27/10/14: INK

Research investigation & process - The task was to research the properties of paper and ink in different combinations to see the variety of results that could be achieved. I created a quill using an old drinks can for the metal nib and a short length of thin dowel for the shaft. First using standard black fountain pen ink, I practiced mark making on a sheet of lining paper to get used to handling the pen. Wallpaper paste mixed with black powder paint was rolled indiscriminately over the top of the page and left to dry for a short while before I went back to it and, using the quill again, attempted to pick a landscape out of the resultant composition. On a piece of scrap A4 textured paper, I also used the quill to create a character out of the marks on the paper. After this, sumi ink was added to the fountain pen ink, which is permanent and produces different tones. Transitioning from sticky note to A4 printing paper to A2 cartridge paper, I made three life drawing studies of the student sitting opposite me, incorporating a light ink wash into the largest piece as a last stage.

The journey - It was interesting to discover how many types of line could be created from one quill, and the way the ink interacted with the paper in unpredictable ways. Thanks to the fact that my mark making was not strictly abstract during the first stage, my landscape scene was not as cohesive as it could have been when I tried to bring it all together into one picture, and getting used to the flow and thickness of the line produced took me some time. I felt I had more success with the character creation I did next, though the texture of the paint already on the paper did not allow for a very fine line. The printer paper caused the sumi ink to bleed and produce sienna tints, and the larger sweeps of black produced with the long edge of the quill had a lightness that echoed the reflection of light that can sometimes be found in shaded areas. As this was my first experimentation with this combination I hadn't expected the results that could be produced and I tried to take better advantage of them in the large, A2 study. I felt that the diluted wash used in the light areas here filled in a mid-tone range that the undiluted ink applied by quill could not cover with the necessary delicacy.

The Project Brief - It was the aim during this experimentation to begin exploring the use of ink to create many different effects. To this end, I created a series of analytical drawings intended to incorporate ink into the format of landscape, character and portrait drawings that I am already familiar with.

The collection -

pen experimentation

ink on scrap textured paper

post-it and printer paper life drawing with ink

A2 sized life drawing portrait

Self portrait as robot

initial design in pencil

transferring idea to photoshop and the design at an early stage

The final design: few changes were made, the most obvious being the waist area. For almost unimpeded flexibility, the top and bottom halves of the robot do not quite touch, but are connected by an advanced type of electromagnetism.

final self as robot design

After doing some initial sketches for this assignment, it became clear that it would not be so hard as I had first imagined: I just had to design what came naturally, and it would reflect me! I immediately wanted to do a machine that could possibly be developed to replace humans in the future. 

some of the thoughts that influenced my design process:

• A future-ready humanoid would, in my opinion, only be slowed down by bionic components in futuristic living, which would definitely involve harsh space environments where things made of flesh and bone would be too vulnerable. 
• The processing would be done by a highly powerful computer stored in the chest compartment. It was natural to me to have this part glow, as it represents the almost spiritual level of intelligence that humans are capable of and a cold, hard casing would not have effectively demonstrated this. 
• The face is a holographic projection that would react in the same way as a human's would, and as a face is a quick and useful tool to communicate emotions and ideas, I think this would be retained as a way of communicating between robots. A holograph would have a greater scope of expression than a mechanical face, and would be more easily reparable in case of damage. As this robot is supposed to almost be the 'ghost' of a human (me!) long dead, whose intelligence has been transferred, it seemed right to have a flickering, vulnerable seeming face as a poignant reminder of the mortal state we once possessed.
• The body is primarily practical, its shapes quite muscular and flexible to indicate it would be used for travel and exploration further among the galaxy. The fingers are delicate and humanoid, as their versatility has always been one of humanity's advantages over the rest of the animal world. The cutout sections within the limbs are designed to show that the humanoid shape is purely a choice to remain humanoid rather than a necessity to the functionality of the robot.

What was important to me was that if I were to have myself uploaded into a machine, this would be something I would feel at home in, so I think this was a successful project.

Clay model sketch studies

10 minutes each rotation

quick pencil studies of a rotated clay character model. The unusual texture created a challenge as there were a lot of shallow shadows, some of which were warmly tinted while others were colder.

textured area

I had to turn this one 180°: a woman washes under a waterfall

textured area

North inspired! Power station on the edge of the moors

After covering a page of A1 watercolour paper with wallpaper paste mixture and splattered powder paint at random, I chose three areas that were especially texturally interesting and masked them off. It was revealed that these areas were to be the bases of made-up scenes, which were completed by adding charcoal detail in my case.

textured area

boating scene emerges

Brush and texture exprimentation

Headless skeleton + lamp, study with a thick brush

The purpose of these experiments was to unlearn the very controlled marks usually associated with realistic drawing. Using a large brush and unsophisticated wallpaper paste-based paint and allowed for altogether different pieces than I would usually produce.