Extended Gelatin Leaf Print

This project is called branches because to fill in the areas of positive space I used tree branches. They're were very small areas of positive space between negative spaces, where the branches could fit perfectly. This project is an outside scene, created from an extended gelatin leaf print. I chose to create this specific artwork because it thought it would fit well in the large amount of positive space the project provided. For materials I used a gelatin slab, ink, a roller, this thick plastic string, and colored pencils. I used techniques including gelatin ink printing and outlining. While creating this artwork I paid close attention to the background space on the outside of the project by cutting all the sides to the same length, I wanted my artwork to look like I was using the space between negative spaces, and I did that by drawing branches between the ink marks. To add interest to my composition, I used the positive space well so it looked like the ink fit in with the outside scene.

I like the way I was able to create a dog, by acting like the tail was meant to go in between the ink. I am proud that I was able to make my project better by darkening the colors, to make my project stand out more. I struggled with making the gelatin print in the middle of the paper, that's why I had to trim the edges in the end. If I were to do this again, I’d probably spend more time on making sure my gelatin print was in the middle of the paper, before I pressed it into the paper.

The story behind this artwork is a gelatin print that was also used to create a positive space drawing. This work relates to my own life because I like the outdoors, and it is an outdoor scene. My work shows that I learned how to use gelatin print, and how to create something out of positive space.