Comments from two different friends have been playing in my mind for the past week.
One comment was a sweeping statement about a "common" trait which artists possess; specifically the trait of obsession and it's positive aspect that fosters focus and determination.
The other comment was that I do not know how to promote myself and tend to discount all of the studying, learning, and research I do on my own.
These comments have me reflecting on the new things I have learned this past year, both as an example of useful obsession and, perhaps, some things that I must consider when promoting my constant research.
Wanting to stitch the panoramic photos from January 2010, I had to learn a couple more Photoshop tools, and was forced to reconcile with the fact that I am far better off shooting entirely in RAW from now on. I obsessed over image quality and adjustments throughout the summer, working closely with Mark Gibson from Maine. We shared knowledge and pushed each others photographic abilities for two months, spending many hours after work in front of computer screens critiquing our images.
As I began to print giclees on watercolor paper last spring, I started to obsess about color quality and accuracy. This opened my eyes to steps in the workflow that I did not know existed. Many late night print experiments, research on the internet, and reading technical manuals that were often written for someone with a better knowledge base than I had at the time, led to a satisfactory work flow (which THIS spring I am revisiting and hoping to fine tune).
This past spring was also when I finally was able to start experimenting with photo polymergravure. 20 plates and who-knows-how-many prints later I had to leave the press for a summer of work. This fall I returned to the process and have advanced to the point where I am considered a fellow printmaker (not a beginner) by other people using this process.
This past December, I used the sketchbook project from Art House Coop as an excuse to actually make a focused sketchbook about the Grand Canyon, then used that sketchbook to learn Adobe InDesign to lay out a book and find a way to get it published.
I used the Grand Canyon trip as an excuse to learn about HDR photography.
The micro contrast adjustments that can be made have given me some ideas about fine tuning the compensation curves for polymer photogravure (a process which I was determined to learn last spring).
AND, the impressions of the Grand Canyon have me obsessed about color accuracy again. I want to preserve the color impression that I had on that trip, not just relying on the shifted colors that a computer screen wants me to see.
I don't have a slick way of ending this blog post. (I'm glad it's only a blog post) Perhaps I have concluded that I'll continue to obsessively research, and that the obsession to do so is a positive trait.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Spring is here and I feel like painting
First day that was well above 50 degrees was a perfect excuse to spend a little time outside and start a painting that has had an under-drawing on it for about two years. The complementary painting to this one was finished in June of 2009 and has been waiting for it's twin for too long. (both are on 3/4" wood panel that measures 23 7/8" x 47 7/8")
I debate whether to call these paintings or drawings. I don't care about the category except when someone (for some odd reason) feels the need to make me define them one way or another.
The green stain (which I made from oil paint) will have to dry for a few days. When it is dry enough to be permanent, I'll start woking into the piece with lumber crayon, oil bar, and china marker. At some point, it needs a little bit more paint, but most of the work is done with drawing materials.
---------------------------------------------------------------
here is an update with the painting/drawing almost finished, and sitting next to it's twin
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
color accuracy and workflow
(being a better photographer while documenting 2 dimensional art work)
This is the beginning of a focused experiment which aims to improve my own photographic skill set for documenting my work more accurately. ***
I have the artist's proofs of 23 different screenprints.
They have been documented in the past with a Canon EOS 20D, and edited on whichever computer I had at the time. Both lighting conditions while shooting, and the calibration of the monitors while editing were not the same. I will control that in this project with the following experiment...
Phase 1:
Shoot the 23 screenprints in 3 different lighting environments with a Canon EOS 50D.
Lighting environment #1 is outside on a an overcast day.
Lighting environment #2 is inside with a bank of fluorescent lights with bulbs rated 5000K.
Lighting environment #3 is inside with 2 halogen lights on either side of the art work.
Phase 2:
Adjust the while balance from the RAW images on 3 different computer monitors and save each version as a TIFF.
Monitor #1 is a laptop: MacBook Pro 13"
Monitor #2 is a Dell 2009W 20" that I think is a bit on the green side (no matter how much I try to calibrate it)
Monitor #3 is a Dell 30" that is used by many people at a university (so the calibration is questionable)
Compare the three versions, side by side, on each of the 3 different monitors.
This should give me a good baseline to start the next phase of the experiment.
Phase 3:
Using an Epson Stylus Pro 3800 printer, print all 3 versions of an image with standard Adobe sRGB.
See which version is most similar to the original screenprint. That should reveal the best workflow for the photography phase.
Phase 4:
Using the best version from phase 2 & 3,
experiment with different ICC profiles so that the computer, printer, and paper are coordinated for best color output.
