Using a technique called silk aquatint collagraph Eva has been working on a series of new atmospheric prints in her signature style.
Silk Aquatint is a method of working from dark to light giving a subtle range of tonal variations and clearly suits her approach to printmaking , as can be seen in this image of a Siamese cat below.
Maude has been busy hand printing using an improvised baren to transfer her image. A very useful tip for those without a press. Here’s what she has to say:
‘Here are two variations of a lino cut ‘map’ of the Porter Valley from Shepherd Wheel to Forge Dam – still very much a work in progress. It is a record of so many walks over the past year!
For the time being I have printed it by hand, as it is too big for my mini XCut press. I found this cheap tealight holder makes an excellent baren, as it is easy to grip, and I can put my weight firmly on it – much better than the spoon I was using before.
Looking forward to getting back to the big press though!’
Katherine Rhodes has been very busy with her creative practice this year and has been producing a series of new works which she describes here;
“2020 has been a year of many changes, not only as a result of the Corona Virus pandemic that has affected us all, but also big changes for me and my work. I am now in a position where I can focus much more on art, exhibiting, and have more time to make prints.
I am looking forward to being able to have more time in the studio making some new prints such as this new landscape shown below:
I have also been trying out a new style of linocut to represent the mountainous terrain and peaks which is a departure into white line representation.
In addition to linocut, I have recently made woodcut prints and have been exploring ways to bring more variation in colour depth and tone to give a sense of volume and movement in some wave inspired prints. I will be working on more of these like the woodcut print shown below by printing versions with other colour combinations.”
This beautiful atmospheric print has been made by Eva Juusola using crayons to achieve subtle variations in tone and is kindly sharing this technique.
Using Wax Crayons in Collagraphs
I have recently been using children’s wax crayons in collagraphs to subtly lighten areas which is producing some very interesting tonal variations. The wax makes the surface it is applied to smoother, so canceling out some of its ink-retaining qualities and by varying the amount of wax it is possible to create very subtle effects and tonal graduations – which is not easy to achieve in this medium!
Wax crayons work well when applied to any surface that retains at least some ink, such as the mount board itself or even when it has been cut and peeled, or areas with carborundum. Interestingly when used on textured areas, the wax will emphasise the texture.
The photo of the collagraph block shows where I’ve applied neon yellow wax crayon to lighten quite a few areas, and the resulting print. The colour of the wax crayon is of course irrelevant!
Cath Hartnett has been spending time in her print workshop during the lockdown trying out a range of print techniques and planning future projects. Working in isolation is a challenge and Cath has been looking at the work of printmaker Emily Harvey which proved to be a useful starting point for ideas and further experimentation. Here’s what she has to say about her experience so far.
“Lacking any inspiration for a project, I’ve been spending the time trying out different materials, from mono prints of my parents (possible precursor to a future project) to playing with various techniques taken from the wonderful Curious Printmaker blog”
https://thecuriousprintmaker.co.uk/blog
Eva’s been busy during the lockdown and is happy to share her adventures with viscosity printing.
I started making collagraphs last autumn. Initially, I only worked in monochrome – but after about six months, I had got through a whole pot of Prussian Blue and was getting a bit bored with it.
During lockdown, I decided to learn how to combine intaglio inking with surface rolls in a different colour. In this method, the plate is inked and wiped intaglio with a fairly dense ink, usually in a darker colour, and then a loser, more transparent ink is rolled on with a single pass of the roller. Because of the difference in viscosity, the intaglio ink will repel the ink from the roller.
I have been experimenting with this method for a few weeks now, and this is what I’ve learnt so far:
In my “Foxgloves” print, the darks were created by cutting into the mount board and peeling off the top layer. These areas retained the blue intaglio ink when I wiped the plate, and repelled the pink ink from the roller. The sky and the highlights on the foxgloves were created with diluted PVA glue. When I wiped the plate, most of the blue ink came off these areas, so they readily accepted the pink ink from the roller. I think the most interesting areas are those where the two inks have mixed, like on the leaves. For these, I used the surface of the mount board, which retained some of the intaglio ink.
My next step is to really get to grips with the viscosity principle by rolling on a third colour. Even though I think I understand the theory behind it, getting it to work in practice is another matter!
The Xcut Xpress Die Cutting Machine has found a new use amongst printmakers as a mini printing press.
During the lockdown Maude Tricker has been producing prints using the inside of drinks cartons as drypoint plates. Here’s what she has to say about her new mini prints.
“Over the past few weeks I have been busy with my Xcut press, experimenting with dry point etching, using various cartons as plates.
So far can recommend Tesco milk, Napoli passata, and Ambrosia custard”
Jenny Bowden has been busy with her creative practice during the lock down, here’s what she has to say about her working process during this difficult time.
“During Covid I have been struggling to keep a sense of personal creativity going as we are in lock down with my 96 year old Mum. I started keeping a ‘diary’ in the form of Haiku or ‘moment poems’ with little sketches and ideas, things that seemed important in the midst of chaos.
I don’t have a press at home so I began to cut up old prints and collage them into ‘new landscapes’, all are empty of people and are mixes of different places I have been to or know well but they feel slightly eerie. They are places I have been yearning for.
During the lockdown, Frances Lewis has been busy making video tutorials using her phone and a homemade tripod constructed from empty Pringle tubes. In these videos she demonstrates her method of using screen filler and drawing fluid to make screen prints. You can view her work on her youtube channel Redkite Press