deciding time

My initial idea for this project was vermin and showing the animals that are classed as vermin in a different light, this idea then got narrowed down to just rats, as i feel they are the most misunderstood little furry there is and I also have a personal experience and my own rats to draw from. i was thinking over my latest idea of wallpaper so it was like an infestation wasn't the way to go. i feel strongly that a beautiful print belongs in a frame, and since I wanted to show rats in a different light and give them character through my prints i feel that they should be in a frame; clean, aesthetically pleasing and beautiful. So! my final objectives now are...

1. decide which colour print; black or brown
2. choose which prints are going to be the ones i show
3. get some suitable frames
4. write statement

then my project will be all finished!!!

more drypoint...

my favourite print

my least favourite

Here are my final prints that i am printing. My favourite ones are the very first one and the ones of the standing rat. I still can't decide which colour i like best, the brown ones or the black ones. it's very difficult to decide as the colours both go with the subject matter and look great. My next objective is to decide which of all my big pile of prints I will be using for my final display.

big pile of prints

latest prints

i really like these prints. my favourite one is the single standing rat. Although I like it, i think the last print could do with looking busier. So my objective now is to etch some more rats into the plate and re-print.

drypoint with aluminium

these are my latest drypoint prints, just of rats. i love how they have turned out, especially the brown ones. My favourite one is the brown print of the two rats. I plan on doing a bigger A3 drypoint just covered with rats. I also like the idea of doing this print over and over again to create a wallpaper that will cover the whole of a room. 

another ratty seal!!!

here is another little ratty seal. i love doing these, and they're something i can keep forever and re-print over and over again without any signs of wear. 

ratty printing time

here is the start of my ratty printing. Here is my lino prints and my chop prints. i love lino, apart from the injuries you get when you slip, the prints, contrast and unexpected markings you get are just amazing. i did a few prints on a few different types of paper and these two are my favourite. the first one is just on normal smooth 120gsm sketchbook paper and the second one is on a vanilla artist paper. I like how the first one came out really strong and how the second one has a lovely gentle texture to it.

these are my best rat chop prints. the authentic red chinese oil based ink is quite sticky and thick and never really gives a strong print, but the black printing ink that i use for lino gives a really strong block print.

soapstone

my little ratta Bhu helping me carve my soapstone

linooo

all ready to be printed! im fair lookin' forward to seeing this one

ratta tatta

next drypoint to print! two little social rats

development after group crit

Rats
I have decided to focus my vermin theme mainly on rats. I feel that these are the most misunderstood little animals of all. I want to give these infamous, apparently disgusting, creatures a new identity to show them as the cute, clean, intelligent, social, friendly critters they are. they have such a bad reputation, but i see them as cute little furry things. in my illustrations/prints i want to give them character. in my group crit someone said they like my fox print the best because you can't see the eyes and it distances themselves from the creature, but i don't want to do this, i want people to learn about them and to see them in a different light. i know from experience how people react when they hear the word rat. when i say i have pet rats they cringe and say it's disgusting and say that i should step on them and kill them, which is hurtful and nasty to someone who cares for all animals. i'm sure that anyone who kills or harms any animal for sport or fun is evil.


objectives

• three separate drypoints (rats - illustrative)
• three separate lino cuttings
• start another ratty soapstone

more drypoints to be printed!

the start of my rat prints : ) all etched and ready to be printed.