illustration as a handmade gift

Here is an illustration I created as a result of my committment to give handmade gifts this year...

concept: New York City
materials: pen, pencil, paint, prismacolor marker, newsprint, cardboard, and photo matte
dimensions: 27"x19"



The photo was printed on newsprint and mounted to cardboard. The letters were done by hand using pigment liner and prismacolor marker; the letters received three applications of ink. The "ity" was cut from cardboard and white paint was applied to some of its edges.

Here are some close-up images:







© 2008 joe blend. All rights reserved.

"ink snacks"...a zine preview

I decided to post more preview images since the first zine will be listed for purchase in January 2009, roughly two weeks away (I'll post in my blog and on Twitter on the day of official listing).

Although the materials are inexpensive, it takes a while to make one zine. In order to establish a reasonable number of issues per year and zines per issue, I am going to make as many as I can over the next two weeks, then evaluate the production based on number of zines produced and the overall time it took to make all the zines. At that point, I will etablish an official production for ink snacks. Although I reserve the right to make any changes to the price prior to listing them in my Etsy shop, the tentative price per zine will be $3.50 U.S.

Zine name: "ink snacks"
Concept: bite-sized creativity
Content: prose, poetry, and small format artwork...along with a few surprises in each issue
Dimensions: 4"x4", unfolding to 14"x17"

zine cover




opening of zine (bound with linen binding thread)




close-up of cover typography



ink snacks (tm) cover design © 2008 joe blend. All rights reserved.

reduced price for my photography prints

Thought process

I realized that although there is a lot of work and creativity that goes into each photograph and print, at the end of the day it's still an inked piece of paper that does not require the same types of development that film-based prints had. There are no chemicals, no physical darkroom, no lengthy process; in contrast, the digital photography development process is quite simple once you develop a solid process for uploading, batching, color correcting for print, etc. Also, I don't sell my prints with a frame and/or matte (since I want to leave those decisions in the hands of the buyer) so there are no additional expenses on my end.

New pricing structure:

8" x 10" (individual print, limited edition of 150) - $35.00 U.S.
8" x 8" (individual print, limited edition of 150) - $32.00 U.S.
5" x 5" (individual print, limited edition of 150) - $27.00 U.S.

Prices for a series, for different dimensions, or for smaller editions will be based upon these specifications.

My intentions

The goal has always been "determine a price that is fair to both the artist and the buyer", which is harder than you may realize, so my decision comes from that objective. Having said that, this decision is not based on market trends or other general retail fluctuations; these prices are permanent and will not change again.

Prints and purchases

Each photography print is part of a limited edition and is printed on Epson Photo Paper; each purchase includes a signed print with it's number in the edition along with a certificate of authenticity. To make a purchase, or view information about each photograph, visit my Etsy shop at http://abstractlatte.etsy.com/. Please review the shop policies prior to each purchase.

thoughts on materials - "Staedtler pigment liner"

primary use: drawing, general line work
overall opinion: Good

advantages: great for final drawings, shading in small areas, multiple point sizes (0.1 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7mm) allow for great contrast in line weight within one drawing, nice control of application, waterproof, archival.
disadvantages: points can be ruined if drawing on paper that has a rough surface (such as certain types of handmade paper), ink will bleed on certain types of papers, not practical for rough sketching due to quality of ink.






misellaneous: this is my favorite medium for drawing; I love the control and smooth application. My favorite aspect of these pens is when the tips start to wear down; you have to use a little more pressure, which allows for even more control and a finer line weight with the 0.1 mm tip.

For more information on Staedtler products, visit their website at http://www.staedtler.com/home_gb.Staedtler?ActiveID=2131.

thoughts on materials:

...prismacolor markers
...carving block
...sponges
...coming soon (sketch pencils, espresso)

zine, issue#1...sneak preview

So here's a little sneak preview (although quite vague)...



What I'm showing here are the letters used to create part of the title for each issue's cover. I drew the letters on a linoleum block, cut out the type, then used small nails as handles when dipping the letters in paint and stamping them onto the cover of each issue. The beauty of this is that I get a slightly different result each time, along with some other great features that properly serve the zine's concept.

I'll post more images prior to the release date (check Twitter and abstractLatte for those updates).

thoughts on materials - "prismacolor markers"

primary use: color application
overall opinion: Good

advantages: great for two toned color, uniform application in small areas, great for bleeding if that's what you're going for, application can be easily controlled with practice, has two sizes of points (fine and broad)
disadvantages: excessive bleeding can become a problem if you're not careful, not good for coloring large areas, colors don't mix well, slight odor depending on how close you are to the end of the marker






miscellaneous comments: This is currently my favorite medium for color. The manner in which their ink soaks into paper is perfect for getting two toned color application without using watercolor or other diluted media; I find that the manner in which it bleeds combined with its opacity (at least with the medium to lighter tones) can allow for some interesting color applications.