*** I've had a good grasp of basic photographic elements since middle school. Exposure, aperture and shutter speed, ISO, composition, lighting, etc.; enough to allow me to take some photos that do a bit more than satisfy just myself. Throughout my career as an artists, I have documented my work with a camera. My first efforts involved waiting for an overcast day the would provide an even light source outside. I set up the tripod, made sure everything was centered, parallel, perpendicular to reduce lens distortion, and shot brackets like crazy to make sure I could have a at least a few good slides for the portfolio. That was an expensive process. It would have been more expensive if I had to pay someone else to do it. Sometimes, when discouraged or frustrated by my own work, I looked to other artists' portfolio slides. Most of the time, the people who they paid as "pro" photographers did not do any better than me. It both encouraged me to keep taking my own pictures, and frustrated me with the thought that I was going to have to invest a lot of money in studio equipment, and time in research. I went the digital route as soon as I could, but feel that DSLR imaging technology has only recently become sophisticated enough to reproduce the subtle color shifts that I want. (note: the technology was probably there a bit earlier, but I could never afford the cutting-edge cameras, and have had to wait until the pro level equipment technology trickled down to the prosumer level equipment).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Results of Phase #2 (click on image to see it larger) note: paper is Canson Edition Cream
------------------------------------------------------------------------
These were shot outside on an overcast day.
Adjusted with MacBook Pro (left), Dell 2009W (center), Dell 30" not quite sure of model (right)
These were shot inside with a bank of fluorescent lights (bulbs claim to be 5000K)
Adjusted with MacBook Pro (left), Dell 2009W (center), Dell 30" not quite sure of model (right)
These were shot inside under two halogen lights (not floods or spots)
Adjusted with MacBook Pro (left), Dell 2009W (center), Dell 30" not quite sure of model (right)
This is the beginning of a focused experiment which aims to improve my own photographic skill set for documenting my work more accurately. ***
I have the artist's proofs of 23 different screenprints.
They have been documented in the past with a Canon EOS 20D, and edited on whichever computer I had at the time. Both lighting conditions while shooting, and the calibration of the monitors while editing were not the same. I will control that in this project with the following experiment...
Phase 1:
Shoot the 23 screenprints in 3 different lighting environments with a Canon EOS 50D.
Lighting environment #1 is outside on a an overcast day.
Lighting environment #2 is inside with a bank of fluorescent lights with bulbs rated 5000K.
Lighting environment #3 is inside with 2 halogen lights on either side of the art work.
Phase 2:
Adjust the while balance from the RAW images on 3 different computer monitors and save each version as a TIFF.
Monitor #1 is a laptop: MacBook Pro 13"
Monitor #2 is a Dell 2009W 20" that I think is a bit on the green side (no matter how much I try to calibrate it)
Monitor #3 is a Dell 30" that is used by many people at a university (so the calibration is questionable)
Compare the three versions, side by side, on each of the 3 different monitors.
This should give me a good baseline to start the next phase of the experiment.
Phase 3:
Using an Epson Stylus Pro 3800 printer, print all 3 versions of an image with standard Adobe sRGB.
See which version is most similar to the original screenprint. That should reveal the best workflow for the photography phase.
Phase 4:
Using the best version from phase 2 & 3,
experiment with different ICC profiles so that the computer, printer, and paper are coordinated for best color output.
*** I've had a good grasp of basic photographic elements since middle school. Exposure, aperture and shutter speed, ISO, composition, lighting, etc.; enough to allow me to take some photos that do a bit more than satisfy just myself. Throughout my career as an artists, I have documented my work with a camera. My first efforts involved waiting for an overcast day the would provide an even light source outside. I set up the tripod, made sure everything was centered, parallel, perpendicular to reduce lens distortion, and shot brackets like crazy to make sure I could have a at least a few good slides for the portfolio. That was an expensive process. It would have been more expensive if I had to pay someone else to do it. Sometimes, when discouraged or frustrated by my own work, I looked to other artists' portfolio slides. Most of the time, the people who they paid as "pro" photographers did not do any better than me. It both encouraged me to keep taking my own pictures, and frustrated me with the thought that I was going to have to invest a lot of money in studio equipment, and time in research. I went the digital route as soon as I could, but feel that DSLR imaging technology has only recently become sophisticated enough to reproduce the subtle color shifts that I want. (note: the technology was probably there a bit earlier, but I could never afford the cutting-edge cameras, and have had to wait until the pro level equipment technology trickled down to the prosumer level equipment).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Results of Phase #2 (click on image to see it larger) note: paper is Canson Edition Cream
------------------------------------------------------------------------
These were shot outside on an overcast day.
