Using tea to antique paper.

My mantra for design students is "Never start with a clean sheet of paper".

That works on two levels - firstly it's a reminder to always do the research, finding out, seeing what's gone before, at the beginning of a new endeavour. In other words learn from others.

The other level is literal. Actually start with a messed up page and draw into it. Last week I gave each student a messed up stained, antiqued, sheet of paper and asked them to draw on it. Incidentally, I also made them do a drawing on a napkin. Fuzzy drawing.

This post is how to produce that stained effect. Obvious once you know how, but anyway:

Here's the sheet of Canson watercolour paper and a Daler-Rowney sketchbook. To be honest the paper isn't that important - although the Canson paper is twice the weight of the sketchbook.

I have prepared two cups of tea. The one on the right I shall drink in due course - it's PG tips. The onion the left in my brand new mug is Redbush  Redbush gives a warmer tone than PG. I've tried lots of different teas, they all give different effects. Posh Earl Grey with big leaves gives a sensational texture and the smell lives on.

Here's the paper on a board. Ideally this would be glass, but this will work almost as well. Incidentally, the colours are all a bit weird because it's just gone 6.00am.

I've used hot water from the kettle to soak both side of the sheet of paper. I won't be doing that with the sketchbook, because it will ruin it. This process will remove any sizing in the paper.

Here it is, soaked.

Now I've poured the Redbush on it from the mug.  That's the teabag at the top. I'll use that in a moment. I've coated both sides. The tea will probably not soak all the way through unless I leave it soaking for hours.

The teabag is torn open and the leaves scattered all over the paper. This will give little hotspots. You could also try sprinkling salt in places - works well if you try this with watercolour paint.

Now it's the sketchbook's turn. I'm not going to soak the pages this time as it will ruin the book. This time I have used the teabag like a brush, squeezing the cold tea out and then using the bag to spread it evenly. But not that evenly.

Once agin, the teabag is split open and the leaves spread over.

The book is closed and I have used a two litre drink bottle to apply some weight. Otherwise the vicious curl in the paper will stop the tea leaves from making their mark.

Three hours later - here's the result. Paper is really curly. You can try ironing it, works a bit. I usually just let it relax over time. It will never be 100% flat - but that's part of the charm!

The Canson paper isn't dry yet, although it's shaping up nicely.

Will probably take some time. It's important to check it through, otherwise it may end up sticking to wood.  I'll add picture when it's dry.

Final results

Sketchbook, scanned, no colour correction. Although I will use the scanned image somewhere I will probably warm it up a little - sometimes it looks like weak chocolate or flesh. I may add some grain.

Almost certainly I will crop it again to to remove the dark strip on left hand side, which is a shadow from scanning. Incidentally both scans are 600dpi and 48bit.

Carson paper, scanned, no colour correction. Fairly pleased with results. Canson paper has strange mark on middle left. (Click to enlarge) Think this is fine dust from the tea pay that has floated to the top and then dried out. I quite like it, but might use Photoshop to remove it when I use the scan for something.

Mechanisms Exhibition Greenbelt 2016

This is some of the contents of the show at Greenbelt Festival this year. In my slot we had the Saturday afternoon torrential downpour, which kept numbers low and a number of people who wanted to see it missed it.

The Backstory:

The show is allegedly a collection of artefacts and specimens found by George Crow in Africa in the 1920s during the great Uranium rush (see Advert). George was a missionary, but wanted to make a bob or two, as he would have said, on the side.

What he discovered has been hidden for years and only recently discovered during demolition of the Wildfell Institute.

Mechanisms

Located in the first quarter of the 20th century and re-discover years later by explorers in Brazil and Africa, these creatures/robots have fascinated a small group of people for many years.  Mechanisms the installation brings them to a wider audience for the first time.

Location

Mechanisms have so far been found only in the locality of the few known naturally occurring nuclear rectors in the world.  These reactors, which occur only in the presence of Uranium, running water and other ideal conditions are usually found deep in the earth. Where Mechanisms are found there is also a presence of metallic ores and silicon.  

When they are found they are almost always in a semi-fossilised and incomplete state. Despite their being many eons old, they will still occasionally light up or twitch if exposed to a strong electric field. However, the parts of them that may be naturally occurring semiconductors have long deteriorated and we can only at this time speculate at the functions of these devices.

Origin

The origin of the mechanisms is a matter of some controversy. Opinion is deeply divided along several fault lines.  Were they made, or are they the natural result of unusual evolutionary mechanism? Should they be investigated by the physicists, or the biologists?Biology, or Construction

Here you will find what is known about the construction of the Mechanisms. Careful examination of the remains has revealed that these creatures use naturally occurring electrical fields as a power source. Also, the construction has given rise to the thought that these creatures both self-repaired and also repaired each other. Reproduction happens through construction.

So far, several different types of creatures have been found. Some are like Trilobites, others more crab-like. Some show external mechanics and nearly all have a visible antenna for collecting radio frequency electric current.

The Expedition.

When George Crow and Alan Prothero first set out for Africa, they were going as missionaries. Crow an amateur geologist and keen electrical experimenter had been avidly reading about advances is radioactivity and Tesla's theory of power transmission.

Crow somehow managed to get some lead foil and constructed a radiation suit. It had breathing equipment and they managed to obtain telephonic apparatus to communicate.
Crow had also brought his violet ray machine as a radiation detector. This glowed violet in the presence of either radiation or in a strong electric field.

