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Grenn's stuff - Please give crit on my new site design - page 8

124

Posts

  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    edited August 2009
    love the step by step...

    Everyone should take printmaking if givin the chance.

    brokecracker on
  • GrennGrenn Registered User regular
    edited August 2009
    I printed these beasts yesterday and they came out pretty good!

    50 posters, 3 colours, no major fuckups.

    NM_12.jpg

    The texture came out pretty nice, although the card warped ever-so-slightly as it absorbed the ink, which threw my registration off a little. Good job I like the off-registered look:

    NM_13.jpg

    NM_14.jpg

    View more photos of the printing process over yonder.

    Good printing; good times.

    Grenn on
  • MustangMustang Arbiter of Unpopular Opinions Registered User regular
    edited August 2009
    So sexy, so so sexy and yes, highly lickable.

    Does it have a texture when you run your hand over it, it looks like it does.

    Mustang on
  • GrennGrenn Registered User regular
    edited August 2009
    Mustang wrote: »
    Does it have a texture when you run your hand over it, it looks like it does.

    Yes! One of my favourite things about screenprinting is that you can FEEL the ink on the surface of the paper -- you can even smell it. It is gorgeous and lovely and nice and tactile and yes, even lickable.

    Grenn on
  • CharisCharis Registered User regular
    edited August 2009
    Ffff how do you get your registration so nice, when I do mine it's all over the freaking place.

    Charis on
  • GrennGrenn Registered User regular
    edited August 2009
    Once I've done a couple of test prints and the ink is flowing, I print on a large sheet of acetate which I tape down on one side to keep put. This shows me exactly where each of my prints will be positioned. Then I can slide one of my sheets underneath the acetate and line the print up exactly.

    Once it's lined up, I just use tape to make registration tabs on one corner and one edge so every subsequent sheet goes down on the bed in exactly the same place.

    Still lots of other factors which can cause reg problems but this system works well enough for me.

    Grenn on
  • GrennGrenn Registered User regular
    edited August 2009
    Initial rough:
    blackbird_wip.gif

    Just getting the composition right before I start work on the texture properly. Crits welcomed - still not decided on the moon placement...

    Completed design, colour seperated and ready to print:

    blackbird.gif

    Grenn on
  • GrennGrenn Registered User regular
    edited August 2009
    Also here's a quick punk flyer I made on my lunch break (some slight kerning issues but we needed something asap):

    D4_small.gif

    PHOTOCOPY TILL DEATH!!!111

    Grenn on
  • KendeathwalkerKendeathwalker Registered User regular
    edited August 2009
    Photocopy till death? like MAking a copy of a copy until its just a bunch of black and white noise? Thatd be a cool evolution. Shit I sound like a conceptual artist.

    Kendeathwalker on
  • GrennGrenn Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Two new things from me...

    I was asked to be part of an exhibition taking place in Hamburg, Germany in a couple of weeks, where a bunch of silkscreen artists each paint or decorate a wooden squeegee.

    I haven't painted anything in quite a while so I found this a real challenge. Not 100% happy with the end result but as a physical object it's quite nice and hopefully it'll sit well with the other work.

    Acrylic on wood (apologies for the glare!):

    squeegee2.jpg

    And here's an album cover I was commissioned to do. I did a bunch of rough ideas and logos for the client to choose from and then produced a few versions of the final thing. The artist told me he wanted something which referenced the theme of communication and liked the idea of the telephone orbiting almost like it was a satellite, so that's what we went with.

    satellites.jpg

    Comments welcome.

    Grenn on
  • VeritasVeritas Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    The squeegee is pretty awesome. The castle is a bit rough but you should paint more stuff like that it came out well.

    Veritas on
  • GrennGrenn Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    The whole thing is a bit rough! Cheers for the comment though, I may give painting another go when I have some time to not have to rush it.

    Grenn on
  • desperaterobotsdesperaterobots perth, ausRegistered User regular
    edited September 2009
    The satellites thing is great. Simple and good. Yes.

    The acrylic looks like you worked it a lot while wet and maybe mixed your colours with black? Looking a little muddy is all. I need to do a painting on wood though, it's something I haven't tried yet. I want to do a painting on a wooden cube.

    desperaterobots on
  • GrennGrenn Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Re. the painting - I started out with the whole thing in bright solid colours, trying to replicate my digital stuff. I grew increasingly unhappy with it, as I wasn't getting the sharpness I wanted and was missing out on the 'expressive' nature of brush and paint.