Adjusted with MacBook Pro (left), Dell 2009W (center), Dell 30" not quite sure of model (right)
These were shot inside with a bank of fluorescent lights (bulbs claim to be 5000K)
Adjusted with MacBook Pro (left), Dell 2009W (center), Dell 30" not quite sure of model (right)
These were shot inside under two halogen lights (not floods or spots)
Adjusted with MacBook Pro (left), Dell 2009W (center), Dell 30" not quite sure of model (right)
Monday, March 28, 2011
Drawing from Nature
directions to Fairleigh Dickinson University
Gallery is on the main floor of University Hall
Featuring:
Jamie Medeiros
Alison Hall
Darryl Arbesman
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Grand Canyon Sketchbook Tour and Book on Amazon
Here is a link to the book's page on Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615444059/ref=cm_rdp_product
It is a faithful reproduction of the sketchbook playing in the slideshow below (with an introduction, and a couple more pages added after the trip, which are NOT part of the touring original)
The Amazon page has a short video where you can see what the book really looks like.
This sketchbook will tour the country with a large group show of sketchbooks in New York, Maine, Texas, Georgia, Washington D.C., Washington, California, Illinois, and Florida.
The title of the sketchbook is "It Must Be...done better (a Grand Canyon Trip)".
It Must Be refers to the existence of that which already exists with or without us; things like the Grand Canyon itself. It is a phrase which also is a recognition that we cannot go some places, or should not go some places, and that is the way it must be. I also believe that we, as humans, have mismanaged natural resources (specifically WATER in this case) and rethinking our rate of use, management techniques, and "rights" to water is something that MUST happen. There are more implications to It Must Be, some of which are too lengthy to list here, and others that you may think of yourself.
done better is directly related to the above paragraph, as well as reflects my own regrets about my personal journey in the Grand Canyon. I had a good time, but there are things that I would do differently/better next time.
(disclaimer: this has nothing to do with anyone else on the trip, only my own approach. We had a wonderful group on this trip, and I'd love to paddle down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon again with each one of them)
Enjoy the slideshow.
The images are hosted at b-uncut.net.
The tour of the sketchbook is an extention of a sketchbook project through Art House Coop
search for the book using the ISBN: 978-0615444055
or just click this Amazon link to get it now
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615444059/ref=cm_rdp_product
It is a faithful reproduction of the sketchbook playing in the slideshow below (with an introduction, and a couple more pages added after the trip, which are NOT part of the touring original)
The Amazon page has a short video where you can see what the book really looks like.
This sketchbook will tour the country with a large group show of sketchbooks in New York, Maine, Texas, Georgia, Washington D.C., Washington, California, Illinois, and Florida.
The title of the sketchbook is "It Must Be...done better (a Grand Canyon Trip)".
It Must Be refers to the existence of that which already exists with or without us; things like the Grand Canyon itself. It is a phrase which also is a recognition that we cannot go some places, or should not go some places, and that is the way it must be. I also believe that we, as humans, have mismanaged natural resources (specifically WATER in this case) and rethinking our rate of use, management techniques, and "rights" to water is something that MUST happen. There are more implications to It Must Be, some of which are too lengthy to list here, and others that you may think of yourself.
done better is directly related to the above paragraph, as well as reflects my own regrets about my personal journey in the Grand Canyon. I had a good time, but there are things that I would do differently/better next time.
(disclaimer: this has nothing to do with anyone else on the trip, only my own approach. We had a wonderful group on this trip, and I'd love to paddle down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon again with each one of them)
Enjoy the slideshow.
The images are hosted at b-uncut.net.
The tour of the sketchbook is an extention of a sketchbook project through Art House Coop
search for the book using the ISBN: 978-0615444055
or just click this Amazon link to get it now
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Grand Canyon trip and follow up a big success
The western trip was a great success. The research trip was a good mixture of fun and work, which has yielded the start of several possible directions to take the new material.
Upon emerging from the Grand Canyon on January 2nd, my first priority was to visit the rim of the canyon on the south side and take some panoramic photos, looking over the area I could not see from the two week trip inside the canyon itself, along the Colorado River. It was covered with snow. The light was diffuse in areas, and sharp in others, lending the images to mimick the harsh and beautiful nature of that desert wonder.
Step two, after driving up to Colorado, was to spend time editing all the images from the two-week river trip. Everything from my compact camera is posted in it's own gallery. Most of the images from the DSLR are posted in another gallery. The DSLR images (including the photos from the south rim) are taking quite a long time to edit. Most of the exposures are bracketted and have to be manually adjusted so that the full range of the landscape could be perserved. You an find the finsihed images in this gallery.
http://artandwater.smugmug.com/GrandCanyonDec2010Jan2011
I set up a gallery for everyone in our trip (who had a camera), so please enjoy all the photos.
