Craft to Career: Designing With Graphic Arts: DIY Visual Projects
People Armed An Slaves Panther Black SEALE BOBY CHAIRMAN REVOLUTION IN OUR LIFETIME Printmaking has often been used to work for political change In the 1960s and 1970s printmaker Emory Douglas created prints for the newspaper of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense 10 American pop artist Andy Warhol used screen printing in many of his pieces including his iconic prints of actor and model Marilyn Monroe THE BLACK PANTHER 25
GRAPHIC ARTS CULTURE Graphic arts have had a major impact on human cultures Printing and especially the printing press allowed people to share art and information more widely As a result more people learned to read and had access to knowledge The meanings of different graphic arts elements such as colors and symbols vary across countries and cultures Red may be negative in Western cultures But in some Eastern cultures red has positive associations And people of different religious backgrounds may use colors associated with their faith Examples of graphic art from throughout history help us learn about the past But graphic arts aren't just objects in museums They are also part of everyday culture People wear T shirts with screen printed graphics Newspapers and websites include photographs Computer designed graphics are used in ads websites and posters Artists use graphic techniques to create beautiful and meaningful art 11 Graphic arts trends and styles also vary across cultures Some cultures may use more crowded compact designs while others may favor cleaner more minimalist designs Color palettes fonts illustration styles and use of white space are a few other elements of graphic arts that may differ between cultures Ukiyo e is a Japanese style of woodblock art Nature and history are common subjects The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai is an example of ukiyo e
TOOLS OF THE TRADE Here are some of the tools you will need as you dive into the world of graphic arts BASIC ITEMS PAPER Paper is a necessary part of many graphic arts projects Paper comes in a variety of colors glosses textures and thicknesses INK Printmaking requires ink You may just use a simple ink pad or you may need ink specially made for block printing screen printing etching or another technique BRAYER A brayer is a small roller that helps distribute ink evenly on a stamp or other printing surface 12 STAMPS Most craft stores carry a wide variety of premade stamps in many different designs and sizes STENCILS Stencils have the outline of designs cut into them Ink paint or a different substance is spread over the stencil coating only the cutout areas PAPER CUTTER A paper cutter has its own ruler so that you can line your paper up and cut it in straight exact lines
STANDARD ART SUPPLIES Graphic arts include paintings and drawings Grab paint and paintbrushes markers pencils and any other art supplies you like using GLUE You might glue magazine cutouts to a poster to make a collage or you might cut shapes out of paper or other materials to glue onto a card Basic school glue will work in many cases but you may need special glues if you're gluing fabric or other materials besides paper 13 TABLET OR COMPUTER As you begin experimenting with computer designed graphics you'll need a tablet or computer You can also use it to research projects and find helpful instructional videos PRINTER A printer will allow you to print out designs you create on your computer You can also print stencils photos and other elements If you don't have a printer at home see if you can use one at your school or public library
