(*)
CONTENT _01
Idea Development & Brainstorming
_02
Initial Experiments
_03
Hot Foil Pressing
_04
Letterpressing
_05
Laser Cut Procedure
_06
Mock Up & Prototypes
_07
Errors & Ammendments
_08
Bibliography
(*) ID EA
D E V ELOP M ENT & BR AI NS TO RM ING
Tackling the topic of ‘Taboo’ for the ISTD project, I started by researching on ‘taboo’ as a whole. After a period of researching and brainstorming, I then decided to focus on the topic of obscene hand gestures. The next step was to then to carry out researches on different kinds of hand gestures around the world and the historical meanings behind it. As the research conducted before executing the final outcome, I have read up on several books related to body languages and hand gestures. These books include culturally inclined content that helped me understand more about each gesture and its origin. (Books used as references stated in bibliography) Throughout this process, I have sketched out my ideas, thoughts and plans. Below are several scans from a fraction of my sketchbook:
1
I D E A D E V E LO P ME N T & B R A I N STORMI N G
Idea/concept & visual development sketches
2
I D E A D E V E LO P ME N T & B R A I N STO R MI N G
RESEARCHING As mentioned earlier, majority of my research for this project is based on reading from various kinds of books related to hand gestures. Below are scans from one of the books which I have read and used as reference for my content creation:
Aside from this, I also studied and researched on travel guidebooks, understanding how the contents in a guidebook are being layed out, the hierachy of the contents, pagination flow and typographical details that reflects how the readers navigate the book.
3
Morris, Desmond. Gestures, Their Origins And Distribution. New York: Stein and Day, 1979. Print.
(*) IN ITIAL
EXP ER I M ENTS & SKETC HE S
HANDLETTERING
RESEARCH FINDINGS
My initial idea was to create a hand lettered typeface that was grungy and rough looking to be applied for the headlines of the Hand Book. Because hand gestures and movements play a big part in the Hand Book, I found out that it is only suitable that I created a type face that was made by hand from scratch. Hence, I experimented with using brush pens, paint brushes and sponge brushes etc. (However, as this was progressing, I changed my ideas and this was not used in the book)
“Handwriting has been called ‘Everyman’s craft’ because it is the craft practised by all literate people. Some people find creative expression in pottery, needle work, metal work, wood work etc. Which in almost every case will be different from their daily occupation. Most people earn their living in jobs that give little or no opportunity for self-expression.-artistic or otherwise. They rarely produce anything of which they can say ‘I did it’, or ‘I made it’ or feel that something of themselves is contained or reflected in the thing.
Below are some of my experimental attempts:
But it is possible in handwriting. Everybody who writes with care and consideration for his readers can achieve a degree of satisfaction and a feeling of some artistic accomplishment.” (Extracted from ‘Lettercraft, page 124’ by John R. Biggs)
4
I N I TI A L E XP E R I ME N TS & SK E TC HE S Idea and visual development-scans from my sketchbook:
5
Some of these ideas came to me on the train and some were developed through having conversations with people etc.
EXPERIMENTING WITH MATERIALS-CREATING 3D HAND One of my initial ideas was to create a 3D cast of a hand that was planned to be used as an imagery for the content of my book. The initial idea was to create typography arrangements digitally, and then project it on to the 3D hand to create a strong visual. However, the forming of the hand cast failed twice as the mixture of Alginate and water was not blended proportionally in ratio. In the end after more attempts, the hand was sucessfully developed but I had decided to change my idea. Below are photos during my experiments:
Alginate powder + water mixture
6
Final outcome
(*) LETTERPR ESSI NG WORK IN PROGRESS/DEVELOPMENT Procedures: 1) Type setting typographical layout 2) Taking proof prints 3) Making ammendments 4) Type setting for letterpress machine 5) Registering and taking proof prints 6) Finalising registrations for final print
(*)
Refer to ‘Letterpress Development’ Booklet to view proof prints and typographic ammendments
Type setting
7
Registering the letter “O” on the letterpress machine
L E TTE R P R ESSI N G
Because there were not enough letter “O”s for this spread, it had to be letterpressed seperately.
