Cartoon Transfer

Transferring the cartoon now.  Went with the waxy transfer computer paper.  Used a wooden spoon.

Can barely see the image through the transfer paper, but it looks like the image on the right.  

It's a pale image, but it's enough to work with.

I go over the lines in pencil.

Tedious, but necessary.  The image on the right helps with connecting missing lines.

Cartoons

I don't know what I think about transfer paper you run through the printer.  I've used it to good effect, but I keep falling back on my tried and true chalk-the-back and trace the cartoon method.

If I use the tracing paper, then I print out the cartoon in obverse:

And if I use the chalk method, then I print out the cartoon in reverse:

I don't have any strong feelings either way, I just have to make an executive decision.  You'd be surprised how hard that is.  ;- j

But decide I shall, and then I'll begin carving.  

~*~

Ok, so there's another reason a favor the chalk technique.  If I'm doing multiple blocks (and I'm still dithering about that too), I want to use the same cartoon, not a different print out.  I'm sure it's not really a problem, but I'm iffy on it.

The block is sanded and stained and drying in the garage.

~*~

Ok, there's a reason for using the transfer paper -- the image is too detailed.  If I decide to use 2 blocks I'll need exactitude.  Besides I stained the block and that doesn't take to chalk as well as when I blacken the board (used to use india ink and gesso, but I'm out of the habit).  So with the lighter wood the transfer may work better.  At any rate I've decided, so that's that.

But remember, print the cartoon the right way!!  I hate it when I get that wrong.  ;-*

Now I just have to stain the other side of the board for that mythical second block.

Motifs

Got the cartoon down to a set of motifs.

I can play with coloring the background now, as well as the snowflakes.  The chop is just a placeholder for whatever I'll be carving, and probably in the same colorway as the rest of the card.

Bill did his math magic on the card size and what size to carve the image on the block (i.e., how much margin to leave so I can crop it to fit).  Now all I have to decide is whether I want to carve an 8x10 or a 9x12 block.  Tiny detail seems to call for a larger block.

~*~

Measuring now.  Bill worked up the measurements for me,

Print 4.61 x 7.17  

Bleed (full image) 4.72 x 7.28

On the 8 x 10, 10 inches high, 6.5 inches wide

On the 9 x 12, 12 inches high, 7 3/4 inches wide

but I really have to print out a cartoon and hold it up to the block to see what I think.  Still dithering between blocks, but I'm leaning toward the larger one.  That castle motif is awfully small.

Snowflakes - The Choosing

Time to choose my snowflakes.  I've printed out pages of snowflakes to choose from.  It comes down to feathery ones and geometric ones, probably a mix of both.

Time to nail down the cartoon and start carving.  Christmas isn't going to wait.

Block Prep

Ok, I've got two mismatched blocks, but I can use either one and carve on the back (but it really is time to order more blocks from  http://www.imcclains.com/ ).  

So, do I use the 9"x12" or the 8"x10" block?  They're both 3/8" thick, so there's no problem carivng on both sides.

I guess it depends on how tiny I want to carve my snowflakes.  ;- j

Time to work up the cartoon and see.

Snowflakes and castle sans trees.

And of course I have to pick my snowflakes.

I love snowflakes!  (At a distance.)  ;- >

~*~

Playing with motif placement in PageMaker.  If I want to print out a cartoon and transfer it to the blocks, I have to translate an 9"x12" image to fit an 8.5"x11" sheet of paper.

Where the outside rectangle is the block and the inside rectangle is the sheet of paper.

Of course I need to leave room for my chop (which I might actually carve separately this time).

~*~

Math is my weakest suit, so I'm trying to juggle three sizes:  block, paper, actual card size (5.5"x8.25").

Here's what my cobbled cartoon looks like scaled down to the card size:

Now I can pull this off if the snow fades out to white on the bottom.  This particular image assumes a separate chop, as the top and bottom of the board are represented by the pale gray lines.

I have to keep in mind the wind-marks I want to include.  They can't go below the top or bottom of the board.

Oh well, I can always resort to letting my hubby the math wiz work it out for me.  ;- j  Why else did I marry him?

I haven't done it before, but the title can actually be added when the card is created in vistaprint.

Snowflake Mosh Pit

It's at the ugly stage at the moment.  Screenshots of gobbledy-gook.

Playing with size and placement of elements.  Pulled the castle from Castle Schuyler House:

But I'm liking the composition more or less from Mid-Winter Night:

But with the castle farther into the background.  Not sure of the type of tree in the foreground either.

Something akin to this:

Or maybe this, without the trees?

It's a little more elemental this way.

Tay Cards

Ordered personalized cards of Tay and the Night Visitor for a friend of a friend.  Unlike all the other xmas cards I've done for Schuyler House, this one was not generated with Vistaprint, and it turned out to be surprisingly difficult to change the text inside.

We're back with Vistaprint and happy with it.  I may move the Tay card over to Vistaprint eventually.

