Lithuanian Folklore/Pagan History Research Brief - Design Development

I decided to create postcards for my research brief outcome. I choose postcards because I wanted to showcase that the topic of 'Lithuanian Folk Art' is something that should be collected, appreciated, recognised and treasured. Post cards in the modern day society are now collected more as souvenirs, memorabilia or simply beautiful things that are artistic and meaningful. I chose to communicate 'Lithuanian Folk Art' through postcards to show that the topics and art forms that I present are still used and appreciated in modern day, just like postcards.

I decided to create the postcards using lino printing technique. I choose this because lino printing is a traditional and old technique, just like the folk art I am communicating within the project. I also choose it because it will give the postcards a unique and interactive texture, that will make the postcards both visually and physically engaging for the audience. By lino printing the postcards, I am creating postcards that are not stereotypical/common, which reflects and brings attention to how the topic of the outcome 'Lithuanian Folk Art' is also not very commonly known or appreciated by the wider English-speaking target audience.

I took the illustrations I made during my initial design stage, and transferred them using tracing paper onto A5 lino printing blocks. I also created and transferred 6 more illustrations, one for every 'Lithuanian Folk Art' topic that I had written out during my copy-writing and initial designs stage. I picked those 9 topics/themes because they are all in their own way unique to Lithuanian culture and traditions, as well as are still practiced and created as art forms today.

I then printed all my designs several times on white card paper stock. I choose the card stock because I wanted my designs to be presented on a sturdier stock, in the same way postcards are usually printed on card also. I choose a white card because I wanted the colour and design of each postcard to stand out. Also, to give the ink a nice sturdy base to sit upon, so that it does not bleed or smudge too easily. I had to print each design a few times as the lino printing process is not perfect, there were imperfections in places where there was too much or too little ink applied, the ink smudged, or the ink had dried out too quickly. After a few attempts at each design, I was able to get some better quality prints, however not one of them was completely perfect. However, I think the imperfection is what makes the analogue lino printing technique beautiful and more personal, the pattern and textures that are created by those mistakes and imperfect prints is what gives the postcard design authenticity and uniqueness. Not one of the postcard series, when put together in the end will be the same, as all the prints will be slightly different. I think this is what makes the process and the outcome more appropriate to the brief and concept, as like the imperfections and differences between the reproductions of the postcards, in the same way 'Lithuanian Folk Art' is different each time when a different person puts their perspective on the art form. Not a single one of the Easter Eggs, Wooden Crosses, Palm Sunday Flowers and etc, is the same as the next, and so not one of the postcard prints are the same as the next.

Crosses

Easter Eggs

Woodcarving & Statues ('The Pensive Christ')

Metalwork

Lithuanian Mardi Gras (Masks)

Jewellery (Amber stone jewellery)

Straw Decorations ('Straw Garden')

Palm Sunday Flowers

Textiles ( 'Sashes')

After the postcard prints had dried, I decided to add the postcard guidelines on the back of each print by hand. I wanted to include the guideline to clearly communicate that this is a postcard series, and all the collectible and treasured associations that go alongside postcards. I did the guidelines by hand because I wanted the postcard series to be made using analogue techniques throughout. Much like all the topics within 'Lithuanian Folk Art' are made my hand/using analogue techniques, I wanted the production of my postcard designs to reflect this.

To present the postcard series together as one topic/story, I wanted to bound them all together in some way. I decided to use a strip of paper/tracing paper and wrap it around the pile of postcards. I did not want to use an envelope or something that would hide the postcards, as I wanted the audience to be given first of all a hint of the illustrations, and second the ability to feel the texture and unique quality of the postcards series, making it more likely that the audience will be intrigued and want to engage with the postcard series further. The strip of paper allows for both of these things to happen, as well as holding the postcards together tightly and securely. The only issue with this binding technique would be the lack of protection from weather or human destruction. However, as the postcard series is not intended for a physical shop setting, and if sold they would be sold online, then this binding method is not an issue as there would be no human destruction, and if sent to someone the pack would be securely weather-proofed as appropriate.

