a r t w o r k : d r y p o i n t
Title: 3:25am Size: 15cm x 20cm Medium: Dry point on watercolor paper Completion: November 2018 Exhibition Text:"3:25am" is a dry point fabricated piece that utilizes the rough, dark manipulated lines of artist Walter Stöhrer and my own artistic style to create an overall darker story. If I'm up at later times, there's always this lurking feeling of negativity creeping in the darkness of my bedroom and I wanted to show that eeriness in a black and white inked piece. This would end up giving the unknown entities of my curiosity a life, rather than keeping them hidden in the darkness around me.
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Inspiration:
Artist In Focus: Walter Stöhrer
Stöhrer was primarily a painter from 1937 all the way into 2000, but his art style in all forms was anything but ordinary. He'd use a very open based technique when creating pieces. This included intricate yet spacious line usage in all parts of his pieces. It was as if every piece had it's own individuality even though they conspired of lines and scribbles to an ordinary viewer. In that, his pieces all seem to give off very sudden feelings; An emotion that hits audiences immediately because of the way it looks. Leaning into the way artist Walter Stöhrer so simply demonstrates elements like form, line, and even texture at times, I most definitely wanted to create an alike atmosphere in my piece. I mean, the way everything is set up and displayed creates a very creepy, original-feeling piece that I find so fascinating; Especially when using a dry point medium.
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"Horror Trip XIV" By Walter Stöhrer
I've drawn to anything that looks even a little off or a pinch bit disturbing my entire life, so Stöhrer was great inspiration.
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Here are a few more pieces that go more in depth to what I explained above. I wanted to see if I could reach the following areas....
- Make my work messy, yet clear enough to focus in on certain figures to display a bigger message.
- Use lines to intensify certain immediate emotions and feelings in the viewer.
- Create an almost creepy atmosphere in my work that makes an audience a bit uncomfortable by the way it looks. Paint a fearful, unknown -like atmosphere in my work.
- Use lines to intensify certain immediate emotions and feelings in the viewer.
- Create an almost creepy atmosphere in my work that makes an audience a bit uncomfortable by the way it looks. Paint a fearful, unknown -like atmosphere in my work.
Planning:
Planning Sketch 1, as seen above, was really a test of technique and style. I put myself in the middle to show an invasion of things crowding in on myself, which was great, but still didn't fit what I wanted. I went into a different approach; Drawing myself in my bed, tossing and turning, away and towards the creatures I suspected in the darkness. This still felt weird. I wasn't pleased so I regrouped.
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Moving into my actual planning, I already knew right off the bat that I wanted to do a horror based piece. Horror has been a larger part of what inspires me to either write or create art, in a way, and I find myself drawing a lot of gore-like media in my free time with characters I personally created. That being said, there was a lot of rethinking and redesigning done to actually get an idea I wanted to for sure move along with.
Starting off, I shut the lights off in my room and zoned for a few minutes on everything my brain had formulated in the darkness around me. I normally wear glasses, so everything becomes altered even more when I'm thrown into complete nothingness. This also tested how I'd use line in my final product.
This is my final planning sketch.
My last two sketches look very alike, though I ended up siding with the one above based on the way it looked. I liked the way I drew the female, and thought about how interesting this would look when inked, so it became my final product. The female, a reference to myself, faces away from all of the things that try to beg her attention back in the darkness. If she was to turn around, however, she wouldn't see anything. It is all figments of a sleep deprived teenager, abandoned at 3:25am in the comfort of her bedroom.
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Experimentation:
The following bits of experimentation go into figuring out what to sketch, trace onto plexiglass, and later ink as my final product.
To the left and right, here began my final experimentation with the main subject of my piece; This female figure. I began with your ordinary body base and constructed from there. You can see my usual, cartoon-like art style being incriminated by harsh lines that sweep the figure in a creepy manner. I was very fond of this.