The next order of business was to finish the sketchbook/journal that I started in the Grand Canyon. I forced myself to put the photos on hold, and spent 10 days completing the drawings. (these images will play here, in a week, as a slide show)
While in the Durango, CO area, I dropped into Open Shutter Gallery and had some great discussions with Bob about the Curtis gravure prints they have. He seemed very interested in alternative processes. The gallery opened a community show that week called "Entropy". There were some very litereal translations and some very loose ones. For a community show, it had more than a few good photos hanging on the wall. I'm impressed that Durango has so many aspiring photographers in the area.
The Spring semester, family and friends, and the studio space needed to complete this work were caling me back east by January 17th. I had time for a one-day stop in Denver, where I dropped into the studio of Mark Lunning of Open Press Ltd.. We discussed photo polymergravure, and the tremendous potential of this technique. Speaking to a master printer was a rare treat. After a visit to the Denver Art Museum I had an appointment with Jon Lybrook of Intaglio Editions to review my photo polymergravure images and process. He was shooting a new plate, and after talking about my work, seeing his portfolio, and discussing some troubleshooting, I watched his process. In many ways I am encouraged that I am mostly on the right track. A few minor adjustments should make a tremendous difference.
The only bad news (other than a very difficult journey back east) is that I have lost the only two proofs of this image...
This image is a revelatory image for my own polymergravure process. It was scheduled to be editioned next month. Unfortunately, if I do not find the two proofs, I have to assume that it is in the wrong hands and therefore cannot make a fully edition, with proper documentation. I will have to change the image, shoot a new plate, and run with that version. Hopefully, it's just sitting at one of the places I visited and they recognize the two proofs mixed in with their other work and get them back to me.
search for the book using the ISBN: 978-0615444055
Upon emerging from the Grand Canyon on January 2nd, my first priority was to visit the rim of the canyon on the south side and take some panoramic photos, looking over the area I could not see from the two week trip inside the canyon itself, along the Colorado River. It was covered with snow. The light was diffuse in areas, and sharp in others, lending the images to mimick the harsh and beautiful nature of that desert wonder.
Step two, after driving up to Colorado, was to spend time editing all the images from the two-week river trip. Everything from my compact camera is posted in it's own gallery. Most of the images from the DSLR are posted in another gallery. The DSLR images (including the photos from the south rim) are taking quite a long time to edit. Most of the exposures are bracketted and have to be manually adjusted so that the full range of the landscape could be perserved. You an find the finsihed images in this gallery.
http://artandwater.smugmug.com/GrandCanyonDec2010Jan2011
I set up a gallery for everyone in our trip (who had a camera), so please enjoy all the photos.
The next order of business was to finish the sketchbook/journal that I started in the Grand Canyon. I forced myself to put the photos on hold, and spent 10 days completing the drawings. (these images will play here, in a week, as a slide show)
While in the Durango, CO area, I dropped into Open Shutter Gallery and had some great discussions with Bob about the Curtis gravure prints they have. He seemed very interested in alternative processes. The gallery opened a community show that week called "Entropy". There were some very litereal translations and some very loose ones. For a community show, it had more than a few good photos hanging on the wall. I'm impressed that Durango has so many aspiring photographers in the area.
The Spring semester, family and friends, and the studio space needed to complete this work were caling me back east by January 17th. I had time for a one-day stop in Denver, where I dropped into the studio of Mark Lunning of Open Press Ltd.. We discussed photo polymergravure, and the tremendous potential of this technique. Speaking to a master printer was a rare treat. After a visit to the Denver Art Museum I had an appointment with Jon Lybrook of Intaglio Editions to review my photo polymergravure images and process. He was shooting a new plate, and after talking about my work, seeing his portfolio, and discussing some troubleshooting, I watched his process. In many ways I am encouraged that I am mostly on the right track. A few minor adjustments should make a tremendous difference.
The only bad news (other than a very difficult journey back east) is that I have lost the only two proofs of this image...
This image is a revelatory image for my own polymergravure process. It was scheduled to be editioned next month. Unfortunately, if I do not find the two proofs, I have to assume that it is in the wrong hands and therefore cannot make a fully edition, with proper documentation. I will have to change the image, shoot a new plate, and run with that version. Hopefully, it's just sitting at one of the places I visited and they recognize the two proofs mixed in with their other work and get them back to me.
search for the book using the ISBN: 978-0615444055
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