I knew that my postcard series needed some form of packaging, not just binding. The purpose/theme of the postcard series was not clear, and because the aim of this brief was to bring the 'Lithuanian Folk Art' topic to an English speaking audience, I needed some way to label/name the postcard series as such. To do this I decided to further use lino printing. As stated earlier I wanted the whole production of the postcard series to be analogue, from the start to finish. I did not want to write the name of the postcard series by hand because I felt like the imperfections and human error that that could encounter might distract from the main focus, the postcards. Therefore I decided to create a design for a lino print 'stamp', that could be applied to the paper wrap, and state the name of the postcard series - 'Lithuanian Folk Art'.

I first sketched out several ideas for the 'stamp'. The surface area I was working with was quite small, so I had to figure out a way in which I could curve out letters in the stamp so that they are clear and legible. The name 'Lithuanian Folk Art' is quite long, so I had to consider not only how to fit the name within the circle stamp shape, but also how to make it easy for me to carve out without losing legibility.

From my sketches I found that utilising the circular shape, and having the letters follow it was the most appropriate as it made the words easy to read, as well as gave enough room to make them big enough to carve out.

Lino block with name/stamp design. Carved out in reverse, so when printed, the text would read right to left.

 I then did some practice prints, to find the right amount of pressure that needed to be applied so that the stamp prints as near perfect as possible - and so is as clear and legible as possible.

After I found the right mixture of ink to be used, and pressure to apply, I went to apply the stamp/name to various different paper stock and materials. I wanted to explore different coloured and textured card, to possibly give the postcard design something more vibrant and attention grabbing.

The stamp/name worked very well on coloured paper. It made the stamp/name stand out and the text was legible. I was really enjoying the effect that the coloured card created, and how eye-catching the postcard pack became. However, I felt that in fact the stamp/name design being coloured was drawing attention away from what should be the focus of the pack, the postcards inside. I made the binding for the postcards see-through tracing paper so that all the attention could go to the postcards and design on it, so to have the stamp/name take attention away and distract from the focus would not be appropriate. After all, the stamp/name was designed simply to inform the audience what the postcard pack/series is about, and therefore should not be the centre of attention.

The stamp/ink printed very weakly on the metallic sticker paper. The ink did not dry easily and smudged a lot. Although visually the metallic would have been quite eye-catching and engaging, the combination of this material and the lino printing process was not compatible.

Realising that the use of different textured paper or coloured card for the stamp/name was not appropriate, I went back to the use of black and white, and created stamps on simple white paper. I also experimented stamping the name design straight onto the tracing paper binding sleeve.

I really like the effect that stamping the name design straight onto the tracing paper sleeve created, because unlike the coloured card previously, it was not distracting from the postcard designs at all. The stamp/name was very subtle and sat well printed on top of the tracing paper. Unfortunately, although it was doing a good job at not taking attention away from the postcards, the legibility of the words within the stamp was being lost slightly. Due to the nature of tracing paper being see-through and quite dull, and the stamp being printed in black, the letters of the name within the stamp began to slightly blur, and so the audience may not be able to easily notice or read the name. Especially the 'Folk Art' printed in the bottom corner of the stamp.

Printed on white see-through tissue-like paper, the stamps and the legibility of the name were much better. However, this paper stock was not as see-through as tracing paper, and so hid the postcards. This was not something I wanted as I wanted the postcards to be noticeable and be the centre of attention.

Printing the name stamp onto white paper, and then sticking that onto the tracing paper sleeve proved to be most effective. This was because the stamp, being black and white did not distract from the postcard series, which is also clearly visible through the tracing paper sleeve. Also, the stamp printed on white paper makes the letters within the stamp and the name of the postcard series clear and legible. After all my experiments, I knew that this simple and minimal approach to the postcard packaging is the most appropriate and effective.