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Next, I used every single past experience I had be constructing my earlier planning sketches to create figures in the back. The black figure with the hand on my shoulder was one I wanted to keep in my final product, so that was placed using crosshatching. The other figures were conducted using expressive lines, weird varieties of shading, and so forth. I wanted them to look cryptic and weird.
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For more experimentation, this ended up happening during the process of my final art piece. I will go more in depth about the way I used the dry point tool to create the same lines I drew from the sketch onto the plexiglass below. As I moved along with this entire process, I had to take new approaches to improve and satisfy myself.
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Process:
[ the image to the left of this text ]
My first step in this entire process before inking was to get my sketch onto plexiglass. The plexiglass I acquired was attached to my sketch page with safety tape, and I even placed a single piece of tape over a significant portion of the glass so I wouldn't get ink in that space. I had to prepare myself completely before actually carving out what'd later be used as a base for inking. |
[ the images around this text ]
This next step was done in various intervals, for a few days even, as I carefully carved out my sketch onto plexiglass. The plexiglass given to me was in a rectangle ( 15cm x 20cm ). I used a dry point carving tool at first, seen in the photo below this text, and then borrowed another sharp tool from my family to complete the carving at home. Sharp tools have a unique interaction with the way it marks the board, I learned. If you pressed down to hard, things could alter and your tool could trail off easily. I had to do everything with ease at some moments, say near the eyes or mouth of the female, and then switch to harsher cross hatching, like in the black figures. There were areas that were sketched a little too hastily, but I felt that my final product needed that messiness to be what I wanted it to be. |
The next portion of my process will be of me doing the actual inking part of this project.
[ the image to the left of this text ]
The following were gathered to begin the inking process...
- A jar of Ink ( black colored ink to use on piece )
- 1 Spreader/ Squeegee ( used to spread the ink along the plexiglass
- Watercolor paper ( cut to fit my piece onto the sheet )
- A bucket of water ( for the watercolor paper to settle into )
- Gloves ( didn't want to get ink on me )
- Ordinary paper ( used to wipe off ink on plexiglass )
The following were gathered to begin the inking process...
- A jar of Ink ( black colored ink to use on piece )
- 1 Spreader/ Squeegee ( used to spread the ink along the plexiglass
- Watercolor paper ( cut to fit my piece onto the sheet )
- A bucket of water ( for the watercolor paper to settle into )
- Gloves ( didn't want to get ink on me )
- Ordinary paper ( used to wipe off ink on plexiglass )
[ the image to the right of this text ]
Before starting to spread ink onto my plexiglass carving, I put on a timer for 8 minutes and placed the watercolor I cut earlier into a bucket of water. This would get the paper ready for when I press my inked out stencil on it later on. I would do my inking in the meantime and let the timer alert me when it was done. |
[ the images to the left of this text ]
Putting on gloves, I used the first used a plastic spoon to spread a pit of ink on the upper portion of my plexiglass. Acquiring the squeegee next, I began spreading the ink all around my stencil so it'd fill in every little area that I sketched into it with the dry point tool. |
[ the image to the right of this text ]
When it was satisfyingly covered in ink, I used the paper from earlier to start wiping it down. This would remove all unneeded ink from the plexiglass so only the little cracks would be contaminated in black substance. This went on for some time, as I wanted the piece to turn out nice, even if it was for my first print. |
[ the image to the left of this text ]
I placed my plexiglass, inked side upwards, on the base of this machinery. When it was in an alright enough position, I put the watercolor paper I soaked earlier in water on top of the plexiglass. This is where I put the remaining top parts of machine ,to keep my piece in place, on top, and started to press the piece so I'd print effectively. |
This was my first print. It wasn't exactly how I wanted it, meaning I took off way too much ink, so I redid the process and went along for another print.
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This was my second and last print. I liked this one a whole lot more because of how insanity-inducing it looked. The dark areas gave off the creepy vibe I wanted, and overall I felt satisfied with the final outcome.
