- Letterpress
- Calligraphy
- Screen Print
- Needle Point
- Digital
- General Hand Work
I wanted to explore the methods from this list which interested me, but also research different ways in which type is created (the gaps in my knowledge).
I started off by looking at needle point, and the different styles within the craft by which you can create a type face;
Cross Stitch - I found that although it gave a very traditionally pleasing effect, the weave of the 'banding' in which you stitched caused a few restrictions in the shapes and lines you could make.
I used cross stitch to attempt more modern styles of type;
'Crewel' - Free hand stitch (a bit of the gap in my knowledge filled there!!) Possibly my favourite style of stitch. You're able to build different textures and shapes. But there is something to be said for having a grid to work with like in cross stitch. The wooden hoop seen in the image below helps a lot when doing needle point, I was doing the cross stitch without one!
I looked at 'Blackwork' - not quite as free hand as 'Crewel' but not as restrictive as cross stitch.
All 3 of these methods got me thinking about Old vs New in terms of creating type. These are all old/traditional ways in which you can create text, patterns & images. But the digital age has taken over so much that what was once a craft taught to young girls - an important talent which would help their families legacy live through the 'samplers' which they would create - is now very rarely used.
Its always pleasing to see young people now creating hand & machine stitched work - and even better when an exhibition comes out of it; like 'Forget me-not' at the Hanahou Gallery, New York - which I found documented on Flickr;
I found quite a recent example of cross stitch being used in the media;
The use of cross stitch to show 'The Family' is a very traditional reference - from what I mentioned earlier - and I hope this was an actual cross stitch, rather than digitally created.
It got me thinking about the ways stitch can be reproduced digitally. I looked at online fonts;
I came to the conclusion (and hope) that these fonts aren't used to replace the craft, but as an alternative for times when you need a fast representation.
Another method of embroidering type is by using a sewing machine;
Although the main use for sewing machine is for the creation of clothing and other fabric based items, on many machines you can do 'Free motion stitching' where the needle and foot gives you the freedom to move your fabric in any direction, rather than straight forwards and back.
I used cross stitch to attempt more modern styles of type;
'Crewel' - Free hand stitch (a bit of the gap in my knowledge filled there!!) Possibly my favourite style of stitch. You're able to build different textures and shapes. But there is something to be said for having a grid to work with like in cross stitch. The wooden hoop seen in the image below helps a lot when doing needle point, I was doing the cross stitch without one!
I looked at 'Blackwork' - not quite as free hand as 'Crewel' but not as restrictive as cross stitch.
All 3 of these methods got me thinking about Old vs New in terms of creating type. These are all old/traditional ways in which you can create text, patterns & images. But the digital age has taken over so much that what was once a craft taught to young girls - an important talent which would help their families legacy live through the 'samplers' which they would create - is now very rarely used.
Its always pleasing to see young people now creating hand & machine stitched work - and even better when an exhibition comes out of it; like 'Forget me-not' at the Hanahou Gallery, New York - which I found documented on Flickr;
I found quite a recent example of cross stitch being used in the media;
The use of cross stitch to show 'The Family' is a very traditional reference - from what I mentioned earlier - and I hope this was an actual cross stitch, rather than digitally created.
It got me thinking about the ways stitch can be reproduced digitally. I looked at online fonts;
I came to the conclusion (and hope) that these fonts aren't used to replace the craft, but as an alternative for times when you need a fast representation.
Another method of embroidering type is by using a sewing machine;
Although the main use for sewing machine is for the creation of clothing and other fabric based items, on many machines you can do 'Free motion stitching' where the needle and foot gives you the freedom to move your fabric in any direction, rather than straight forwards and back.
I have used a sewing machine in the past, but never as a means of creating typography. I think it will create neatness which isn't possibly through handwork, but could be hard to control.
If I were to go one step further - I'd try a digital sewing machine; These are basically robots, you can tell them exactly what you want creating and it will do it for your (with some restriction, no doubt).
Read all about it right here.
Word on the street is that they have one of these in the Fashion/textiles department at college - if I could just overcome my fear of fashion students!!
But with both technology based methods and traditional hand work, there is a lot of frustration.
With sewing by hand, I'm forever getting knots - putting the work down and leaving it for a day - hoping the knot will somehow untie itself. Unfortunately, if you can't untie the knot yourself, you have to cut it out, which at the least will take you back a few stitches - and at the most, ruin the last 5 hours hard work and concentration - which leads me to 2 other key factors of hand stitch - the time - the letters I created by cross stitch measure around 1" squared and took up to 3 hours each to stitch, causing dumb bum, fuzzy eyes & nausea. Secondly, the sheer amount of concentration you have to constantly be putting in to avoid things like knots, is unbelievable, but incredibly hypnotic and therapeutic.
