Barack Obama Postcards - Part 1 - Printing the Text

I just finished the most complex cards I've made, and it was a great learning experience! These are limited edition postards which I am selling as a fundraiser for Barack Obama. (Cards are $5 each, go to my website for more info - www.msstarryart.com.) Here are the details of the creative process:

8/28/08 - I am so inspired by Barack Obama's speech during the Democratic National Convention, I ask myself what I can do to contribute. I do not have the temperment for knocking on doors volunteering, and limited funds to donate. The thought comes to me "I can make a card and sell it as a fundraiser!" Yes! Contributing with art.  

I start sketching the card and look up photos of Barack Obama on his website to use - one is just perfect.  It takes about an hour. The design comes to me pretty quickly and essentially stays the same after these first inspired drawings. 

9/19 - After 2 weeks in Korea, I have time to work on the card again. I don't know how I will find time to get it done. Tonight I search for the right typefaces and sizes to say what I want, and start setting the first sections of type - "Vote Hope 2008." ~ 1 hour.

9/21 - I start printing the type, yea! I print the red back text "Vote Obama '08" in Red Pepper ink, Univers 65, 24 point type. There is no 2 in that typeface, so I go with '08. I appreciate being flexible with setting antique type! I set the type and print 200 cards. 2 hours and 15 minutes.  (I print at the IPRC in Portland, Oregon, by the way.)

9/24 - I run in late in the evening to the IPRC and print the black back text (the info block). I use almost the same text for my regular cards, but I rearrange and shorten it and adjust to left justified. The type is Spartan Medium, 10 point size. 1 hour and 45 minutes. 

9/26 - The night of the first debate, I am so angry at McCain's arrogance, dishonesty and disrespect, I start carving the first block. The block scares me and I have put it off. Portraits are intimidating, especially since I am carving away to reveal the features. What if it doesn't look like him? And my main knife is bent out of shape and I can't properly sharpen it. But I need to do something positive, so I put my anger and frustration to the block and carve away. ~1 hour. 

9/30 - I print the portrait block at home with waterbased ink to see how it looks. The eyes and nose are all wrong. I decide to look at it for a few days and think about what to do.  

10/1 - I go in after work and print the front text. I am determined to get it all done, and it feels stressful like I am on a deadline. I usually enjoy the repetition and mechanical quality of printing, but tonight I can't relax. 

I am printing the "Vote Hope 2008" text in red and the stars in black, and they have to fit together. I set both up, then replace the star lines with slugs, small flat pieces, of lead to hold the place while I print the text. After the text is printed, I put slugs of lead in its place and put the stars back in to print them. (Somehow I channelled Rebecca Gilbert of the IPRC to figure this out. Thank you!) 

The text is Franklin Gothic 36 point - I love it's simplicity and power. I had to steal the "Es" from other people's type trays; luckily I found them easily. The stars are sorts, non-letter decorative type pieces. (You know the phrase "out of sorts"? It's from typesetting...) 3 hours and 15 minutes.

Please see my 2nd post about this, Part 2: Printing the Blocks from Oct. 6th.