definatalie.com » gocco

New year, new business cards!

Natalie — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 13:13:28 +0000

I had been wanting some new cards ever since I got married last year, because nothing is more unprofessional than a graphic designer scribbling out their old surname on their business card and hastily scrawling their new surname! I decided to use my gocco because my style lends itself much more to “DIY chic” than those crisp and velvety professionally printed cards (even though there’s nothing yummier than a freshly printed batch!)

The cards use my favourite burgundy gocco ink, which I’ve now completely exhausted doing this run, and a variety of salvaged card stocks I had lying around. I figured that this would add a sort of “mend and make do” aesthetic that will probably be a big trend this year, due to the global financial crisis (Danger! Danger! World in crisis!)

I got to hand out a few last night at the #btub meetup, and they were well received. Almost too well received, I was blushing! Compliments make me go “awww shucks dude”.

Next month is going to be just as busy as this month I think. I’M EXCITED! The new blog redesign is so close I can almost touch it. I can’t wait! I want to get it up before people start sussing me out thanks to the Semi-Permanent book.

Options for Gocco supplies are dwindling rapidly :(

Natalie — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:55:37 +0000

My primary school librarian would have conniptions

Natalie — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 22:47:08 +0000

I ripped the pages out of my copy of "Beyond Good and Evil" by Nietzsche and goccoed all over them! I think I only read like 10 pages of it before being bored to death. It was quite satisfying!

I have to add -why is it SO difficult to scan fluorescent ink!?

These will be available to buy soon!

I’ve got new toys!

Natalie — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 22:24:21 +0000

My fiance bought me a Riso PG-11 system for my birthday, even though my birthday is in December (on the 20th!). The jig was up after he let slip when I stated that I was just going to go ahead and purchase one for myself out of my “professional development” money (all the money I earn from selling my art goes back into my art). My gocco arrived (at my mother’s place!) last week, and of course I wanted to have at it as soon as possible.

So far I’ve burnt two screens using artwork I’ve created using the Riso pen, which is carbon based. In the second attempt I tried using a sharpie, however it turns out that the sharpie I have has absolutely no carbon in it. Our printer, an ink jet, was also rendered useless. It was a little frustrating, because I wanted to start printing pretty things straight away, but of course there’s always a learning curve. Tonight we went out to Office Works to buy a few things and came home with a HP LaserJet 1020 – and it’s FULL of carbon! Yay!

My first really really nice thing to go to print will be our “save the date” cards for the wedding (I refuse to call them STDs!) I’ll be sure to document the process and post it, and the results, here!

I’ve been doing a lot of drawing, still working on my paisleys. I made a few motifs last night in Illustrator. There is a LOT of work in paisleys, and you really learn to respect the formidible illustration and patterning skills of the old artisans who used the boteh in their work. I still can’t figure out how to pattern these properly without seeing an obvious grid repeating.

You might see a few elements from this paisley illustration in my work over the next few months. The scalloped borders in particular… I love them!