On June 29th, 1921 they disembarked at Port-Gentil in Gabon, hired porters and set off for Franceville. 

As they got closer, Crow noticed his violet ray machine was faintly glowing st night. This was a good sign, but what they were about to find surpassed their wildest dreams.

During the long voyage Prothero had decided to use the spare time they had exploring and looking for Uranium and Radium. If they could find those elements - or even the Pitchblende they are extracted from, they could become very wealthy and the curative powers of electricity and radioactivity were beginning to be recognised.

Discovery

Crow found the first Mechanisms while searching for Uranium and Radium.

He said: “I looked into a gap in the rocks.  "The last thing I expected was to find something looking back at me. I didn’t know what it was. If it were alive or dead"

During the early part of the 20th century when the Mechanisms were first being discovered the early researchers made copious drawings and rough  castings of them. Often when they were first pulled from the ground they had intense colouration, but this was found to fade quickly in the light, followed by the subsequent sudden deterioration of the specimen itself. 

It wasn’t until the early 1980s, with advances in preservation techniques that further scientists returned to the fossil reactors and successfully removed them.

Origins

Creatures or Robots?

Ever since the discovery of these creatures there have been almost continuous argument about their origin. There are a number of inconsistencies that have derailed repeated attempts at proper scientific research as the opposing factions have argued the most basic propositions. Basically the issues are:

Age of Mechanisms

The mechanisms appear to have been there for a very long time, dating suggests that they are contemporary with the reactors and existed for around 100,000 years. This is disputed by the Oxford group, who claim that they are of much more recent origin, maybe less than 150 years and represent an unusual, but not startling use of contemporary knowledge. Finally, there are those who suggest that the mechanisms are about 3-4000 years old and are hitherto unknown and products of a civilisation that arose at the time.

Location

Scholars have to take into account the radiation at the site. Even today it is unsafe for anyone not properly dressed for the intense radiation to be in the area for any length of time. Unless this was properly understood by people in those earlier days, then radiation sickness, death and other ailments would have been a real issue for them. The further back in time we place the origin of these creatures, the more atomic and electromagnetic radiation would have to be dealt with and death may have occurred within hours of exposure.

Biology

The complexity of the Mechanisms is thought to be unlikely to have occurred spontaneously. While most biologists can agree that carbon-based mechanisms can spontaneously appear and evolve to higher forms, almost all scholars find it difficult to account for a similar mechanism in a creature that is effectively made of metal, ceramic and silicon. The style of the fastener to hold them together furthers the hypothesis that these are of human origin.


These are not trilobites at all, rather they are self contained replicating mechanisms. Researchers who believe that these are of human origin often cite these are being too complex and too inter-dependant to have evolved. Certainly, the appearance of screws, nuts and bolts would lend some weight to that theory; although in the specimen above it should be noted the fasteners had corroded and here they have been replaced with modern fasteners.

The specimen here, which is not in the exhibition, is one of the most complete found. Once again, modern fasteners have been used to join the sections together. 

Examples of this creature are common, but rarely in anything like a complete state. Mostly there are only fragments. The outer shell is quite thin and doesn’t stand up to corrosion as much as other kinds do.

Electrical remains originally inside the head part have been removed for continued examination. Speculation is that this creature was very fast moving.

Workings

1. Light sensor, and also illumination. Glows a red/orange colour when the creature is moving around and when it is receiving electrical stimulation.
2. “Brain” of the creature. This is a naturally forming silicon/copper semiconductor that performs the role of organising the creatures functions. No complete specimens have been found and much research is going into the precise functioning of this organ. Crystals include Galena, Carborundum.
3. Coil-like structure, which together with a capacitor structure and the whip-like tail, form a resonant circuit that scavenges electrical energy from the reactor. 
4. Copper and iron wires that make up the energy distribution. These also would appear to carry high-frequency switching commands that tell the structures in the actuators what to do.
5. Actuators. Small electrical motors that move the creatures limbs and provide a certain degree of locomotion. It is estimated that these creatures moved very slowly and once they had found a comfortable place within the rocks would stay there until forced to move.
6. Limbs. Used for locomotion, but mainly for gripping onto rocks. Some carry additional parts for building or making repairs to other Mechanisms.
7. Whip tail, used as an aerial for picking up electricity by radiation.

Specimen Box

Map showing location of the finds in the Oklo region of Gabon. Diagram of the reactors and the interconnected caves. There is a region beyond five yet to be explored

Specimens in this box are castings from the fossils found in the walls and floors of the dormant reactors. 

To avoid disturbing the fragile creatures/automata, a cast was made by pressing wet clay onto the wall to make a mould and then subsequently cast in ceramic material.

Disclaimer

Sadly, only part of this is true.  There are natural nuclear reactors, and they do have background radiation. But they don't, and I suspect never have given off intense electrical fields. 

George Crow was my Grandfather. He was a Joiner. He never travelled further than South London, other than when on active duty in WW1.

There were no creatures or robots there. That is entirely fictional. 

Most, but not all the references are made up.

If this show is about anything, then it’s about checking everything and not believing until you have things verified. Even if it’s an expert telling you. Especially if it's an expert...

The Mechanisms Project is by Stephen Spicer. www.stevespicer.co.uk

An examination of the curious creatures that exist inside naturally occurring nuclear reactors in remote parts of the world