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Critique:
Walter Stöhrer and I have such similar looking pieces. However, everyone has differences in the way things are constructed and the style they appear to be presented in, so here are a few similarities and differences in our work.
Similarities May Include:
- Both pieces include strenuous varieties of line and form in their structure. You can so obviously see the similarities in these elements of art just by first glimpse.
- Our pieces both are made for the soul medium of dry point, so we came in with that final conclusion in in for creating an art piece around it. - Our pieces both give off an alike feeling of uneasiness or discomfort in looks. When you formulate a piece in this sort of way, that's a given. |
Differences May Include:
- Walter Stöhrer and I may have used different styles of sketching out our lines. I used a mixture of cross-hatching and then freehand shading to create a creepier, messier texturing in my final product. Stöhrer, however, seems to of used a few different methods.
- My piece has a very obvious figure in the center of it; A person. In most of Walter Stöhrer's pieces, he never directly has a person right out in the open, but instead has the audience view the piece and spot areas that look oddly personified instead.
- His piece seems lighter than mine, surprising enough, because of how crowded I make the black ink in "3:25am". He has a clear white backdrop almost, and it looks a bit more neater than mine does.
- My piece has a very obvious figure in the center of it; A person. In most of Walter Stöhrer's pieces, he never directly has a person right out in the open, but instead has the audience view the piece and spot areas that look oddly personified instead.
- His piece seems lighter than mine, surprising enough, because of how crowded I make the black ink in "3:25am". He has a clear white backdrop almost, and it looks a bit more neater than mine does.
Reflection:
Working with ink and material I wasn’t exactly familiar with was an experience I quite liked, especially since I got to do something I’ve waited to participate in for a while now. Drawing and sketching, if it’s cartoon or still life, has become a big indicator of the ways arts has become such a prominent part of my life. So, being able to sketch out something in a gore type fashion while expanding my normal art style, was a big joy in this project. My favorite part of “3:25am” was the edginess exposed within the several lines and dark marks. The uncomfortable and eeriness that the piece has through its art media is riveting, so I quite like that. If I was to change anything, however, I'd probably incorporate more creepy pictures in the backer portion of the drawing. This would create an even more "crowding in the dark" feeling to the main female subject. Otherwise, I think everything I wanted for it to turn out like was mostly achieved in this piece's completion.
The piece wants to open up the reader's mind, their imagination, at the late night hours of 3am. Commonly known as the "Devil's hour", I wanted to bring light into what lurks in the darkness at night when you seem to be the only one left awake. This happens to me sometimes as I notice my insanity level altering immediately if I'm left all lonesome in my pitch black bedroom. It's a peculiar feeling, and I have such an enormous imagination open to the ability to overthink and theorize what's going on around me. This came in darkened figures, complimented by their disorientating personalities and looks in the background. Using line, other elements of art that usually go in singular techniques, and the skill of gradient structure, I created my first ever piece in the dry point art medium.
The piece wants to open up the reader's mind, their imagination, at the late night hours of 3am. Commonly known as the "Devil's hour", I wanted to bring light into what lurks in the darkness at night when you seem to be the only one left awake. This happens to me sometimes as I notice my insanity level altering immediately if I'm left all lonesome in my pitch black bedroom. It's a peculiar feeling, and I have such an enormous imagination open to the ability to overthink and theorize what's going on around me. This came in darkened figures, complimented by their disorientating personalities and looks in the background. Using line, other elements of art that usually go in singular techniques, and the skill of gradient structure, I created my first ever piece in the dry point art medium.
Connecting to the ACT:
1.) Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork:
Glimpsing back to Walter Stöhrer's pieces to compare with mine, you can so obviously notice the way we both use harsh lines on top of flowy, more expressive lining to produce an overall final product. It comes in these dark smudges or unidentifiable figures that construct a bold, very "in your face" emotion in people when they look at it. They both try to tell a story that feels very disturbing to a viewer; Almost to an incorrigible level because of how it looks.
