A Week Inside The Hungry Workshop - Sketching, Designing and Deciding
7th February, 2012
As part of this week's Guest Blog, Jenna and Simon of The Hungry Workshop have offered a GREAT greeting card giveaway pack! The pack includes 3 x Valentines day cards, 4 x our favourite ‘Flanno’ cards and the very special TDF-inspired card which will be revealed on Friday (so exciting!!). Simply leave a comment on any of this week's posts before 10pm on Thursday, the winner will be drawn at random and announced on Friday. Thanks Jenna and Simon! - Jenny x
With a good idea in hand, we get cracking on pulling the pieces of that idea out of the ether, and putting it together into something that is (hopefully) going to look great. There are a myriad of ways to do that, but for us it often involves putting pen to paper. Sketching and sketching, until we are happy with the direction and composition before we jump onto the computer.
Jenna focusing hard on the design
Once we have a big pile of paper covered in sketches, we digitise them. Scan them in and start experimenting with colour – but the real beauty of colour comes a little later. Also, it’s probably about the right time to give a big thanks to our first ever intern, and super cool guy, Tim Cruickshank for all his help on this project!
When we feel like the design is really starting to come together, and we are happy with the layout, we send off for plates. There are many different approaches to letterpress but we prefer to take the modern route and use photopolymer plates because it allows us to have much more freedom with our design. Once the plates have arrived we mount them onto our aluminium base and start setting up the press.
Until tomorrow,
- Jenna & Simon x
i LOVE letterpress… all the senses are kept happy! Loving hearing from you guys and loving the work you are doing in Melbourne!
Ooh it’s exciting watching this come together! Thanks for sharing :D
I met these guys when i was in Melbourne for the first time a few weeks ago. They are so talented and such lovely people! Their work is so inspiring, thanks for showing me through your workshop, don’t stop feeding it!
photo polymer plates look exciting!!
gorgeous colours and designs, can’t wait to get my hands on some! :)
I just love letterpress! It was really interesting to see the photopolymer plates too, I’ve only ever seen wood and metal type
The Hungry Workshop does some brilliant work. Flying the flag for Aussie letterpress!
I’m so intruiged! Can’t wait to see the process develop further.
I’ve never seen a photopolymer plate either. I’m looking forward to seeing if the printing process is different from metal or wood.
Loving learning step by step your letterpress approach, educational and so fantastic!
So great!
Super cool –
How long does the polymer plate last vs metal? Do you simply get more plates if the run is large?
Cheers
Loving letterpress! Can’t wait to have a go at doing some invitations.
Ah thanks for the sketches! I think it’s great that you develop the design so fully before switching to the computer… That connection between hand and eye is so important and undervalued in all aspects of design today.
Letterpress printing is a wonderful skill & art
Really amazing work, I love the beautiful prints coming out from The Hungry Workshop, it makes me really want to learn more about letterpress!
Love seeing this process, particularly the brainstorming sketches! This might be my most fave guest blog yet!
Nice! I love what these guys do.