In the meantime, back to work on this year's xmas card.  It won't design and carve itself!

Art Show Aftermath

Sold a woodcut and an intaglio etching at the Garden Party Art Show yesterday.

Tay and the Night Visitor

Cosmic Bobcat (inked in a rainbow roll)

I also picked up a commission for a set of personalized xmas cards of the Tay card.  That surprised me.  I displayed all 5 Schuyler House xmas woocuts with their respective xmas cards, and someone asked if I could make him a set of cards with his name inside.  Why not?  8-]

So I'll start researching that project.  I'm used to ordering them in volume -- 500 to 1000 cards for the business.  So I'll have to see if they'll do an order of 50 to 100 cards (I'm sure they will) and how much that costs for processing.

If it works out, I may offer a line of blank or personaled xmas cards for other people besides Schuyler House.  ;- ]

Met a friend of one of the other artists who was taken with my woodcuts and took some pics to show a friend at work.  Ran into her again at dinner (she works at the restaurant the artists frequent), and she said nice things about my work.  Nice to be appreciated.  Maybe a future sale.  ;- j

Art Show Prep

I'm mixing it up a bit this time, our 3rd annual Garden Party Art Show.  I'm bringing my favorite woodcuts, but I'm also pulling out some pieces that haven't seen the light of day in awhile and framing them up.

Also, as I have 5 Schuyler House xmas card woodcuts already, I'm framing up the couple that weren't yet and displaying them all together, along with their respective xmas cards.  I so hoped to have this year's xmas card ready, but hey, at least I've started on it!  ;- j

And...I'm displaying some of my mini-tapestries.  Tapestry is like painting with thread, and they're in some familiar themes of mine: paleo and fantasy.

Still have to mat and frame up some woodcuts and do my control sheets.

Garden Party Art Show 8-]

On hiatus for a bit.  Have to set the xmas card aside and get ready for the our Third Annual Garden Party Art Show and Reception.  8-]

I have several prints to mount and frame for the show yet, which is par for the course.  I'm nothing if now a procrastinator!  ;- j

Hope to see some familiar faces there.  8-]

Snowflakes are Dancing

I got tired of drawing snowflakes, even stick figure ones, so I cut out some pics of snowflakes and I'm moving them around on pastel backgrounds.

That edge-on snowflake is looking more like a flying saucer than a dancing snowflake tho.  ;- j  Needs a little work.

Not sure about the copses of trees yet.  The seemed like a good idea.  I'll work on placement.

~*~

Trees bigger in the foreground, points of the snowflake point to the castle and the edge-one snowflake (illusion of movement).

I might even put actual swirly lines for movement; have to think about that one.

One suggestion on fb:  make foreground trees darker, which reminds me to make the middle ground trees lighter, for that distance-is-greyer effect.  The castle, however, has to pop.

And I might move the castle just a smidge toward the middle so it's in the frame more.

Haven't moved the castle yet, but I've messed with the trees a bit more.

Made the image narrow, more like the card dimensions (actually longer and thinner -- get exact dimensions before I carve!).

Sketch - Xmas 2012

Possible sketch for the xmas card.  Snowflake theme.  And of course the castle motif.

Here's a photo montage.

Xmas Card in July (now Aug.)

I can't believe I'm actually started the 2012 xmas card early.  Just in the input stage -- googling snowflakes and santas and lots of holiday images trying to get some ideas.  Nothing is gelling yet, but I have some motifs.

One of them is snowflakes, as in the photo-realistic ones.  That would be fun to carve.  Bill wants a castle in the background, like the first SH xmas card.

I'm thinking something even farther in the background, up on a hill, with snowflakes in the extreme foreground.

But not so much on the ground as in the air.  I do like the edge on flakes tho.

Another thought is a b&w image with just a dab of color (tho that doesn't lend itself to snowflakes very well).

Then I keep looking at polar bears...I really don't have anything nailed down yet.  ;- ]

Letterboxing Stamp

Back to carving -- this time a letterboxing stamp for my sister.  Thanx Lana Lambert of Pistoles Press http://pistolespress.blogspot.com/ for the chunk of EZ Cut to play with.

Here's the sketch of a baby elephant, with the initials JB:

 Here's carving it -- I thought lino was like butter, but this stuff is scary easy.

 And here's the little guy cleaned up (more or less).

Now I need to afix him to a chunk of wood for a handle.

I definitely want to play with this stamp medium some more, maybe for a personal chop for my woodcut prints.  ;-]

City of the World Project

Yay!  The City of the World Project is coming together.  8-]

My block (pigeon on a railing) is smack in the middle of the middle block, for those who are curious.  I think it's a great collection of city vignettes.

You can look at all the blocks up close on Maria's latest blog post:
http://puzzleprints.blogspot.com/2012/04/for-everyones-delight-blocks-up-close.html


Check it out.  8-]