroundings they find themselves in. Often some pieces might baffle and challenge the viewer to consider a different approach towards identity. We question whether the “person [has] become the material it exhibits or has the material become the person?”

The items are reproduced in different colours, materials, textures, weights and scale and are then built into a costume. Often, the person covers an area of the surroundings but is hardly noticeable and therefore manages to become a part of what would be the background to create a new and unique identity. It is natural for humans to enjoy dressing up and pretend to be someone different, because it allows us to hide from our own identity. We are able to form a new personality that plays a different role. This is specifically common in carnivals, where people are fully transformed into something else, allowing a new reality.

The experimentation pack that I received from someone in my tutor group was based on chance. I was given an instruction sheet explaining that I have to roll a dice four times to decide the place I draw my illustration in, the tools I use, the colour of the paper and additional conditions. There were six different options on each sheet, and once I had a number for each option, I was given the choice to draw “whatever comes to mind”. I was asked to do the whole process twice and therefore have two illustrations as my outcome.

The first time I rolled the dice my instructions were as follows:

Place – 3. Your room 

Tools – 4. Any tools

Medium – 6. Pink coloured paper

Additional conditions – 1. Listen to your favourite music while drawing 

As the outcome of my illustration was left to my own interpretation I decided to make use of the ‘additional condition’ and carry on attempting to create an illustration using sound as my influence. I again stuck to trying to create a slightly abstract piece of work and did this by using different colours and sizes of paper.

The second time I rolled the dice I received these instructions:

Place – 6. Walking on the street 

Tools – 3. Any tools with Black

Medium – 2. Yellow paper 

Additional conditions 4. Go on a walk before drawing 

During my walk I tried to observe as much as possible as inspiration for my second illustration. Something that caught my attention along the way were all the different rooftops. I started drawing the outlines of various rooftops on a large sheet of paper and a few on different coloured sheets that I cut out later on. I’m really pleased with the layout and composition and am happy with the outcome. 

First Illustration

The first journey on which I recorded and listened to sound was on my daily commute home. After having researched artists throughout Act 1 and 2, I’ve tried to attempt a more abstract style in my work than usual. Because I am not used to working like this I thought the best way to start would be through shapes and forms, and therefore found it best to create my first illustration using collage. 

I only live a short walk away from university, so my journey wasn’t incredibly long. But living in Zone 1 meant that I was walking past lots of traffic, people, transport and noise. I tried to depict the noise of the vehicles using a variety of shapes, sizes and colours of paper. I tried arranging these in the order I heard them in, leaving spaces and gaps towards one side of the sheet, which demonstrated the end of my journey, which is considerably more quiet. Over the top I placed cut outs from a newspaper to demonstrate words I that came across on this journey. These cutouts included words such as crowded, home, delayed, food and more.

Second Illustration

The second journey involved me commuting through London by tube. For this illustration it was specified that I had to create it as a collage. The noises that stood out to me the most on this journey were the sounds of the tube while travelling from station to station, and the conversations that were being held in the carriage. Again, I used colours to represent the noise in the background. I tried to illustrate the conversations I overheard as closely as possible, using newspaper titles and sentences I cut out. 

Third Illustration

For the last journey I commuted by bus and recorded and listened to the environment on the way to a cafe. I probably found this illustration the most difficult to create, mainly because I am not used to working much digitally. When I designed the pack I thought it was best to make someone create all illustrations in a different medium so that they would step outside their comfort zone. I also felt like I had less inspiration for this last illustration and didn’t really have a clear idea on what to create. 

Both the bus and the cafe were incredibly busy so there was a lot of noise to take in on this journey. Instead of including words like I have done in my previous two illustrations, I decided to represent the noise only through colours. As I was in a busy environment all of the conversations were happening at once, merging and layering over each other. This was something I tried to recreate, having the colours portray the discussions happening around me. 

Overall, I found that my experimentation pack was very effective in the sense of making me go out and create in a way that I haven’t done before. Even though I listen to sounds and noises on journeys or commutes, I haven’t actually created any work based solely on sound. I felt that I was quite open minded about the whole task and was looking forward to creating the work. Even though I wouldn’t consider these illustrations to be great, I have started experimenting with becoming more abstract and creative. It was also the first time I’ve created a digital drawing, so the task allowed me to break down my habitual behaviour and work with a medium that I would not usually pick as my preferred option. 

