Terry Belanger: Advanced Book Illustration Processes

Terry Belanger

41: I-30, Advanced Book Illustration Processes

2-6 July 2012

1) How useful were the pre-course readings? (Leave blank if you applied and were accepted late for the course, and thus did not get the list in time.)

1: All fine and interesting. 2: When I checked the website there were no pre-course readings. 3: Very helpful. 4: The recommended text (Gascoigne) is very useful. 5: N/A. 6: Gascoigne is the key reading. To be honest, I wish I had spent more time with it before coming. 7: Gascoigne was glanced over, and I wouldn't mind a more narrative, or historical source to be assigned, like Bewick's Memoirs, &c. 8: Relevant. 9: None assigned—I re-read Gascoigne as per the suggestions of previous students.

2) Were the course workbook and other materials distributed in class appropriate and useful (or will they be so in the future, after you return home)?

1: Yes—handouts, especially. 2: Definitely. 3: The workbook is comprehensive and contains much information of use in the future. 4: I would say adequate. The website and reference listings are of most interest. 5: Useful for research sources. 6: Useful indeed. References to useful videos, websites, a relevant bibliography will all provide continued resources for additional research. 7: Yes, terrific help. 8: The workbook was useful for the course and will be a good resource in the future. 9: Yes.

3) Have you taken one or more RBS courses before? If so, how did this course compare with your previous coursework?

1: Yes. Pre-requisite to this class, so close comparison. 2: Yes; excellent. 3: This is my fourth RBS course—it is just as excellent as previous courses. 4: Yes. I have taken previous courses (two). This course was about the same level and interest. 5: Yes, three before this one. I would say it was on the level that I have come to expect at RBS. 6: Yes. This is of course compared favorably. Great teacher, a stunning array of resources. 7: Yes. This was excellent as before. 8: One course before, which was the basic course. Both courses were of high quality. 9: Yes—about comparable.

4) What aspects of the course content were of the greatest interest or relevance for your purposes?

1: Distinguishing nuances between processes. 2: Ability to have hands-on and practical use of prints, and interaction with TB. 3: The close analysis of materials used in the books I work with will be very valuable to me—in this case, book illustration processes of c17–19. 4: The use of real actual prints for examination, and the discussion on different printing processes. 5: I felt the course content helped me to feel more confident overall in making more accurate determinations of prints. 6: All of it was of interest and relevant to my needs. 7: In "Identification of Book Illustration Processes to 1900" I learned all of the processes and where to go for more info. In part two, I learned to actually, consistently make the identifications myself. 8: The packet of prints; the sheet of guidelines for identifying processes; the instructor's expertise. 9: Analysis of photomechanical processes, description of unusual or problematic illustration processes.

5) Did the instructor(s) successfully help you to acquire the information and skills that the course was intended to convey? Was the intellectual level of the course appropriate?

1: Yes, overall, I think it all flowed well. 2: Yes! Yes. 3: There was much individualized attention. All questions were answered completely. 4: Yes, very much so, to both. 5: Yes. The level was on target, adult, and consistently humorous. 6: TB was amazing. His depth and breadth of knowledge (even as just a GP) are remarkable, but even more, his ability to explain and to provide examples were invaluable. The intellectual level was right for this class, and he was able to adjust the curriculum as needed. 7: Yes. 8: Yes, the instructor was extremely helpful and imparted his knowledge with precision and generosity. 9: Yes.

6) What did you like best about the course?

1: Handling a variety of materials without a context. 2: Combination of active learning and discussion/lecture. 3: The course is 90% hands-on examination of original materials, with close supervision. 4: The use of actual prints, and the great number and variety used. 5: Gaining confidence and learning from my mistakes. 6: TB, TG, the packets, the involvement and interest level of my fellow classmates. 7: The course packets are priceless. To handle and compare different processes side by side is a powerful teaching tool. 8: Being able to handle and inspect the prints; having an expert to guide us. TB was an extraordinary instructor. I learned from him what I could learn nowhere else. 9: The opportunity to examine actual specimens of the processes being described in conjunction with the instructor's explanation of their history and technical aspects.

7) How could the course have been improved?

