Throughout history manuscripts and books were copied by hand. Medieval monks illuminated the bible and in Rome trained slaves copied books by hand. In the middle of the 15th Century there was an introduction of printing.
Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Getenberg developed the earliest European printing press and in 1945 printed the first ever book using moveable type in 1945. The book was the bible.
A page from the Gutenberg Bible.
Johannes Gutenberg was a blacksmith and goldsmith. Having these metal skills he had learnt as a craftsman, he was able to make type from an alloy of lead, tin and antimony. This type was durable and produced high quality printed books time after time, making it more favourable to other known materials. The type was also created quickly and precisely from a uniform template, making it very versatile.
Moveable type.
Moveable type printing led to a revolution and explosion of printing in Europe, books were reproduced and copies faster and more efficiently. This enabled the spread of learning to the masses, and played a key role in the development of the renaissance, reformation and the scientific revolution.
Within a few decades printing activities within Europe went from a single print shop in Mainz to over 110 printers in Germany, Italy, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, England, Bohemia and Poland.
Gutenberg did not stop experimenting with the printing. He later went on to create and use an oil base ink that was more durable that the widely used water based ink, he also was one of the first to introduce colour to the pages.
Where do you rate yourself on
the novice to expert scale?
I would place myself between Competent and Proficient on the novice to expert scale. Although people have told me I am brilliant, I look at work by other artists and consider myself somewhat under them. There are always things to learn, other materials and experiments to undertake. To demonstrate this I will include a few examples.
Knowledge. I understand the historic development of Illustration, how it has changed and developed according to the time, materials available and requirement of the viewers. From visual aids, hobbyist works, narrative, editorial and commercial work, to fashion.
A range of illustrations showing different approaches to drawing a building.
Standard of work. I constantly evaluate and critique my work as I go, and would not consider terming it as finished until I am completely happy that I have done everything within my skill. Often I will work continuously with a medium until I understand how it can be applied and manipulated.
A series of works produced over a 2 year period using pencil crayons.
Autonomy. During our first term at University we were set a task to create a digital magazine(in small groups) based on Birmingham. We each had our individual tasks to perform and tasks to perform as a group. I completed all that was required of me for this project, then went on further to produce another magazine from a different viewpoint.
Intrigue Magazine, a group work.
Coping with complexity. For our project we also had to create an ident to advertise the magazine. Having no experience with moving image, we had to start with the basics and quickly learnt what was beyond our scope and capabilities. Using what we knew, we developed our ideas and tailored them specifically to our skills. New skills were needed and learnt to complete the process, but none of them were beyond our timescale and capabilities.
Perceptions of context. I see the process of creating work as adaptable. Lots of smaller things may seem inconsequential, but when put together can effect the whole. Having rigid routines do not work, sometimes you need to change the way you approach something to make it work. Having a little faith works, the smaller, tedious parts are necessary, and form a solid base for the whole.
I don’t think I would ever consider myself and expert in all areas as there are always new things to learn and do. When I believe I have a proficiency in a certain area, I move on, maybe revisiting from time to time to infuse new material I have gained elsewhere, creating a viscous circle.
Links:
http://www.redbubble.com/people/lyndseyhale
http://www.issuu.com/lyndseyhale/docs/intrigue
http://www.issuu.com/lyndseyhale/docs/ambit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7S-3Jv9Z3A
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