What I will advise is that you practice applying the color to different types of drawings prior to using it on a finished piece of work. Depending on the type of paper you use, the color will most likely bleed outside its area of application and sometimes very easily (especially on newsprint); this can be an advantage if that's what you're going for but if not, you may need to adjust the application accordingly.

thoughts on materials:

...Staedtler pigment liner
...carving block
...sponges
...coming soon (sketch pencils, espresso)

"thoughts on materials"

This section focuses on various types of art materials (both traditional and non-traditional) and their unique characteristics.



Some specific information will include a medium's reaction to different types of paper, good and not-so-good times to use them, advantages and disadvantages to their use, etc. Some materials are my favorites while others I try to avoid; regardless, I'll cover all the ones I've used and will venture into new territory to cover new materials when possible. While I have a number of materials at my disposal, I don't always use them regularly so new listings may not be added to this article on a predictable basis. As for traditional versus alternative materials...I have no preference; each element used in art is important and its origins, although possibly non-art based, are not as important as how well it may serve a particular project.

Art is a great experience, it thrives on new ideas and experimentation. My hope with this section is that it motivates you to try something new or to look at a familiar material in a new and interesting way. Any updates in this category will be provided through Twitter...http://twitter.com/nodecafhere.


thoughts on materials:

...Staedtler pigment liner
...prismacolor markers
...carving block
...sponges
...coming soon (sketch pencils, espresso)

the first zine is almost ready for release

...but I don't want to give away too much so here's a bit of an update to hold you over.

First, for those that are unfamiliar with these amazing booklets, a zine is an inexpensive booklet that is self-produced and distributed. The content, materials used, overall design, and who you distribute it to are completely up to the author. Although zines are simple and generally made of inexpensive materials, they can certainly be as simple or elaborate as you'd like.

As for my zines, I've spent the last couple of months fine tuning the concept and creating the content...enough content to get me through the first two zines anyway...which will be prose, poetry, and some custom artwork, along with a few surprises per edition that I won't reveal yet. I've also worked through the materials and constructed a few dummy copies to get the production process finalized.

I'm still working on the composition for the inside of the zine as well as some smaller production issues for the content; overall, it's looking as if the first issue will be ready in January 2009. Although my zines will be inexpensive to produce, they will be a little time consuming to make so I will limit production to 25 per issue with a different issue coming out every two months. Each zine will cost $3.00 U.S. and will be sold through my Etsy shop (http://abstractlatte.etsy.com/). These details will be subject to change within the first six months as I work through any problems that arise as the first batch goes out. I will post announcements on Twitter (http://twitter.com/abstractlatte) and in abstractLatte prior to each issue's official release date.

For now, there are no images to show because I don't want to give away too much but shortly before release of the first issue, I will post a sneak preview. Until then, I'll keep you updated!

informal excercise for fun and creative discovery

Among other types of content within my journal are creative excercises. Below are two examples that I keep up with on a regular basis (both pages are work-in-progress).

a page of scribbles...
one scribble every day or every couple of days, adding color
at random moments




quotation marks...
I add different styles of quotation marks, again adding color
at random moments



© 2008 joe blend. All rights reserved.

"A digital dilemma"

I think it's interesting to think about the catch-22 that is digital fine art photography.

Everyone has access to cameras and photo production, which means the people who couldn't afford to be professional photographers in the film era can certainly have their shot during the digital era. That's a good thing. Unfortunately, the mass reproduction aspects of digital photography means pricing the work becomes a delicate matter since a lot of people can take their own shots, print them from a docking station, or upload them to a digital frame...as opposed to purchasing one print from one digital file that someone else made.

Where does this leave professional fine art photography?

In my opinion, selling limited editions is one possible approach that could ensure digital fine art photography maintains its value in terms of price and production, to both the artist and consumer/collector.

What do limited editions accomplish in a digital environment? They provide an added value; they tell someone that only a certain amount of people will own that particular print. Limited editions also allow the work to be priced in a fair manner. Why should a photograph, that is printed for anyone who wants a copy, be sold for $100? Oh, it shouldn't. But wait...what was that?...sell it for $12? Why? It took hours to shoot and edit, it required skill and creative instincts to produce. Paintings and other one-of-a-kind artwork sell for a lot more because there is only one copy, one attempt, and after that one piece is gone, it's gone forever. It's about respect for both the photographer and the consumer/collector.

Am I saying that people shouldn't take their own pictures, or that fine art photography is dead? No. What I'm saying is that in order to prevent this discipline from falling through the cracks of our digital world, we need to change the manner in which we approach the medium. Digital doesn't have to mean unlimited, quick, or not valuable; it's only another means to the same end that film reached in its day. True art.