When starting to design this pack the main thing that stuck in my mind was trying to figure out a way to get someone to step out of their usual working habits. I was looking to create a pack that is imaginative but is mainly making the recipient create work in an experimental way they haven’t tried before. To do this, I had to place myself in their shoes, considering things they may not have tried yet, but also design with consideration in regards to the needs of the audience. Although I wanted my task to develop the recipients risk taking skills, the task also had to be realistic, reasonable and easy to understand. In addition to the task, I’ve also requested the recipient of my experimentation pack to create each illustration with different materials to further develop exploration and avoid having someone work in their preferred way. 

As I was designing the pack for a student on the same course as me, I started considering ways in which I had not worked yet, but could help me creatively. Something that I’ve started paying attention to more recently is sound. I love listening in to random peoples conversations in public, but even just noises and little occurrences can have such an impact on our lives. I haven’t had the chance to focus solely on sound yet and therefore I thought I could try and make use of it now. 

For my task, I’m having someone go on three different planned journeys. On each journey, I want them to record and listen to the environment and noises surrounding them. As an outcome, they will be expected to create three different illustrations that have been influenced by sound on these journeys. 

• The first journey – to be recorded on the daily commute home
• The second journey – commuting through London by tube (travelling on the Northern line for over ten minutes eg from Oval to London Bridge). Creating a collage for this illustration.
• The third journey – board the ’45’ bus from outside the university towards Kings Cross. Exit at ‘Blackfriars Station North Entrance (Stop J)’. There’s a Costa Coffee down the street on the left hand side. You are to record and listen to the environment on this journey and create a digital drawing for the third illustration.

In terms of creating my experimentation pack I’ve been interested in looking at how artists use sound as an influence for their work. This led me to researching further into the artists Wassily Kandinsky and Alexander Scriabin.

There’s many representations and appearances of music in Kandinsky’s work. Several of his compositions can be adapted into a sequence of paintings that aspires to be a cycle of “symphonies.” Many of his Impressions were influenced by sound and some even composed in response to the experience of hearing music. Music encourages imagination and many listeners develop emotional responses to certain tunes or songs. These interpretations and responses share similar elements to those of abstract paintings. The responses are invisible but the reactions are definite, tangible and profound.

Wassily Kandinsky furthermore produced a book of linked poems and woodcuts called “Klänge” (Sounds). He wrote multiple play scripts with titles like “The Yellow Sound”, or “The Green Sound” etc. These were intriguing experiments that blend words, colour and music into one and the same. He describes his experience of painting using a musical metaphor: “I had little thought for houses and trees, drawing coloured lines and blobs on the canvas with my palette knife, and making them sing just as powerfully as I knew how.”

Contrasting Sounds

Quiet Pink

Alexander Scriabin was a Russian composer and pianist. His work is believed to be influenced by synesthesia. Synaesthesia is a condition where a certain sense may trigger another sense, such associating the number 5 with the colour green. Many even consider Scriabin to be the leading Russian Symbolist composer.

Although his works may be considered to be influenced by synesthesia, few people actually believe he experienced this condition himself. He is doubted due to his colour system corresponding to the circle of fifths, whereas it doesn’t for most people who experience synesthesia.

Scriabin started composing a piece called ‘Mysterium’, unfortunately this was left incomplete, due to him passing away. The work was planned to be a synesthetic experience, where all the senses would be utilised. It was supposed to be a multimedia performance involving sound, touch and smell. The performance was planned to last a week and would be set in the Himalayas. This piece was meant to be a week of bliss that would be followed by the end of the world in Alexander’s mind. “There will not be a single spectator. All will be participants. The work requires special people, special artists and a completely new culture. The cast of performers includes an orchestra, a large mixed choir, and instrument with visual effects, dancers, a procession, incense, and rhythmic textural articulation.”

Even in his performances he would use light and colour as well as sound. One of his symphonies called “Prometheus: The Poem of Fire”, includes a part for a machine known as ‘Luce’ (Italian for “light”), which is a colour organ. Although it is played like a piano, rather than producing sound, it projects coloured light through the room.