I've now come almost to the end of the 10 week intaglio printing course I've been taking with Sue Brown at The Yard: Artspace in Cheltenham. It has been a most interesting experience and at times quite a challenge. We've covered a lot of techniques and for a beginner at this form of printing there has been a great deal to learn in a short space of time.
Following on from the first session about which I blogged in January, we made a second drypoint plate and again added masking tape to give depth of colour. At the printing stage, I added chine collé with my own writing printed onto tissue paper.
Our next project was to design a new print block using whichever of the techniques we fancied. I chose to use card with tile cement and glue to add texture. Frequent visitors to this blog may recognise the shape of the design from one of my photos.
The hardest things for me in all this were the routines to be learnt in the printing process and especially the need to keep clean when pulling prints. I had to restrain my tendency to be impetuous and to think before I moved ... anywhere. Remembering always to pick up inked print plates with print fingers and cleaning my hands if there was any possibility of contamination were very necessary since even the tiniest speck of ink could find its way to the wrong place, ruining the final effect and endangering other people's work.
However, I'll be back in September for another 10 week dose of classes and I have a weekend workshop with Sue in May to look forward to. Then, we'll be developing a sketchbook with mixed media techniques including gum arabic. I've been given a sneak preview of what we'll be doing and it looks and sounds most interesting.
I will no doubt post about that in due course.
Following on from the first session about which I blogged in January, we made a second drypoint plate and again added masking tape to give depth of colour. At the printing stage, I added chine collé with my own writing printed onto tissue paper.
For the next couple of weeks, we experimented with print plates on card using waterproof wood glue and tile cement into which we pressed various textures. The first of the prints shown here I inked in the three primary process colours, encouraging some blending as I cleaned the plate before printing.
On the second, a blended rub was added after the initial inking - in red which increased the depth of colour.
Finally, I used another technique we were shown - viscosity inking.
The hardest things for me in all this were the routines to be learnt in the printing process and especially the need to keep clean when pulling prints. I had to restrain my tendency to be impetuous and to think before I moved ... anywhere. Remembering always to pick up inked print plates with print fingers and cleaning my hands if there was any possibility of contamination were very necessary since even the tiniest speck of ink could find its way to the wrong place, ruining the final effect and endangering other people's work.
However, I'll be back in September for another 10 week dose of classes and I have a weekend workshop with Sue in May to look forward to. Then, we'll be developing a sketchbook with mixed media techniques including gum arabic. I've been given a sneak preview of what we'll be doing and it looks and sounds most interesting.
I will no doubt post about that in due course.
I'm so glad that you have enjoyed this course enough to take it all further.
ReplyDeleteIt is certainly worth taking this further, even if only to give me other and different avenues to pursue. Now almost at the end of the 10 weeks, I can see where it might lead for me. Sue is a lively and amusing teacher so very many thanks for pointing me in her direction.
DeleteSounds like you had a fabulous time, Sue has such a depth of knowledge. Will look forward to what you make on the next course.
ReplyDeleteI did have a good time. It was all most interesting and a great change in approach for me which was good. Between now and September (when I'm not away) I intend to experiment with lino prints to keep my printing hand in. This is a technique I haven't really used since student days in the 1960s so it'll be interesting to see how I get on!
DeleteWhat amazing work, I'm really impressed with what you've done! Happy Spring! Hugs.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Connie. I really like trying new things - which is just as well as there was lots to learn in a short time on this course. I will continue in September and will no doubt post then.
DeleteI'm a little late here but did wish to say how much I like your pieces. Collagraphs and the "a la poupee" wiping technique were a favourite of mine for many years when I worked at our printmaking studio.
ReplyDeleteI'm a little late here but did wish to say how much I like your pieces. Collagraphs and the "a la poupee" wiping technique were a favourite of mine for many years when I worked at our printmaking studio.
ReplyDeleteI think I lost my comment, will try again! I love these pieces. Here we call these "collagraphs" and the wiping/blending of colours "à la poupée" ), favourites of mine for years.
ReplyDeleteThey are collagraphs here too - and I've really enjoyed doing them. The à la poupée (blended rub here) technique was my favourite I think. I will be back with Sue Brown in September for more collagraph techniques once summer visits and holidays are over.
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