printing

In this module we are asked to research self portraits done by artists, and in particular distorted self portraits! This could be the inspiration for doing our own distorted self portraits.  We find ways to distort & photograph our own faces.
We then record these images in our sketch books and use them as a starting point to do some drawings & paintings.  The end point is to produce a monoprint! Using our research & responses to come up with a distorted self portrait that could be worked up into a print (lino).
Here are some that I found interesting, and my responses to them:

Photographic distortions, found through online research:

Some of the first I found are Picasso's, but I'm not sure whether its fair or accurate

 to class them as 'distorted'.

Its fascinating to see how his style evolves throughout his life; certainly he is never complacent 

or interested in maintaining the status quo.  

Janos Kmetty, 1911

Emil Nolde, 1912.  I love these colours so much.

Guim Tio Zarraluki.  

The fascinating thing about portraiture, whether distorted or not, is how incredibly diverse 

the styles are.  A bit like humans..... no two alike.

I love this collage.  

I find this really interesting, & am considering trying to do something like this for my print.

This is a whole different way of doing distortion.

Photographic distortions of myself!!

Selfie, through a door way with pimpled glass

Distorted lips chin & nose, in case you didn't know! Photographed through a window

Puckered

Magnified eye

And again (double whammy; got my glasses on this time)

Love the reflections.  Think this has potential.

Hidden; like so many of the world's women

Close up..... again this could have potential for the print.  

All the textures of the fabric, lots of lines on the skin.... reflections within the glassses....

definitely interesting.

Big nose!!! I use this to do a drawing which I then tore up....

just another approach to distortion.

Take a relatively normal selfie...

And your phone camera can do weird and wonderful things with it for you!

Great fun.... It is actually quite a helpful tool, as these photos show they suggest ways to go.

Here are some of my responses to my photographic distorted self portraits:

I came across this image somewhere and immediately found it hit some sort of very positive button in me.

So much so that I have decided to use this as the style model for my distorted image.  I enjoy its slightly stylised, almost primitive feel, perhaps south American or Mexican in origin.  

So I first did a drawing in the style above, trying to make it 'me' as much as possible.  I enlarged it to the size I wanted using a photocopier, then ironed it on to the lino to transfer the image! Neat huh! Well it would have been if the paper hadn't started sticking to the lino, becoming part of it!!! 

This was to have implications when it came to printing, as the ink wouldn't adhere properly to the surface, leaving white marks where they were not wanted.  Grrrrrr. 

The image below shows part of my cutting journey. 

The great thing about this project is that I could stop and take a print whenever I wanted, to see if I had done enough cutting.  Usually not! 

And a little further again:

I have done more cutting in the background in the image below:

 Shown below is a print. Notice how it is reversed when it comes to printing.  

I have done the print in a lovely shade of blue ink, then added tissue with spraymount for extra colour.

I tried a few different combinations:

Its a novel way to add colour.  Usually in lino printing, adding colour involves different layers of cutting.  It can get quite technical and a tad complicated.  Good for the brain I'm sure.

Below I have done a black background.  Much more cutting too.

Am I there yet?  I think so.  

I still need to try and get some more good quality prints.  This means trying to deal with  those pesky iron marks made at the start.