Death of the Poster

Having recently done a poster design that, if I do say so myself, did not suck, I've been thinking a bit about poster design - or more specifically the lack thereof.

Computers mostly enhance our lives these days including making it really easy to "design" a poster/ postcard, etc. that is really crappy.

I'm not a professional graphic designer, but I've done many posters over the years (from grade school contests to the above mentioned and below blogged Parallel Lives poster) and I've always taken a great deal of pride from a well executed design. It is difficult subtle work that ultimately has to look effortless. A few lines and colors that convey the viseral excitement of _______ and get the viewer to experience that and want to participate - no easy feat.

This type of design work seems to be disappearing, maybe not in the corporate world (they know the power of a logo) but from our communities, schools and even universities. And ultimately facebook is where everyone advertises everything these days and its no coincidence that facebook is the largest repository for these bad designs.

This is where I place the blame squarely on technology. No one designs a poster anymore - they don't have to. Let's say your doing a play. It's much easier to take a photo* of the cast and then use photoshop or some such program to pick a font to slap the title across it and you're done. The only problem is it's exactly as good as the time you spent on it. Congratulations, your poster sucks. It conveys nothing about the show to the viewer and doesn't make anyone want to come see it. You wouldn't spend just twenty minutes rehearsing the play to get it ready for a performance; it's not an appropriate amount of time to spend on your poster either.

*I'm not knocking photography. If you have a photographer with an idea I'm all for it.

I'm not knocking computer design programs either, but the people really making art with those programs have a design background and an art education/experience because whatever the tool its still only as useful as the person using it.

I know I'm on my soapbox but only because this means something to me. The poster is an integral part of the production. It is the graphic interface between your production/event/cause and your audience (even if it is on a computer screen). It deserves respect, and failing that - at least consideration.

Okay, I'm done now.

The Bionic Woman

The Bionic Woman 3" x 4" woodblock print with chine collé

The Hollywood icons series returns today with Lindsay Wagner as Jamie Somers, the Bionic Woman. It didn't seem right to do the Six Million Dollar Man (two posts down) without giving the Bionic Woman equal time.
This is a woodblock print which I've printed a couple of different ways. The first print is a chine collé print with the woodblock printed on top of a vintage merchandising image (you can either view it as a statement about commercialism, or just a retro-cool print). The second print is a two color woodblock print. The transparent green color was printed first as a solid block of color, then the image was printed on top of the background in black relief ink.

two color woodblock print



two color woodblock print fresh from the press

Modigliani's Studio

Modigliani's Studio 6" x 7" linoleum print with watercolor

Taking a little blogging break from the Hollywood icons series (more in the works, but nothing ready to post) to find a little inspiration from one of my favorite artists. This print is from a series of prints I did of the artists Modigliani, Matisse and Picasso. This print depicts the bohemian Modigliani seated in his studio between his painting, Madame Pompadour, and one of his many elongated head sculptures. This is a linoleum print printed in black relief ink and colored with watercolor.

fresh off the press

The Six Million Dollar Man

The Six Million Dollar Man - 4.5" x 6" collograph print with pastel

Lee Majors is Steve Austin, the Six Million Dollar Man.
This is a collograph print like the Redd Foxx print. Lines of glue are laid out onto a piece of mat board, then sealed with acrylic medium. The plate is then inked with brushes, q-tips and brayers and then printed. This is a very simple technique that yields some very interesting and unique results. This print was very dark, so after it dried, I punched up the color with pastels.

"We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better...stronger...faster."


The inked plate prior to printing (click the pic for a more detailed view of the plate).

The Blues Brothers: "We're on a mission from God."

The Blues Brothers - 5" x 5" two-color linoleum print

The Hollywood Icons series continues with Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as Jake and Elwood Blues. This print is a two-color linoleum block print. First the blue background was printed with only the areas that would be white in the final print cut away. Then a second block was carved, inked in black and carefully printed on top of the blue background.
Inking the background block (note the negative space has been carved away)


A finished print fresh from the press.

Carnac the Magnificent

Carnac the Magnificent - 3" x 3" two-color reduction woodblock print

I thought I'd revisit Johnny Carson since he was recently named the number one television icon. Here for your consideration is Johnny as Carnac the Magnificent.

(Carnac holds the sealed envelope up to his turban)

CARNAC: Sis boom bah.

ED McMAHON: Sis boom bah?

(Carnac rips the envelope open and removes the card)

CARNAC (reading): Describe the sound made when a sheep explodes.

This print is a two-color reduction (or suicide) print. It is so named because in this process multiple colors are printed from a single block (usually there is a separate block for each color). The block is carved, one color is printed, then more of the block is carved away, then another color is printed, and so on. Once you carve away more of the block and begin printing the next color, there is no going back. So you have to be careful in the layout and planning stage.


A few prints with only the first color printed.


Inking the block with the second color after more carving.


The second stage of the block.



A finished print pulled from the block.

Redd Foxx

Redd Foxx - 5" x 6" collograph print with à la poupée

The latest entry in the Hollywood icons series is actor/comedian Redd Foxx of Sanford and Son fame. A little research turned up Foxx was also an artist. To view some of his artwork click here to visit the official Redd Foxx website.
The plate for this print (below) was simply made of mat board and glue. This was a test to see if the detail required for a portrait could be captured in lines of glue. All the lines on the plate are glue applied with a fine applicator tip. When inking the plate, inks are applied with brushes and q-tips for most of the color. Then the "lines" are inked by top-rolling a dark color onto the raised lines of glue. Click on the image of the plate for more detail.

"Elizabeth, I'm coming to join you, honey!"

The plate after printing

Hot off the press

"Heeeeeeeere's Johnny!"

"Heeeeeeeere's Johnny" 5 x 11 monotype print


the plate ready for printing


the moment of truth


freshly pulled print and plate with residual ink

Clint Print

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 8 x 12 woodblock print

The Hollywood icons series continues with Clint Eastwood from the 1966 'spaghetti western', The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. This is a two color woodblock print using two 8 x 12 woodblocks. The first block was simply inked and printed to create the orange-red 'color field'. Then the image was carved into the second block, inked in brown and printed on top of the color field. Below is the finished print being pulled from the woodblock.

Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship

Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship 6 x 9 Monotype

For your consideration, today's print comes from the 1944 Best Picture winner Casablanca.
To try and capture the quality of a black & white film, the monotype is printed with dark gray etching ink on gray Rives BFK printmaking paper.

Here's looking at you, kid.

Darth Vader Monotype/Photo Etching

Darth Vader 4x6 Photo Etching printed on Comic Book Panel
The first print in today's post is continuing the experimentation with printing on top of other images. This is printed onto an image from a vintage 30 year old Star Wars comic book (Click on it for a more detailed view of the underlying image). This print is a photo etching done from a monotype printed on a chine collé comic book panel. Below is the original monotype print.

Darth Vader 4x6 Monotype

Bandit 2.0

Greetings, gentle readers! I was burned out after my art show this summer, so I took an art break. Didn't expect it to be such a long break, but - ah well, good intentions, etc.

Anywho, I've started doing some new prints and experimenting with some new ideas. I'm printing on top of other images using a chine collé technique. Loyal readers may remember this Smokey and the Bandit collograph print from a previous post, but this time I've printed old Burt on top of a soft painterly image of the black Bandit TransAm.

The idea is for the background image to be a secondary image that supports and informs the foreground print image. By combining the two images, the finished print also has a slightly abstracted feel.

Sorry for the prolonged absence. I'll try to get back in the swing of posting semi-regularly. More to come...