8
Registering the type for the final print
L E TTE R P R ESSI N G
Proof printing & measurement marking Before the final print
9
(*)
Refer to ‘Letterpress Development’ Booklet to view proof prints and typographic ammendments
L E TTE R P R ESSI N G
Letterpress outcomes First layer-Red prints completed
10
(*) H OT
FOIL P R ESSI NG
Final prodcuct of customized Hot foil stamp block from Metallic Elephant
Block press machine Took a 30 mins duration to heat up the press
MEASUREMENTS Measurements were taken to ensure that the hot foil plate was stamped at the right position and to make sure that it is centerised with the die cut window.
11
HOT FO I L P R ESSI N G
EXPERIMENTS Before proceeding with the final hot pressing on the actual gray board, I experimented with different colours and cover materials (Book cloth/leather skin etc). Below are my documented experiments:
12
Used foil papers
(*) LASER
CUTTI NG When creating the prototype of the Hand Book, it was tough to get the die cut window on the cover to be cut out precisely with just a scalpel. The outcome of a using a scalpel produced fuzzy gray board remains at the corners of the die cut window. Hence, I’ve decided to laser cut the window in order for it to be clean cut and neatly presented.
In the process of laser cutting, the die cut window had to be measured accurately in order for it to be a 100% centralised in the middle of the title text. The die cut measurements must not compromise the typogrpahy in the front cover.
13
Mistakes were made in terms of getting the window to fit perfectly in between the text. In the end, the problem was solved by hot stamping the text on first before laser cutting.
(*) MOCK
U P & P R OTOTYP ES
PROTOTYPE HAND BOOK In order to ensure that my spreads were functioning in the right way as I had envisioned it, I created a mock up book to give it a test run. Multiple prototypes were created so that I could achieve the best accuracy when it came down to the final outcome. Everything had to be precise and on point.
Getting the text on the first page to be alligned with the die cut window on the cover was a tricky task. I had to create multiple mock ups to obtain precise measurements.
14
(*) ERRORS
& AMM ENDM ENTS
PROOF READING PROCESS Before printing the final version of the Hand Book, I printed out multiple black and white versions of the book that was proof read over and over by myself and other people, to ensure that there were no spelling mistakes or type crimes involved. Various mistakes like spelling errors and double spacings were spotted and corrected imediately. Other typographic detailing ammendments were also taken action upon and jotted down on the printed sheets with red ink as shown in the photographs displayed below.
15
(*) BIB LIOGR AP HY Morris, Desmond. Gestures, Their Origins And Distribution. New York: Stein and Day, 1979. Print. Morris, Desmond. Bodytalk. London: Cape, 1994. Print. Morris, Desmond. Peoplewatching. London: Vintage, 2002. Print. Kachka, Boris. Hand Gestures And Cultural Differences. 2008: n. pag. Print. Givens, David B. The Nonverbal Dictionary Of Gestures, Signs & Body Language Cues. 1998. Print. Oxforddictionaries.com. Taboo - Definition Of Taboo In English From The Oxford Dictionary. Web. 7 Ways To Get Yourself In Trouble Abroad. Web. Cracked.com. 7 Innocent Gestures That Can Get You Killed Overseas. N.p., 2008. Web. Dauntless Jaunter Travel Site. Common Gestures In One Place, But Offensive Elsewhere. N.p., 2011. Web. Heddleston, Sara. These 10 Gestures May Seem Innocent. But Do Them In The Wrong Place And You’ll Get Punched In The Nose. ViralNova.com. N.p., 2014. Web. Obscene Gestures From Around The World. 2013. Web. Rude Hand Gestures Of The World: A Guide To Offending Without Words. 2011. Web. Telegraph.co.uk. Abusive Gestures And How To Avoid Making Them On Holiday. Web. Telegraph.co.uk. ‘Rude Hand Gestures Of The World’. Web. The Huffington Post. Gestures To Avoid In CrossCultural Business: In Other Words, ‘Keep Your Fingers To Yourself!’. Web. The Meanings Of Hand Gestures Around The World. Web. Travel. World Travel- Rude Gestures: Ninemsn Travel. Web. V, Reading-Body-Language.co.uk. ‘Hand Gestures’. Readingbody-language. Web. Vidani, Peter. A Glossary Of Gestures For Critical Discussion. Criticalhandgestures.tumblr.com. Web. Vinciguerra, Louise. 10 Taboo Gestures Around The World. Venere Travel Blog. Web.
16