    Soooo... I took a very diluted wash of blue to the whole thing, and then just started drybrushing the texture of the wood (you can see it most clearly in the clouds and downward arrows) which I then felt had enough 'personality' for the piece to start looking how I wanted.

    As for the 'muddyness' - you're right, there's a lot of watered down black on there, and shading produced by drybrushed black rather than an actual mixed tone. Messy and poor habits, I know, but time was against me and at the very least I don't have to look at it again until I see it in Germany at which point I will likely be very drunk indeed.

    Grenn on
  • GrennGrenn Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Finished the Blackbird print, which came out really nice:

    blackbird_print.jpg

    New business cards, front and back:

    newbcards.jpg

    And now I'm off to Hamburg, where the painted squeegee above will be exhibited, the Blackbird print will be shown as part of a print exhibition taking place in the BeatleMania museum, and I will be one of the artists selling my wares as part of the Flatstock event, in conjunction with the ReeperbahnFest.

    I travel today!

    Also... this will likely be the last post in my thread for a while. I realised I don't really get much feedback, and it's the same few people who comment on it - which I am thankful for! - but I have a niggling feeling that I am seen as just spamming my work, rather than posting to be critted and get better...

    I like the community here, so I'll probably just stick around in the Chat threads. If anyone has an interest in my work and wants to keep in the loop re. new stuff, just subscribe to my Blog.

    Cheers all. x

    Grenn on
  • Jake!Jake! Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    I'm massively guilty of looking at this thread, thinking 'awesome', and then not posting. The new cards are awesome by the way, what's the printing process?

    Jake! on
  • OrikaeshigitaeOrikaeshigitae Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited September 2009
    Man, I don't give feedback because I am starstruck. I'll subscribe to your blog, but it won't be the same.

    Orikaeshigitae on
  • ManonvonSuperockManonvonSuperock Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    I dig looking at your stuff, but I'm too lazy to venture out of here to do it. Take that however you will.

    ManonvonSuperock on
  • NappuccinoNappuccino Surveyor of Things and Stuff Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    The only problem I can think of for the business card is that everyone will want two of them so they can get the complete image on one side.


    edit: little man must wave at whale!

    Nappuccino on
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    Rorus Raz wrote: »
    There's also the possibility you just can't really grow a bear like other guys.

    Not even BEAR vaginas can defeat me!
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  • MustangMustang Arbiter of Unpopular Opinions Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    That is the greatest business card I've ever seen.

    Mustang on
  • desperaterobotsdesperaterobots perth, ausRegistered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Hey, I critted you about that hand for hours and hours and you gave me NOTHING.

    ;D

    desperaterobots on
  • ProspicienceProspicience The Raven King DenvemoloradoRegistered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Grenn, I always get giddy when I see a new post in your thread. I mainly don't crit because I am enamored with your stuff.

    Prospicience on
  • crawdaddiocrawdaddio Tacoma, WARegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited September 2009
    I think I'm going to have to join the ranks of people too enamoured to offer crits; that bird print wouldn't happen to be affordable, would it?

    crawdaddio on
  • AnalrapistAnalrapist Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Grenn wrote: »
    Also here's a quick punk flyer I made on my lunch break (some slight kerning issues but we needed something asap):

    "Oh, heres just some pure gold I had laying around, no biggie."

    I fucking hate your talent.


    I'm just jealous because I've been on a year long artist block.

    Good stuff mang.

    Analrapist on
    CheeseSticks15.png
  • GrennGrenn Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    I'm back from Germany and mega ill.

    If I have learned one thing on this trip, it is that staying up drinking until 5am every night is not very good for your immune system. I sang songs and danced. I sold some of my stuff. I was almost kidnapped by a prostitute. I ate a lot of wursts.

    Some photos will be going up on my blog at some point soon.

    Thanks for the kind words regarding my work folks, if people do find some use in it, I'll perhaps update the thread every so often.

    Jake: printing process is just digital with a matte varnish, done by a company I've used a few times and they always do a great job.

    Nappuccino: Yeah, I was interested in seeing if people picked up two -- only a few people did.

    Mustang: It took me 25 years to design.

    Des'Bots: Your crits mean nothing to me!

    Crawdad: The 'Blackbird' print is 25 Euros (including postage to Spain.)

    Grenn on
  • Jake!Jake! Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Digital, wow. Art will be up in the library from today by the way, although I think the 7th is the official opening.

