Kristin Becker's DTC Classes at WSU

When our class visited the CDSC on Thursday, September 5, 2019, I brought with me a floral hair scarf, a scrunchie, a small skincare bag, and a few small fake plants. I chose these materials because of the fun patterns and textures. The hair scarf could be laid out in many ways to get different looks. The scrunchie had an interesting texture. The skincare bag was floral and added more texture. And the small plants added a bit of a nature effect. After learning a bit more about scanning a resolution, I decided to scan what I brought the first day, in addition to an old, crumpled up piece of tracing paper that I thought I could use as a textured background to my digital collage.  I also want to try and scan a few old printed images to try to utilize the circular pattern of the zoomed in image. We have learned that we should be careful about zooming in on scanned, printed images because of the blurry circular dots that appear, but I think it would be fun to play around with that in Photoshop to maybe use the pattern for part of my collage.

This is one of the two ways I scanned my floral scarf. Scanned on 9/11/2019

My idea for our poster comic collage is to use materials that I use in my day-to-day life that I cherish or find interesting. When I am looking for materials to digitize, I also am looking to create a nice color palette, most likely including orange and green hues. This is because as an Interior Design major, I am always looking at the color palette of artwork or designs, and I want to practice using specific color harmony.

When I went to go scan my materials in the CDSC, I realized that it was booked Wednesday and Thursday. I then learned that we have the same scanners in the SDC buildings that I have most of my classes in, so I did my scanning there. I first scanned my floral hair scarf. I ended up scanning the scarf in two ways, all bunched up, then in a specific shape. I scanned both of these at 1200 ppi just in case I decide later that I want to use the floral print close up rather than using the scarf as a whole.

Old, crumpled up tracing paper, scanned 9/11/2019

Skincare bag and fake plants scanned on 9/11/2019

I then scanned the crumpled-up tracing paper. I scanned this at 600 ppi. This scan came out a bit whitewashed because the scanner lid was slightly open, but I figured that when I get the photo into Photoshop, I can lower the brightness and add some contrast.

Finally, I scanned the fake plants and skincare bag at the same time, that I can later crop each item out in order to use. I scanned these at 600 ppi. I’m not sure how I will use these in the project yet, but the scans came out very clear and I’m excited to see what I can do with them, along with the rest of my scans.

Here is a scan of a postcard.

I brought some of my photo prints, a polaroid photo, as well as a textured postcard to the CDSC for the first scanning day. I quickly realized that my photo prints did not quite give me the right look that I wanted for my graphic. They were flat images, so the end product from scanning them would be similar to getting the same image from the internet. I wanted materials that added something else to the graphic. My postcard and polaroid photo provided some of this, but I was still a little stuck on what I wanted to do with my graphic. 

After that class day in the CDSC, I got more inspiration for what I want to bring in and scan. I saw that some people brought in some sort of fabric, as well as things with bright colors and interesting patterns. I think it would be really cool and interesting to scan something like that. I also want to bring in something with texture, because I want to see how the scanner picks up that texture. Scanning texture will bring dimension to the graphic. I also want to scan parts of a magazine, different news articles, and pages from books because I really liked the look of them in the different collages I have seen in the past. 

Here is a scan of a cosmetic bag.

For one of my scans, I chose to use a cosmetic bag with bubble wrap in it. I thought that the texture of the bubble wrap would be interesting to see. For my next scan, I used the postcard that I originally brought to the CDSC for the first in-class scanning day.

I want my graphic to be a collage of items that represent me and my interests. For example, I might scan a page or quote from my favorite book. I also might scan a patterned shirt that I like to wear. People should be able to get a sense of who I am just from viewing my collage. I also plan for my graphic to look just like a physical collage – as if I cut out magazines and glued different materials together myself. 

When the class went to the CDSC for our first scanning day I brought a piece of cougar fabric, a sticker, a name tag, and a Polaroid photo. Now that I am more knowledgeable about the scanning process, there are a few items I will reconsider digitizing for the first project. An item that comes to mind is textured paper. I would like to bring in paper that has wrinkles or a fuzzy feeling to it. I want my project to resemble the look and feel of a scrapbook and I think textured paper would add this touch. Using textured paper will provide a three-dimensional look to my project yet it is easy to scan because of its flat qualities.

