Moon dance - styrofoam plate print addendum

Additional photos to accompany my previous blog post that show the original sketch, the Scratch foam styrofoam plate after being cut apart and how it is reassembled. I have also included photos of some of the brayers that were used, the plastic rubbing stick and a tube of the Graphic Chemical water soluble relief printing ink.

using the piece of Styrofoam plate I marked the corners and inside the area on paper made a pencil sketch of my image.

I traced the image from the sketch onto a sheet of tracing paper. This was set over top of the foam plate and taped to the underside on two sides with masking tape. Using a ball point pen I retraced the lines from the tracing into the foam puncturing the paper and allowing the pens ink to sink down into the foam surface.

Using a xacto knife I cut apart the foam creating the following main shapes to apply various colours mixed from the Graphic Chemical inks. Pieces were carefully reassembled. Slightly misted black Stonehenge paper was set over top. I applied pressure using the smooth round plastic rubbing stick and by rubbing in a circular motion. The paper was carefully lifted and a colour print emerged. After the initial image was printed I was able to more to the print. With a steady hand and a good eye that piece was set inked side down onto the print (matching it exactly to the printed area underneath) and pressure was applied to stamp on more ink highlighting.

Example of the ink, rubbing stick, and various sizes of brayers that were used.

More styrofoam relief jigsaw block printing

A recent print on black paper derived from Styrofoam plate. I used a jigsaw method to cut apart key components of the plate, then applied Graphic Chemical water soluble ink onto the pieces. These were reassembled and the paper was put over top. Using hand burnishing this is the resulting print on paper.
Title is Moon Dance (Inukshuk Aurora series).
The image size measures  11 x 23 cm (4.25 x 9 inches.)

this is being used as a demo for a free printmaking weekend for youth at a local arts centre where I live this coming weekend. Styrofoam will be the surface used so perhaps this will inspire some creative minds?

Drypoint Workshops Saturday March 23 & March 30 2013

 

Participants engaged in intaglio printmaking workshop

in Dryden Ontario Sat. Mar 24 2013

 

 

 

Yours truly (standing) and some of the 13 participants who attended

my drypoint on plastic plate with monotype workshop held in Thunder Bay

on Saturday March 30, 2013.

 

 

 

The past week has been a busy one. Yesterday I gave the second of two workshops here in my home city. Last Saturday in the city of Dryden Ontario (4 hours west of here) I gave the same workshop in drypoint on plastic plate to 11 participants.

 

Participants were given pre-cut plates (13 x 17 cm) or 5 x 7 inches and drypoint tools. They scribed images into the surface and also were encouraged to experiment with altering the surface of the plastic using sandpaper, implementing drawing techniques such as crosshatching and stippling to create tonal areas.

They were not only able to produce a single colour image on paper but I also showed them how to apply spot wiping of colour on the surface of the plate (a la poupee), monotype from a separate plate and also direct application of thinned out ink using brush to the surface of the plastic.

 

I would say this endeavour turned out very successful and every person who participated really enjoyed this type of printmaking and took home several prints each that originated from their individual plates. Below are photos showing highlights of these workshops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

more drypoint experimentation on plastic plate

drypoint on packaging plastic

I was lucky to discover recently during a trip to Toronto a product for the visual arts found at Above Ground Art on McCaul St. This is simply known as packaging plastic. It is a bit thicker than acetate but is thinner and more flexible than plexiglass.
Knowing that I have several upcoming public art workshops I decided to get a sample piece and try out a drypoint image on this plastic sheet. If this worked out I would get more of this product for workshop participants to use.
My goal was to do something fairly simple in design that I could use as a demo piece. It would also be a surface that I might experiment a bit with a couple of different etching inks. These included Akua intaglio ink (soy) and Caligo safewash etching ink (which is derived from flax).
A photo I had taken last year of a swallowtail butterfly became the basis for the sketch which was placed underneath the plastic.
I noticed that when the thin protective plastic wrapping was removed from the clear plastic the sheet developed a slight bow. Apparently the product was cut from a larger roll into individual sheets. This was a bit of an issue but I compensated by placing double sided clear tape underneath to secure it flat to my working surface and give me good contact with my sketch underneath.

Using various sharp pointed tools including an etching needle, diamond tip drypoint needle and homemade darning needle embedded into the end of a piece of wood dowel I scribed lines into the surface. For the dark areas I rough up the surface using both the diamond point in a circular scribbling type motion using the wrist. I also lightly sanded a few areas with fine grit sandpaper to add a bit more texture.

the butterfly drypoint plate

Below are some of the results in photos. The image at the beginning of this post is a basic black ink print on Maidstone white rag. It was printed using Akua intaglio carbon black with a 25% addition of pthalo blue.

