Bismuth Element Print

  1. What is your element? My element is Bismuth and its atomic number 83. It has 83 protons, 126 neutrons and 83 protons. Its chemical symbol is Bi

  2. Tell the reader about your element, history, function/use and so on. Bismuth was discovered in 1753 by Claude Geoffroy. Bismuth can be melted down and mixed with other metals to create low melting alloys, these are used to make electrical fuses, fire detectors, sprinklers and much more. Bismuth is also used as a yellow pigment in paint and makeup. It is also most popularly used in pepto bismol. Bismuth is a rainbow element, its solid form takes it shape in a star case design.

  3. How did you get the idea for the imagery you chose? I got the idea for my print my thinking about the composition of the solid element. I knew that the shape was very rectangular with twisting and sharp edges. I also knew that the element was very colorful, and the chemical symbol is Bi. So I took these three facts to create my design. I drew a rainbow made of squares and turns cascading over the symbol Bi. I made the rainbow to represent the colors of Bismuth, and also to represent the symbol Bi (like bisexual). You could also interpret the image as a cave, with dripping liquids falling from the roof and pooling into the Bi. This was meant to represent pepto bismol and the liquid state of the element.  

  4. What process did you go through to make this print? I spent lots of time carving my image into the foam plate. I really wanted to have large parts of the image that would not soak up ink, so I put effort into carving sections over and over again. I thought the image it self turned out well except for the atomic number. I attempted to put the number, 83, inside the clouds on the side of the rainbow but it didn't show up. When it came to the printing stage I had difficulty coating the carving fulling in ink. It would turn out blotchy and lifeless when ever I transfered it to paper. Then I learned to press harder into the plate in order for an image to be printed. After this tip my prints became much better.

  5. What would you do differently if you did this print a second time? If I did this print a second time I would have made a simpler and less messy design. That way the ink wouldn't be confused as to where to lay.

  6. What part of the project did you enjoy the most? Describe the step and what you liked so much about it. I enjoyed the printing/inking stage the most because it allowed me to put color to the image I imagined to be colorful. I also liked it because it was fun to be creative and slightly messy with our art work. In this stage we needed to roll ink onto our prints, and then transfer them to paper with the pressure of a wooden spoon.


 

 


Screen Shot 2017-06-08 at 10.17.05 AM
Screen Shot 2017-06-08 at 10.17.05 AM

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