2.) What is the overall approach ( point of view ) the author ( from your research ) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Walter Stöhrer is a German painter, that's his initial motive in the art community, but he's used the freedom of art style and randomicity to create such original pieces of art. He's even named some of his pieces "Horror" something because of how odd they look and how unordinary creepy they settle into those examining. I wanted to achieve a similar sort of uneasiness in someone, so his style was so significant in the way I'd produce my piece.
3.) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Artwork doesn't have to be all aesthetics and easy to understand. It doesn't have to make obvious sense to the viewer all the time.
4.) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
3:25am; The time during the day that, if you're up and about, feels so lonely yet so... alive, in a way. I wanted to bring out these creatures and negativities that I usually feel behind my shoulder during these hours.
5.) What kind of inferences ( conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning ) did you make while reading your research?
That artwork has so many different kinds of styles. This came in my inspiration, Walter Stöhrer, and his unique art style, or even in the exploration of my gore/dark liking to art. We live in a world with so much bold curiosity and exploration of creativity that anything can truly inch it's way into the art world. Feelings and emotions are something that I especially love to see in artwork, and I received that through pieces like Stöhrer's that may only be made of lines.
Glimpsing back to Walter Stöhrer's pieces to compare with mine, you can so obviously notice the way we both use harsh lines on top of flowy, more expressive lining to produce an overall final product. It comes in these dark smudges or unidentifiable figures that construct a bold, very "in your face" emotion in people when they look at it. They both try to tell a story that feels very disturbing to a viewer; Almost to an incorrigible level because of how it looks.
2.) What is the overall approach ( point of view ) the author ( from your research ) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Walter Stöhrer is a German painter, that's his initial motive in the art community, but he's used the freedom of art style and randomicity to create such original pieces of art. He's even named some of his pieces "Horror" something because of how odd they look and how unordinary creepy they settle into those examining. I wanted to achieve a similar sort of uneasiness in someone, so his style was so significant in the way I'd produce my piece.
3.) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Artwork doesn't have to be all aesthetics and easy to understand. It doesn't have to make obvious sense to the viewer all the time.
4.) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
3:25am; The time during the day that, if you're up and about, feels so lonely yet so... alive, in a way. I wanted to bring out these creatures and negativities that I usually feel behind my shoulder during these hours.
5.) What kind of inferences ( conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning ) did you make while reading your research?
That artwork has so many different kinds of styles. This came in my inspiration, Walter Stöhrer, and his unique art style, or even in the exploration of my gore/dark liking to art. We live in a world with so much bold curiosity and exploration of creativity that anything can truly inch it's way into the art world. Feelings and emotions are something that I especially love to see in artwork, and I received that through pieces like Stöhrer's that may only be made of lines.
CITATIONS ( DONE IN MLA FORMAT )
“Walter STÖHRER - Wir Sind Des Puppenmeisters Kinder 17.” Screenprint De Banksy, Napalm on Amorosart, en.amorosart.com/artwork-stöhrer-wir_sind_des_puppenmeisters_kinder_17-80752.html.
“Walter Stöhrer Biography - Infos - Art Market.” Walter Stöhrer Biography - Infos - Art Market, www.walter-stoehrer.com/.
“Walter Stöhrer | Memorabilia (1970) | Available for Sale | Artsy.” 11 Artworks, Bio & Shows on Artsy, Artsy, www.artsy.net/artwork/walter-stohrer-memorabilia.
“Walter Stöhrer Biography - Infos - Art Market.” Walter Stöhrer Biography - Infos - Art Market, www.walter-stoehrer.com/.
“Walter Stöhrer | Memorabilia (1970) | Available for Sale | Artsy.” 11 Artworks, Bio & Shows on Artsy, Artsy, www.artsy.net/artwork/walter-stohrer-memorabilia.