Bargain Hunter

Whilst in Glasgow I visited an old book shop bursting at the seams with piles and piles of books from the past 10 years, the 90s, 80s and 70s etc. The shop itself was a mess, what carpet you could see was filthy and any small child or short adult faced the danger of being crushed under mountains of dusty old books. The books themselves though were great, a huge variety were on display and it was kind of a challenge retrieving the book you desired especially when every one I liked the look of was near the bottom of a 7 foot tall tower!

Anyway, I managed to snag a couple of bargains. One from 'The £1 room' and the other from the larger, less price-specific room:

This one was £2.95 and as you can see came with a CD-ROM featuring 53 digital typefaces from independent foundries all across the world. I couldn't believe my luck when I found it. I will be able to scan some pages and use them for development of some of my ideas regarding my Extended Specialist Techniques unit. I want to go the extra steps necessary to create a comprehensive sketchbook on Typography and to express my particular passion for it. I will achieve this through further development of research and my own ideas with influence from practitioners and designers. This book will help me as it has a vast collection of digital fonts lesser known in the mainstream world of typefaces as well as more popular ones. Also, it will allow me to work digitally with my work and try out the typefaces provided on the CD-ROM.

For £1 I became the owner of this mint-condition encyclopaedia on the art of calligraphy. Like Indie Fonts this book should prove a worthwhile investment. Throughout are examples and step-by-step instructions allowing the reader to pick up practical and creative methods of achieving beautiful and unique outcomes. It's collection of techniques has already ignited ideas in my head of how I am going to attempt them.

Picking these up has really made me think about checking more books out from the library, as I don't do it often enough!

To The Kwai and Back

 

As part of my Exploring Specialist Techniques unit I have recently discovered an illustrator by the name of Ronald Searle. I came across him whilst researching other artists for my sketchbook, and his work instantly grabbed my attention.

He was called up for national service during the Second World War and subsequently was captured by the Japanese and forced to work on the Burma rail line. Although weighing in at 6 stone and living under the most hellish conditions, Searle still managed to maintain a sense of acute awareness. He believed that it was his duty not only to survive, but to record the experiences he and many of his fellow soldiers and officers were going through. He often hid his small drawings and quick sketches under the beds of his dying comrades, as the enemy would have no reason to go looking for contraband in such a place. 

After looking around the internet for examples of these impressive illustrations, I ended up discovering his book 'To the Kwai -and back' and could not resist purchasing it for myself. I have not yet had a proper read through my copy yet but the pages I have had a look at are great, it just amazes me to no end that this man had the patience and focus to record such a time in history of which he was a main part of.

This discovery is just another example of why this course is proving to be extremely eye-opening and enlightening. I may sound like I'm exaggerating but I guess I just become enthusiastic about a lot of things I like and admire. If nothing else, books like this one and people like Ronald Searle provide me with inspiration and a drive, they inspire me to maybe create something (hopefully not in the circumstance of a World War) that will live on after me.

Large Head

Large Head

Georg Baselitz - Woodblock and monotype on paper - 1966

I notice a lot of emotion in this piece. The aged face looks worn and fed up, the obscure shapes that cover his cheeks and forehead indicate pain perhaps. His small, almost squinted eyes seem to be staring out at something, deep in though indeed. I always like looking at portraits, I like to imagine what the person is thinking of at that moment or, why the expression on their face is that way. I like this print and although not the most complex or hard to actually produce physically - I think that a lot of energy went into conveying what this man was feeling. 

The Wallet Begins to Empty

The Wallet Begins to Empty, 1961/63, David Hockney

After exploring Hockney's 'Rake's Progress' this particular print jumped out at me. At first glance I was able to identify (roughly) what was going on. Referring to the title this man is being banished, or sent off, or maybe fired by what looks like superiors at the top of the set of stairs. The red splodge hanging in mid air around the dejected figure walking down the stairs appears in at least 2 other of Hockney's pieces in 'Rake's Progress'. I feel this may be connected to emotion that each figure is feeling within the prints. The fact this man's wallet is beginning to empty may be the reason for being ostracised from what looks like at the top of the stairs alongside the angry figures, the Washington Monument.
I like this print. It conveys (as I have perceived it) a simple message that Hockney may be getting across, and through simple objects and colours within the print, he definitely achieves this.