If I were to go one step further - I'd try a digital sewing machine; These are basically robots, you can tell them exactly what you want creating and it will do it for your (with some restriction, no doubt).
"Probably the most exciting thing to happen in the world of sewing for a long long time has been the merger of digital technology with the sewing machine."
Read all about it right here.
Word on the street is that they have one of these in the Fashion/textiles department at college - if I could just overcome my fear of fashion students!!
But with both technology based methods and traditional hand work, there is a lot of frustration.
With sewing by hand, I'm forever getting knots - putting the work down and leaving it for a day - hoping the knot will somehow untie itself. Unfortunately, if you can't untie the knot yourself, you have to cut it out, which at the least will take you back a few stitches - and at the most, ruin the last 5 hours hard work and concentration - which leads me to 2 other key factors of hand stitch - the time - the letters I created by cross stitch measure around 1" squared and took up to 3 hours each to stitch, causing dumb bum, fuzzy eyes & nausea. Secondly, the sheer amount of concentration you have to constantly be putting in to avoid things like knots, is unbelievable, but incredibly hypnotic and therapeutic.
Similar things occur when using machinery & digital technology. In my experience, computers are around 99% reliable, but that 1% can destroy the last weeks/months/years work. Frustration can be caused by fumbling your way around a program, not understanding the quickest route to your desired destination, computers slowing down, crashing and freezing.
Although 'machines' don't always have a computer brain, they have mechanics, which is more than your hands - you know your hands like... the back of your hand, and very little can go wrong. Using a machine gets very frustrating when it starts eating up your fabric, threads get tangled, disappear into the machine, or a needle snaps because you're accidentally going too fast.
I looked at typography created by hand;
looking at Mike Perry & Edward Fella:
A page from 'Hand Job' by Mike Perry
A page from 'Letters on America' by Edward Fella
I looked at the different techniques used by professional hand typographers and also the work of anonymous typographers in Ed Fellas' book and in my black & white photography elective project - 'Hand type of Hyde Park'
(black & white photography - another process which contributes to my old vs new arguments)
I looked at Job Wouters; And the steps he takes in making his final pieces, which often includes screen and block printing.
Creative Review, February
I made my own screen print from hand produced type using pencil and paper - scanning the images into photoshop to perfect the image ready for screen printing -
I looked at moving type;
A page from 'Hand Job' by Mike Perry
A page from 'Letters on America' by Edward Fella
I looked at the different techniques used by professional hand typographers and also the work of anonymous typographers in Ed Fellas' book and in my black & white photography elective project - 'Hand type of Hyde Park'
(black & white photography - another process which contributes to my old vs new arguments)
I looked at Job Wouters; And the steps he takes in making his final pieces, which often includes screen and block printing.
Creative Review, February
I made my own screen print from hand produced type using pencil and paper - scanning the images into photoshop to perfect the image ready for screen printing -
I looked at moving type;
Was inspired by Stop Frame Animation:
Pornophonic Orchestra - Dimanche après-midi from yann deval on Vimeo.
Got pissed off at Kinetic Typography:
(I've recently been thinking about why exactly this pisses me off, and I think its because they all seem to be made using film monologues - The reason which I've only just realised is that its hard to think up your own text for a project like this, especially when you're learning - so I'm sorry, Kinetic Typography, for slagging you off.)
I checked out the history of kinetic typography, found that Saul Bass was the first to use it effectively;
I created my own stop frame animation using hand drawn type and a program called 'Frame Thief':
My First Stop Frame Animation from Kate Prior on Vimeo.
Although this play session had quite a good outcome; there was still so much I had to learn and think about before making something of a better standard;
There are more things I want to add to that list - I need to be more experimental with ways of making motion - using different materials, not just pens. But now I feel confident about using animation booth, I want to continue with ideas for a better, more experimental, animation.
I created my own stop frame animation using hand drawn type and a program called 'Frame Thief':
My First Stop Frame Animation from Kate Prior on Vimeo.
Although this play session had quite a good outcome; there was still so much I had to learn and think about before making something of a better standard;
There are more things I want to add to that list - I need to be more experimental with ways of making motion - using different materials, not just pens. But now I feel confident about using animation booth, I want to continue with ideas for a better, more experimental, animation.
I have just under a week before the deadline of this project, and there is still so much I want to work on; including another animation.
No comments:
Post a Comment