Print on Paper – Second Experiment

I then tried to print onto my paper again, this time in colour.

I wanted to try this experiment again because it worked so well the first time. However, I wanted to see what it looked like when I printed in colour. Initially I was a bit cautious because my hand made paper was quite thin and fragile. But I trimmed off one side of my paper so the end of the paper couldn’t get stuck and rip it. I was very impressed with the results, they turned out very successful and still kept in theme with my initial concept.

Below are some of my images.

        

Iron On Transfer Experiment

I then developed the tape transfer idea into ironing my photo onto my paper.

I did this by printing my photographs onto iron transfer paper. Then when my transfer had set, I then ironed my transfer paper onto my hand made paper and was surprised to see it actually worked! Although I had to reheat my paper occasionally because I didn’t iron it on long enough, however once I’d done that the print transferred perfectly onto my paper.

It was interesting to see the different texture I got from this compared to my other experiments. I also liked how some of the colours from the blended paper became more saturated once they had been ironed over. Below are my photos to document my experiment.

       

Tape Transfer Experiments

The next experiment I did was a tape transfer.

I began by printing off one of my photographs onto normal paper and placing rows of cellotape over the image. I then put the photo in a tub of water for a couple of seconds. However this experiment wasn’t successful because when I placed the photo in the water all the ink spread and when I tried to scrape off the paper from the tape the whole image came off with it. I tried to do this experiment three times and each time they failed. Below is an image of an unsuccessful experiment.

Photograph Experiments

I then went onto the second part of my concept which was transferring some of my photographs onto my handmade paper in different ways. I wanted to do this because people think that photographs are delicate objects which capture a memory. I began by using some of my landscape images that I took in Snowdonia, Wales. I printed the image off in black and white to start off with, to see if it went through the printer okay. Below are my photographs of this successful experiment.

    

Plants and Flowers Experiments

After my first experiment, I decided to try again with more plants and flowers. However this time I dried them out and put some in the oven to make the drying out process faster. I began by placing them randomly on the paper in sections so I could see how they turned out after being dried. Below are my results.

Then when I saw the outcome I decided to create a picture out of the petals and dandelions that I found. I did this to demonstrate how one medium can be used to create another medium, eg shredded paper into homemade and then from the dandelion and other petals into an explosion of seeds. This was a successful experiment because the flowers and seeds stayed on the paper in situ. Although the paper was dyed by the petals and seeds which added to the visual effect. Below is a photograph of this experiment.

 

Beginning to Experiment

After I got the consistency right of the pulp, I then went on to experimenting with different techniques.

When I was creating the paper I liked how I made the paper thin but consistent. I also like how towards the edges of some of the papers it went really delicate and fine. This gave me some ideas on what I would do when I began to experiment. I wanted to focus on delicate things that don’t last forever or change over time.

The first one experimented I chose to do was with flowers and petals. I wanted to do this because it fits with my concept of fragile objects and it not lasting forever. I experimented with a variety of flowers to see which ones worked best with the paper. However, my first experiment wasn’t as successful as I had hoped due to the fact that I didn’t dry the flowers out. This meant that they were not integral to the paper. Below is an example of my experiments when the paper was wet.

Second Paper Making Experiment

Here are my photos from my second attempt at paper making, this time using an A3 deckle.

I started by putting more paper into the original pulp mix and blending it more to make it thinner. I then put the pulp into a bigger container and added more water to it, because the original mix was too thick.

Afterwards, I placed the deckle in the water and made sure the pulp was evenly spread on the deckle before lifting it fully out the water and placing it on the side of the container to drain a bit. Then I placed the deckle frame on the pulp so that I could get the deckle edge.

I then spread out some j-cloths on a surface which is where I would be putting my paper. I then got the deckle and placed it on the j-cloths and began sponging off the excess water. The deckle made it a lot easier to do this compared to my first attempt when I was using the splatter guard. I didn’t realise how much water it held until I began the removal of it.

After I got as much water out of it as I could have, I removed the deckle and was left with my paper. Compared to my first two attempts, this one was thin and evenly spread out meaning it looked a lot like what I was trying to get at.

           

First Paper Making Experiment

Below are my first attempts at making paper. I didn’t have a deckle so I had to improvise by using a splatter guard and a draining spoon.

I began by creating the pulp. To do this I got some paper which had already been shredded and put it in a blender with some water – the ratio being one third paper, two thirds water.

The next thing I did was collect some of the pulp on the spoon and spread it over the splatter guard. This proved more difficult than I had anticipated because when I tried to flatten and spread the pulp out it all stuck together.

When all the pulp was on the splatter guard I then removed a lot of the excess water off with a sponge, over the sink. After, I placed a glass cutting board over the splatter guard and flipped it over. I continued to remove as much excess water as I could. When there was no more to remove, I placed the cutting board in my conservatory so that it would dry as fast as possible.

       

Below are photos of the paper in my sketchbook when they have dried.

  

Fibre-Based Composites: Artist Research

Nava Lubelski

Nava’s work is extremely interesting because she combines destruction and rebirth by using different techniques to reassemble her work. I like the techniques and colours she uses in her work, because initially you think its just a painting or stains on her materials. But then you look closer and you see that its all done with a purpose. I will possibly use this technique as experimentation when creating my own work.

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