Sundown Print PT. 1

So it's been a bit since I have done anything art wise of importance. I've been mostly creating out of frustration. I found this folder that I used in college that had magazine cut outs used for inspiration. I looked through it thinking, "geez this stuff is crap" and then in the back I found the above sketch... its a messy sketch but one that I used trying to come up with ideas for a print we were making about memory. I ended up not using this exact one but I did use the amusement park ride in a painting later.

The places the sketches represent a huge part of my life. I grew up spending my summers in the mountains at a place called Sundown Resort. Turns out we were having a reunion of sorts after a good 15 years of truly getting to hang out together. One of the photos on our Facebook group page happened to be one of this payphone. The payphone is long gone but everyone had great funny memories of hanging out around it and ended up being the most commented photo. Funny how a stupid payphone brought all our memories together!

So here it is Sunday night before the big get-together on the upcoming Friday and it hits me.... I HAVE to do a commemorative print. This is a RIDICULOUS idea. I just started making prints again, I am very rusty, AND my daughter was starting kindergarten. I rack my brain how to do a payphone with the words Sundown Resort on it and make it work. I had nothing. But what I did have was my old friends: the Sundown kids. The group admin titled us "the Old School Sundown Crew" for the event. We are the teens of 90's after all right? That is what stuck and I ditched the payphone (for the moment) and just went with our theme for the weekend.

Here is Part 1:

Lettering.. do I even remember how?

Adding in some graffiti style to match our name.. and our gansta ways as teens... wait, nm.

Finished drawing

The image has to be backwards on the block for the print correctly. 

Traced backwards.

Image on block.

I tend to daydream and I am using an easy cut block which is unforgiving to mistakes so I shade the parts of the plate that will be positive space.

A close up during carving process.

Block ready to be inked and a test print made.
 I'm out of time.

 to be continued....

Click here to go to Sundown Print Pt.2