I have talked with Richard in a number of our tutorials about the idea of having a critical journal about my own practice and experiences when undertaking a chalkboard for a client. This would mean an addition to my primary research and shows how it is completely relevant tony own practice. I used a project that was part of one of my extended practice Module and is detailed in full in the link below.
As I went through the project I recorded the process not only in my blog for extended practice but also wrote out the journal below, making an effort to record all social interaction and examples of proximity facilitated by the process. This will be added to my dissertation in the form of an appendix along side my interviews to be referenced in the main text.
critical Journal of Love Rouge Chalkboard Project
September 29th 2015
Today I choose a cafe to approach with a proposal. This needed to be carefully considered because although chalkboards are very flexible in aesthetic, the pastel colours and soft outlines can be more easily turned to a soft retro, playful tone of voice. I found a cafe that very much suited this aesthetic, not only in the design they already have as part of their branding, but also in their dining experience; the mix and match crockery and the delicate layered cakes. This cafe is called Love Rouge and can be found in Headingly along the Otley road.
Because I wanted to approach the idea of doing a chalkboard or them in a casual and open way, without any pressure, I made sure I ordered a coffee and cake and sat down in the space for a while to get comfortable and make sure that they weren’t too busy to stop and talk.
Once I had sat down with the assistant manager, we got talking about my process and how I usually approach such projects. We talked about the period of drawing time that would be required and the fact that they would be happy for me to take up a table for day and make a sort of live illustration out of the project. We talked about which board it would be most beneficial for them to have re-done and its positioning. Charlie (the assistant manager) felt that the outside board would be the best for the project, because it was their biggest and also the first thing people saw on approaching the cafe. We talked about any content changes and the things that she wanted to be red first on the board. For example, the word cupcake needed to be prominent because it is their main stock in trade. I them measured up the board and made a record of content for the later design process.
In order to better understand their business I spent some time taking photographs of their interior design and printed material, picking out dominant colour schemes and styles and other possible reference points for design. I particularly felt that the decorations on some of their tea sets could be a gold mine for chalkboard ornamentation.
Charlie and I then talked about the best days to do the board itself and the time I would need to come up with a design and we settled on a Wednesday in two weeks (8th).
30th September 2015
Taking the photographs I collected yesterday as a starting reference point I started bringing together a pinterest board of the aesthetic and inspirations that make up the Love Rouge identity. Some of the main themes I have found from this are 1950s aesthetics such as furniture, colours and shapes. These include simplified stylised block shapes that are instantly identifiable with the 50s era and pastel greens and pinks. A particular reference point for me was the ercol, or mock ercol furniture they have used whee they can. Its tapering legs and simple lean style are iconic and elegant.
I have also spent some time looking at chalkboard artists and how they transfer a certain style into the chalk medium. I have focussed on Lauren Hom, one of my favourite chalk artists, because her quirky bright style is closest to what I want to achieve for this project. In her work I found an interesting use of the space available on a chalkboard and how the negative space around a word can be used to make it first on the information hierarchy. ONe thing I have felt on looking through a number of her designs is that perhaps she sometimes uses too many lettering styles in one place. Something that I feel will add greater clarity in communication of word and style is limiting lettering styles to only two and for this project these should come from the identity of the cafe in question, so that a cohesive aesthetic is achieved.
5th October 2015
I have spent sometime looking at the images I collected from the cafe and finding a way to colour match as best I can to the colour scheme inside the cafe.After an extensive search of craft shops all over Leeds I found some very cheap chalks that achieved the desaturated pastel blues, greens and pinks that the interior design boasted.
Also from the photos I took at the cafe I produced some sketches of the logo type for the cafe. This was fairly easy as the main type was a cursive style with a continuous line weight and softened terminals that translated well into hand drawn lettering. The subtitle font that they use on their menus was trickier because of the increased tracking they used but once it was achieved, it looked really good and although I think it will pose some issues when transferred to chalk, it will be worth it for the quirky but sharp touch it adds to an otherwise rather soft and overly romantic effect of the logo type.
Once I had sketched this on paper I tried it out on my small chalkboard, which although about the width of the board I am designing for, is only about half the height. There were a few issues with the precision of the chalks and how they wear down to an almost flat surface, not idea for sketching. However, I found by using damp cotton buds I could remove the surplus halk from the edges of the letter forms to achieve a surprisingly sharp edge. Although not the fastest of methods, it is fairly effective.
Once again working from the images I collected on the 29th, and the pinterest board I have since collated, I tried out a few ornamentation styles and shapes to see how they would take in chalk. Plant based forms were a must but, not overly complex ones. The 50s saw a lot of florals, but also a lot of simplification and streamlining. This is what I hope to achieve with my ornamentation. In large this is done in the transferal of ornamentation to chalk, only a certain level of complexity and detail can be achieved. However, I found that leaves could be paired down to a few lines and a little shading with very little lost of the original effect. The curved vine like shapes I settled on were easy to shape round typographic content and did not draw too much attention, but helped direct focus in a subtle manner. The vines following the suggested flow of the content to be read.
Once I had tried all the separate aspects of the design on my small board I then went back to paper to bring them together in a proportional reference sketch of the complete board to be created. This is not only so I can ensure that the design will work but also so I have something to work from when I am actually creating the board.
8th October 2015
When I arrived at the cafe they set me up in a cosy little workspace that was well visible to the other diners and the staff as they went about their business.
A major part to the start of my day was the taking down and cleaning down of the existing board. This meant a lot of too and froe between my little drawing station and the kitchen during which much light chatter occurred and I got to know the staff a little better. As I was doing this I got offered a coffee, which I immediately accepted and thus started a long procession of lates to my work station. Each time they would check in on my progress, make appreciative noises and comment on some detail or another of the work that I had done since their last visit, always finishing with an offer of anything more than the coffee, which I didn’t take them up on; greasy fingers near a chalkboard are always a bad idea.
I worked my way from the top of the board downwards and encountered problems almost immediately. The board being considerably taller than myself meant that in order to draw at the top the board had to be leant against the wall at an increasingly acute angle. Drawing at this odd angle was not easy but at least it got a few laughs and some light jokes about being short, which only increased the friendliness of the atmosphere.
As customers arrived it become more of a performance than just a chalkboard. People watched my progress, talked about what I was doing and what I was planning for the rest of the board. They became quite engrossed in what I was doing and I am sure stayed longer to watch. It even got to the stage where there were small groans and chuckles whenever my chalk snapped. They were really involved in the process in a way I had not expected.
After seven hours long labour and several coffees, I cleaned up my work nook and brought the board down to the front of the cafe. The staff gathered to look at my work and were very positive and lovely about everything. They asked about preserving the chalkboard and if it should be put out in the somewhat rainy weather. I suggested that they keep it in for one night to let the chalk settle and then put it out under their overhang, so that although it might get splashed now and then, it would be protected from the worst. I also offered to come back to touch it up if it got smudged and left my card with them so that they could get in touch for me to do so.
They were very grateful and I left on very good terms, perhaps to return for a paid job.
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