  The first item that I chose to scan this week was a name tag that I wore for sorority recruitment. I chose this item because it has different textures in the paper that will add to the scrapbook theme that I am going for. I also like that it is already layered so it will automatically have a three-dimensional appearance. This item was hard to scan at first because of the safety pin in the back, but it gave me the chance to play around with the scanning machine and to see if I like it tilted in the machine or laying flat. I even tried scanning the name tag with a sheet over it and the machine lid open to see if I preferred the look of it being untouched and more natural. I am also considering just using the bow of the name tag for my first project.

          The other item that I chose to scan this week is a piece of cheetah fabric. I had a lot of fun playing with this fabric and fixing its position in the scanner different ways to find the best fit for the image I was going for. At first, I laid the fabric flat in the scanner with the lid closed, but then it lost a lot of the wrinkles and textured feel due to the scanner lid flattening the fabric. Next, I swirled the fabric to see if I could make an illusion of the image, but I didn’t think that looked fit right into the scrapbook feel that I wanted. Lastly, I laid the fabric on the machine and handmade a few wrinkles and waves but left the scanner lid open. I liked this position the best because it shows an obvious form of texture, but it’s still settle enough to look like its an older piece of fabric that is cut out and glued to the paper.

On the first day of introduction to the scanners I brought a Buddha statue, a christian icon, a book by an author that inspired me to go into marketing, my passport, my favorite album (Lateralus by “Tool”), and a neat art picture by the albums artist “Alex Grey”. I will add some Thai currency (baht), tarot cards, and some kind of background either a cloth or maybe some text from a book. In terms of the first collage project I am not exactly sure what I am going to do. For now, I am just scanning things that I find personally valuable or that has some kind of meaning for me. I have not really pieced much together that would have much of a sequential pattern for the collage, but I am bound to find some connections.

My passport and a 10 Thai Baht coin

A scan of my glasses by Min Kim September 2019

The materials I initially brought to the first day of scanning were doodles I had drawn in my personal journal and when I though about scanning materials, I limited myself into thinking I had to bring flat objects. After class going over scanning and resolution, I saw all the different objects from textured fabrics to coins and I realized that bringing more of those types of items would make my collage much more interesting. In the search for more captivating subjects, I decided to try scanning several objects such as my glasses and pencil pouch. These were items that were synonymous to my everyday life seeing how I need my glasses to see and that I am often identified by them.

A scan of my pencil pouch by Min Kim September 2019

I chose to scan my pencil pouch because it holds all my pens and pencils which I use to draw and go about my school life. In addition, I was curious to see how my glasses would scan and if the lens would create some sort of glare or reflection. I specifically chose my pencil pouch not only for its sentimental value but because it has a leather texture that I felt would be incorporative to my collage . The predicament I found was that I originally wanted to have a white background for my scans but perhaps because I was unable to fully close the scan machine the color came out more grey and picked up the glass table. Furthermore, it may also have to do with the machine itself and I plan to re-scan my items to see if I can achieve that white background. Next time, I plan on attempting to scan clothing pieces to emphasize the texture portion of the project.

The items that I brought to the CDSC visit were just three cutouts from magazine. None were specific just random images that I found interesting when I saw them. I do really like the idea of scanning something from a magazine and using in my project. I specifically want the background of my project to just be a page from a magazine because it will give the background texture especially if I crumple the page before scanning it. After the visit I also have been considering scanning something that is a fabric because I think it will be weird yet effective contrast from my magazine background if I do decide to go that route. One last thing I plan on scanning are just random daily items you can find on your body or bag on any given day, like a wallet, money, or just scraps of paper. I think this will be interesting because I think if throughout my project I add random objects that deliberately block out certain areas of the page it will give off this idea of my project almost being a picture of a work space. I think this could be a very interesting concept to play with, and will also be a challenge to get it right.

