Artistic Explorations: 3D Design (1)

When I was a young teenager my father introduced me to photography. He had a dark room and I remember watching him processing his images with different chemicals in various baths. It was magical to see him developing his artistic photographs! At that time I had my own small analogue camera but I never tried to develop my images myself because the smell of these chemicals really put me off. When I got my first digital camera around 2004, just before we moved to Scotland, it all changed. I enjoyed learning how to develop them on my computer and quickly I was hooked. My love for photography was reignited.

When my father gave me a selection of vintage cameras, previously owned by him, my grandfather and even my great grandfather, I was delighted! Although I have never used them myself, I feel honoured I'm the keeper of this precious collection.

My vintage camera collection

Among this collection is a glassplate camera and a rolleiflex

 

A few retro cameras

I even have a camera made out of of a can from Cuba, given by my parents!

 
Recently I started my 3D design course at Grays School of Art in Aberdeen. During this course we learn about lasercutting and 3D printing. After familiarising with Adobe Illustrator again for the first two lessons (it had been a long time ago since I used it but it's like driving a car), we had to choose an object we wanted to create and/or blend into. I chose to recreate one of the vintage cameras: the Balda Super Baldina from around 1950's!

Balda Super Baldina camera (1950's)

 

Sketchbook with my design for the camera

After measuring, drawing, re-measuring, tweaking and adding a few more drawings I was finally able to have all my pieces cut out from cardboard with the lasercutter. Then I glued all the different pieces together. There were a few things I had left out in my initial design, but once I had assembled the camera I thought it would be better to add them so I cut the viewfinder front and back, side strips, tiny cord holes on the side and flashlight holder by hand.

My cardboard replica of the Balda Super Baldina next to the real one

 

The reconstructed Balda Super Baldina in cardboard

 

Balda Super Baldina, back view

 

Balda Super Baldina, top view

I really enjoyed the whole process from design to contruction and I'm pleased with how it turned out. Now it has a spot in my small vintage camera museum!

Artistic Explorations: Self Portrait (1)

For my next project at Life Drawing class we were going to do a self portrait, one of my least favourite subjects! It would be my second attempt in two years. Again, I wanted to create an interesting surface first (perhaps to redirect the attention to that instead of my actual portrait?). Coincidentally at the same time I had asked my father and aunt whether they had any vintage articles from magazines and newspapers. They are both very interested in history in general so I thought they might have something for me.

Well, I was happily surprised that my dad had just gone through a pile of old newspaper cuttings, officially typed documents and magazine articles they found after his mother passed away. They were all about my great-grandfather who retired as director of the Post Office in The Hague, The Netherlands in 1941.
He had selected the ones he wanted to keep but there was many more left and I could have these!

I had so much joy reading these articles and selecting cuttings for my collage. I was especially moved by his personal speech looking back at his career as a director. Before I started to cut and tear I took photos of the text of course and this collage is what I created.

Paper collage on grey board

Close-up collage

Close-up collage

Then I added gesso and sketched my portrait in pencil first. The final drawing includes brown indian ink, pen, Cretacolour Chunky Charcoal and Golden liquid acrylics. It doesn't look like me at all and some proportions are not correct but somehow the drawing is intriguing. I hadn't planned it but the way the words " De Wachter" (which is the title of a newspaper and means Watchman) are placed on my forehead and my left eye reflecting a picture of my great grandfather is quite symbolic!

Self portrait on collaged paper

Self portrait close-up

Self portrait close-up

Self portrait close-up