Artistic Explorations: 3D Design (4)

Recently I started to experiment with creating printing plates with 3D print technology which I wrote about in one of my previous articles here. As I was not entirely happy with the result I wanted to explore this further. When I had posted about my process on Facebook, I was contacted by jewellery designer Elizabeth Armour who also works with this technology and is a freelance teacher in 3D design at Print Studio Dundee Contemporary Arts.

Print Studio at Dundee Contemporary Arts

We met up one day and spoke about our mutual interest in combining 3D print technology with traditional printmaking (intaglio and relief). I showed her my small printing plate and prints and she showed me what she had created so far. I was instantly inspired by her prints which had so much more detailed textures! So I decided to come back another day for a one-to-one session with her.

I first started with getting familiar with software program Cubify Sculpt and just play. It's like modelling on clay but then digitally! Using various features I was able to create different textures.  Then the file was sent to the UP! 3D printer.

The UP! 3D printer at Print Studio DCA

  

                                                               Video of my design being 3D printed
  
By using this software I realised you're not able to achieve full control of the design. What you do and see (magnified) on screen is tiny on the actual 3D printing plate! It's very experimental and liberating though to just play and see what comes out of that.

Once the plate was finished it was time to get the inks and scrim out and use the etching press. First I created intaglio prints in brown/black etching ink on damp paper, then I made some relief prints on dry paper in a beautiful brown lino/block printing ink I found there.

Using the etching press for printing off my plate

 

Intaglio print (left) with 3D printed plate

 

Intaglio print

Relief print

My production line! © Elizabeth Armour 2018

Thank you Lizzie for a wonderful session and sharing your expertise. I look forward experimenting a bit more here in Aberdeen at Peacock Visual Arts.

Fabulous Fabric: Upholstery

Since my small but wonderful art studio is finished end of last year I'm spending time in there regularly whether it's preparing for my workshops I organise every Monday and Tuesday, preparing for the life drawing class at Grays School of Art I attend myself or just working out concepts for new creative projects.

One of these projects was already getting shape the moment I finished the interior. The colour scheme of the office chair (black plastic and red furnishing) was really bothering me in the light interior and it made my wee studio even smaller!

Office chair before revamp

My collection of scraps and purchased fabric is gradually growing so it didn't take long to find the right combination. After I dismantled the furnishing from the plastic backing I measured the amount of fabric needed by covering it with a newspaper, traced around with a pen and cut it out. This was my pattern. Then I put the various pieces of fabric on to the newspaper pattern, moved them around to get the right design, cut some pieces to fit properly and sewed them all together.

Close-up of  sewed pieces of fabric

With a staple gun I fitted the fabric around the furnishing surfaces tightly (without taking off the old furnishing) and kept them apart. For the plastic parts of the chair I used Plastikote Antique White spraypaint. Several layers were needed to make a good covering. Et voilà, this is the result; a great revamp of an old office, if I may say so myself.

Revamped office chair

Top view revamped office chair

I used the app Instamag to create a professional look of my "new" chair, almost as if it was published in a real magazine!!

Magazine lay-out of revamped office chair with app Instamag

Art Studio

It took about 5 months all together but my art studio is now finished! With thanks to my lovely supporting husband who stripped the bothy, made frames for the walls and insulated them, put in new plasterboard, made the shelves and hung the lights and roller blinds. I painted the walls, ceiling and furniture. We only used a taper for finishing off the walls, a plumber to connect our old kitchen unit and an electricien for the wiring.

Front of bothy/art studio with new door and window

Hubby working hard for me!

Insulation is in place

Walls have been professionally taped

Pimping my old yellow bookcase

I used special crackle glaze to create this effect on my furniture

What a transformation! With the new electric heating it's also very cosy inside, just in time before the winter comes.

Lots of storage and plenty of space to create art

More storage for my mixed media materials

New vinyl floor

View towards house

The office chair will soon be reupholstered by myself

Shortened and pimped old kitchen unit

Leftover tiles from sunlounge as splashboard

Nice light even when the rollerblinds are down

Right after the studio was finished I had my first visitor; my father who wanted to learn more about how to use mixed media in paintings during a two day one-to-one workshop I organised!