This copy of the Daily Evergreen was delivered to my address on Wednesday September 4th

I brought in a pop tart box, a button up shirt, and a tissue box in during our class period at the CDSC. After playing around with the scanner in Avery hall, I’ve considered digitizing other items in my room such as my sandals and maybe a few other shirts of mine. I have a few more shirts with interesting patterns and the sandals would have a cool design if I scanned the bottom. Some objects I practiced scanning with this week varied from many different objects in my room. I scanned a key, a watch, a newspaper, and the pop tart box I brought into class. The newspaper was a good item to scan for a collage with all of its text and imagery. After our first class at the CDSC I got to see the items brought in by everyone else which motivated me to find more interesting items. I chose not to scan most of the items I brought into class because I’m looking for things that have more visual appeal. 

This is my Vincero watch.

 I’m also considering visiting a thrift store to see if I can find anything worth scanning. I want to scan items that are visually interesting. I’m looking for objects that have interesting patterns, imagery, textures, and even text that would contribute to an interesting collage. I plan to keep playing around with the scanners by testing out different items in my room. That will give me a good idea of what to use in the final project.

A wrinkled pillow case sewn together with different fabrics Nicholas Kawaguchi, September 2019)

Upon receiving the request to bring materials to be scanned, my mind came up drawing blanks. At first, I thought of scanning a sketch of some kind, but I realized that I had left my sketchbooks back at home. Looking around more, I managed to pick out a few items that seemed to have unique textures and patterns that could accentuated by scanning rather than photographing it. I decided on bringing a small pocket bible, a knitted pillow case and a Japanese cloth. The pocket bible contained lettering that had a reflective surface and the outer cover was a unique texture that resembled a reptile’s scales.

As for the knitted pillow case and Japanese cloth, each holds value in where they came from. The pillow case was knitted by my grandmother with materials that have designs that tie back to my home and the Japanese cloth was created in a way where each seam, some more uneven than others, can be distinctly seen with the addition of some dog fur stuck on it as well. 

Scanned image of a “Maui Jim” sunglasses case Nicholas Kawaguchi, September 2019

After seeing what everyone else had brought to the table to scan, the scope of ideas was broadened somewhat. Rather than sticking mainly to cloth materials, I could branch out in other directions such as scanning a cartridge for a game that has digitally created graphic on the front but a complex, technological design on the back.      

I can also consider using the braided design on my sunglasses case that has the logo “Maui Jim” engraved into it. Taking that engraved word and possibly utilizing it in some written text for the comic could work out nicely or simply using the whole thing as a background could work as well. I may even consider scanning some pages from an old tablet that I used for taking Japanese notes five years ago. The edges of the paper are slightly browning from age and the ripples on each create a good texture. The writing on it as well is not completely uniform as well so it could be used in the same way that Lynda Barry’s “What it is” incorporated handwritten elements from her lifetime with some printed text too.

I brought quite a few items to the CDSC some of which included a fabric wallet, an eyeglasses case with a scaly texture, a foldable fan, and a journal with an old paper type of design. I am still not sure what other kinds of items I might want to use in my comics collage. So far I am thinking I might want to scan a few different types of paper such as lined paper or watercolor paper. I think the lined paper could be an interesting way to organized text and watercolor paper often has a rough texture that could be useful. The texture of my eyeglasses case is quite fun and eye-catching so I may use that as well.

The most difficult thing for me was figuring out the math for my different sized items to get the proper resolution. For all of the items I scanned I made sure to use a resolution that would allow the resulting scans to be sized up to nearly the full size of the project. While it is unlikely that I will use any of the scans at that large of a size I find it better to always have more pixels than needed because you never have to worry about losing image quality that way.

A scan of a folding fan from an antique shop -Created by Kristine Zorn September 10, 2019

This is a foldable fan that I scanned. Since it is not an entirely flat object it was a bit difficult to scan. Parts of the scan almost seems blurry but I think that maybe partly due to the way the blending of the design is on the actual fan. I am thinking that if I do intend on using the fan, I will try taking a picture as well to see if I like the results better than the scan.

A scan of my eyeglasses case – Created by Kristine Zorn September 10, 2019

This is the eyeglasses case that I scanned. As seen in the image has an interesting texture with a bit of depth to it. I am not sure how I would use it in the comics collage just yet but I very much would like to find a use for it somehow.