    Jake! on
  • LexxyLexxy Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Wow, glad I came back for a bit! What a visual treat @w@<3

    Lexxy on
  • VeritasVeritas Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Grenn wrote: »
    Mustang: It took me 25 years to design.

    :)

    does it hold a crease?

    Veritas on
  • SublimusSublimus Artist. nowhereRegistered User regular
    edited September 2009
    That card is so good that even if they don't like you they'll keep it.

    What do you do that's guaranteed!?

    Sublimus on
  • GrennGrenn Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    So, I promised I'd update this thing every once in a while...

    Here's a gigposter I will be screenprinting tomorrow:

    D4_tour.jpg

    I'll be taking photos and tweeting the live printing action as I go. More stuff on my Blog.

    I'd be happy to get any crits on the design -- strangely, I really struggled with this one initially and then all of a sudden it just fell together. It's been a while since I've managed to keep things at just 2 colours also...

    :whistle:

    Grenn on
  • NibCromNibCrom Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Nice looking patterns and textures. I'm guessing the bottom text will be more readable at it's native size? Was this done in Photoshop or Illustrator?

    Is that tube thing supposed to be in the... genital area?

    NibCrom on
  • Jake!Jake! Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    hey man, I hate to break it to you, but you've got the American flag the wrong way up ;). Love the design, actually. You've hit the sweet spot between simple and complex. The one thing I'd like to see you experiment with, and to be honest I'm not sure if it would even be a good idea, would be the direction of the eyes. Right now to me they seem to be looking off page.

    Jake! on
  • desperaterobotsdesperaterobots perth, ausRegistered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Totally awesome and also very good.

    desperaterobots on
  • GrennGrenn Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    This will be printed at A2, so yep everything will be readable.

    This was done in Photoshop... I do sometimes use Illustrator to Livetrace stuff I need to enlarge but this was all done at the correct size.

    The tube thing is cleverly designed to be whatever the viewer wants it to be. :winky:

    edit:
    The one thing I'd like to see you experiment with, and to be honest I'm not sure if it would even be a good idea, would be the direction of the eyes. Right now to me they seem to be looking off page.

    Well, I had this vague notion that the 'thing' I have depicted is a representation of the band making the journey over to the UK, so the eyes looking off the page is semi-intentional - at least in the sense that the entity is meant to be moving from right to left.

    I'm aware that 'right to left' can often look odd, since we are used to reading things left to right and this affects our perceptions but I liked this idea of deliberately doing this (and sort of tying it in with the upside down flag).

    Cheers for the comments!

    Grenn on
  • NibCromNibCrom Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Grenn wrote: »
    The tube thing is cleverly designed to be whatever the viewer wants it to be. :winky:

    Oh no... not again.

    NibCrom on
  • GrennGrenn Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Print session went well and they came out nice.

    d4_printed.jpg

    80 of the fuckers to sign and number now...

    Grenn on
  • bombardierbombardier Moderator mod
    edited December 2009
    I was watching you post the progress on Twitter, that was really cool!

    bombardier on
  • GrennGrenn Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    I got commissioned to do a digital painting, not something which is usually within my comfort zone, but this was quite a unique project, as the building is somewhere I actually used to work and the people are all people I used to work with.

    GET PAID TO DRAW PICTURES OF EX-COLLEAGUES AND COWORKERS!

    I simply had to do this.

    QH.jpg

    As mentioned, digital painting usually isn't my thing and there is lots wrong with this (perspective is a bit wonky in parts but I've tried to keep things very stylised, as is my... um, style... so hopefully that masks my many elementary errors).

    This was printed as an A2 Giclee on fancy-pants textured paper and looks sweet! Client very pleased and it's been a fun project, especially as the deadline was tight and the whole thing required managing with a tight reign. All good fun though.

    Comments and crits very welcome and will no doubt prove useful if I do anything like this in the future.

    Grenn on
  • Jake!Jake! Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    That building is how I've always imagined the ministry of love. Like the painting, two minor issues;

    you love those arrows leading out of the design don't you ;)

    the reflection on the front of the building doesn't seem to tie with the rest of the piece

    Jake! on
  • GrennGrenn Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    you love those arrows leading out of the design don't you ;)

    Well spotted! Actually, the poster where I last used the sign-post pointing off-page was sort of the inspiration for the approach, so the client saw the previous sign-post and asked for one.
    the reflection on the front of the building doesn't seem to tie with the rest of the piece

    In what sense? That reflection was one of the bits I really um'd and ah'd about... I ended up not having the time to play about with it and just had to go with it. :?

    Grenn on
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