Dystopian

The eerie silence in a deserted cityscape. Abandoned buildings stand as the only witnesses to a forgotten past. Their empty windows reflect the haunting stillness of a world once vibrant with life.

This work attempts to capture just that through incorporating geometric components with a one point perspective that blends aspects of a cityscape like bridges and brutalist buildings.

The use of drypoint etching adds a unique texture and depth to the geometric components and one-point perspective. The sharp lines and rich tonal variations created by the etching process enhance the stark contrast between light and shadow, emphasising the eerie atmosphere of the deserted cityscape.

The converging lines leading towards a vanishing point draw the viewer's eye into the scene, creating a compelling visual narrative that invites contemplation of the silent and haunting environment depicted.

Inspiration

Here were some images gathered from online that inspired the drawing:

Initial Drawing

The process began with a scaled pencil drawing to create a reference for the etching process.

Etching Process

Then, a plastic sheet would be placed above the drawing, and a needle would be used to carve out the plastic in accordance to the drawing. Cross-hatching was used to accentuate or darken different parts of the image, with some cross hatching practice seen in the initial drawing.

Print Process

Throughout the process of etching, there were several prints made that were failed in order for me to see where to work on before the final print. However, each time it passed through the printing press, the plastic would compress slightly, reducing the quality of the print. It was thus important not to attempt prints too many times before unless considerable progress had been made.

During the print, it was noticed that the sky was difficult to distinguish from the clouds and buildings, and hence it was decided to completely darken the sky to its maximum in order to add enough contrast. The blackened sky also strengthens the sinister and uncanny sense that I attempted to portray.

Here is one of the two final successful prints:

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Overall, this was an attempt to capture my vision of an eerily silent, dystopian atmosphere of a deserted cityscape using drypoint etching, while also learning about the iterative process of refining details in printmaking to achieve the desired mood and impact in the final artwork. I am proud of the result and what I was able to produce.