1: Hard to say—more time?!? 3: Superb as is. 4: It is not always clear how one thing (i.e. one method or technique) leads to, or builds on, another. More on this would be useful. 5: I think there might be a more concentrated study of individual print types, otherwise I achieved my individual goal. 6: No suggestions. 7: I honestly don't know. 8: Only thing: maybe somewhat fewer anecdotes. 9: By focusing more on the problematic areas of illustration process identification.

8) Did you learn what the course description/advertisements indicated you would learn?

1-9: Yes.

9) Did you learn what you wanted to learn in the course?

1-5: Yes. 6: Any limitations in what I learned were due to my not having prepared sufficiently. 7-9: Yes.

10) How do you intend to use or apply the knowledge or skills learned in this course?

1: Use in the day-to-day practice of my work. I am doing more and more outreach as well. 2: Day-to-day work and for an exhibition. 3: I will use the techniques of print identification to describe illustrations and plates in my collection and in preparing catalogs of books to sell. 4: I intend to try and identify the printing method used for all the items in my collection. 5: In my capacity as a cataloger. 6: Research, evaluation, description of prints in the books I sell or as individual books. 7: Yes, this will benefit my teaching greatly. I also believe it will clarify and stimulate my research and writing. 8: In my scholarship and my book collecting. 9: I will use what I learned this week to better identify and describe materials during the course of my work as a cataloger.

11) If you made any trips away from your classroom, was the time devoted to this purpose well spent?

1-3: N/A. 4: None made. 5-9: N/A.

12) If you attended the optional evening events (e.g., RBS Lecture, Video Night, RBS Forum, Booksellers' Night) were they worth attending?

1: Yes, though missed Video Night this go. 2: Yes. 3: The RBS Lecture and reception were excellent. 4: On the whole, yes. Some talkers are better than others, of course. 5: The first lecture was superb. I missed movie night because they switched the order of films, the second lecturer: not so much. 6: I attended the Monday Night Lecture, which was interesting. 7: N/A. 8: The two lectures were interesting, but not at the intellectual level of the course. 9: Yes.

13) We are always concerned about the physical well-being both of the RBS teaching collections and of materials owned by the UVA's Special Collections. If relevant, what suggestions do you have for the improved classroom handling of such materials used in your course this week?

1: None that occur. 2: None. 3: The handling of materials was exemplary and expectations of students were clear. 4: Your methods seem adequate. 5: None. 6: None. 7: N/A. 8: The handling was fine. 9: No suggestions—materials were handled with care and respect by my fellow classmates.

14) Did you get your (or your institutions) money's worth? Would you recommend this course to others?

1: Yes, absolutely. 2: Yes, yes. I do not know of anywhere else where you can learn so much in such a short amount of time. 3: Absolutely—exceeded expectations! 4: Yes and yes. 5: Yes, and yes. 6: Yes and yes. 7: Yes! I have already recommended it to colleagues. 8: Yes, and certainly yes. 9: Yes.

15) Any final or summary thoughts, or advice for other persons considering taking this course in a future year? (If you have further RBS praise or concerns, or if you have suggestions for a new course, please contact Amanda Nelsen [an2b@virginia.edu] or Michael Suarez [mfs3x@virginia.edu].)

1: There is simply no better place to be for lovers of the book in all its aspects. 4: Read Gascoigne, the reference text. Look at all the printed material you can. 5: TB is a natural resource. Take his courses. Now. 7: Thank you, TB! This class is terrific for anyone hoping to improve their print identification skills on the teaching of print processes. 9: I would personally recommend a careful review of Bamber Gascoigne's How to Identify Prints to anyone planning to take this course.

Number of respondents: 9

PERCENTAGES

Leave

Institution gave me leave

6 (67%)

I took vacation time

1 (11%)

N/A: self-employed, retired or had the summers off

2 (22%)

I am self-employed

Work has nothing to do with RBS course

Tuition

Institution paid tuition

6 (67%)

Institution paid tuition ___%

I paid tuition myself

3 (33%)

Exchange or barter

N/A: Self-employed, retired or scholarship

Housing

Institution paid housing

4 (45%)

Institution paid for ___% of housing

1 (11%)

I paid for my own housing

2 (22%)

N/A: stayed with friends or lived at home

2 (22%)

Travel

Institution paid travel

4 (45%)

Institution paid ___% of my travel

I paid my own travel

3 (33%)

N/A: lived nearby

2 (22%)