I also experimented with printing the drypoint into a monotype made from a separate plate. A piece of Duralar wet media film was cut to the same dimensions of the drypoint plate. I put some tabs of double sided photo mounting tape in between to keep the top plate from slipping during the application of the thinned akua intaglio inks (made a bit more fluid with the addition of a small amount of blending medium). I used the drypoint below as my guide for where to paint in colours of ink. The monotype plate was carefully taken off and placing a piece of lightly misted rag paper I rubbed the back of the paper using my hand and a rubbing stick to transfer ink.

 

 

monotype on duralar wet media film painted

on with a brush using thinned akua intaglio inks

 

Then I took the drypoint plate and using careful steady hand/eye coordination set that facedown over the monotype. I ever so carefully flipped this over and set it on the bed of my small etching press. I lay the 3 layers of felts over top and passed this under the top roller.

 

drypoint and monotype

 

 

Finally I printed a black and white from the plate but this time around using Caligo safewash etching ink (carbon black) and added a minute amount of wiping compound.

The print was fastened to a thin piece of board and allowed several days to dry. I applied watercolour into the print and came up with the following image that is pretty close to what I see in my photo reference:

 

 

Swallowtail butterfly

hand coloured drypoint

2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drypoint on acetate

 

 

I have been experimenting with drypoint again. This time have used clear acetate .003 inch (.08 mm) in thickness.
A sketch I made of a winter finch was used. I also had some photo reference to use for determining the colours.
I was able to place a sketch underneath and use this as a guide to scribe the lines into the plastic surface.
I constructed a tool to use by drilling a hole into a 6" (15 cm) length of wood dowel into which I pushed in a darning needle. I sharpened the end of the needle by rotating it on a piece of aluminum oxide grit sandpaper.

The plate had Akua carbon black intaglio ink spread across the surface using the edge of an old Itunes card. I then wiped back the surface with a piece of bundled tartalan cloth. I then applied the end of a cotton swab stick to remove ink from areas for more white to show through. I wanted to leave a little plate tone for effect.

 

acetate plate with inked scribed line and plate tone

 

 

 

resulting print made on Maidstone white rag

A piece of Maidstone all purpose rag paper was misted and placed over top of the plate. I set my felts over top and a piece of newsprint and adjusted the pressure of the roller on my small etching press.
After printing I allowed time for drying (in this case about a week).

Watercolour was also added to another version pulled from the same plate but this time the scribed lines were inked using Paynes Gray.

Meanderings

snowshoe two step

winter sunset

A long period has passed since my last blog entry. I have been active in local schools undertaking a printmaking project. Basically I finished one project in one school and immediately began another project in a different school. This last placement will fulfill my 150 hours from an Ontario Arts Council Artist in Education grant that I received in the fall of 2011. The good news is that the projects by schools I have undertaken in 2012 and the early part of 2013 will be getting public exhibition here in Thunder Bay outside of the school. I have been fortunate to have made some connections with certain individuals involved in the arts here that will allow this to happen.

I am also beginning a new studio project that will occupy the next year. This is a series of miniature studies on paper created using various printmaking applications that examine unique and rare flora/fauna of Northwestern Ontario. At the moment there isn't a lot of photo resources I can get out of doors due to the season so I am focusing on imagery I do have on hand that I acquired earlier this year.
I am once again using the following techniques to create the series:

• polymer plate
• drypoint (acrylic plate and plastic film)
• serigraphy
• relief block (linocut and wood engraving)
• collagraph

The photos above and below reflect on winter here in the North.

finch perched on clothesline

Usnea (old mans beard lichen)

Styrofoam plate relief printmaking for young artists

Tom Thomsons "Sunset" painting reinvented

styrofoam plate relief print on black paper

© 2012

B.Holden

Once again I'm in the midst of an elementary school printmaking project courtesy of a grant I received in 2011 from the Ontario Arts Council. This time around I am working with a total of 48 students from grades five and six in one school and 16 students from another.
The project again explores square image relief prints using thin styrofoam plates (made by Scratchart company in USA). The approach is jigsaw block, where the foam plate is drawn into first then dissected using either scissors or craft knives.
The goal of this project will see all students contribute an image to a large scale mosaic mural composed of squares. Each classs has chosen a theme to explore and have a range of sub-categories as subject matter to choose from that fall under the blanket of each general theme.

The grade six class have chosen the theme of weather. This would include a range of portrayals and one of these could include landscape.
I decided to use a famous landscape painting by noted Canadian artist Tom Thomson as an example that I would interpret as a relief print. However the challenge was to create a simplified graphic based on the original artwork. I have made it a bit more of a challenge for the students in that they must try and create their image in no more than ten pieces.

Sunset  

Tom Thomson

oil

1915

National Gallery of Canada

I started first with a sketch in pencil on paper that will match the exact size of the plate (in this case 19 x 19 cm or 7.5 x 7.5 inches). The challenge was to create a design that has several entry points from the outside edge (to allow access with scissors) but that each element internally in the plate would interconnect in some manner.

Once I had determined my 10 main shapes I then added in colour in rough using marker. A number was added to each piece. This will act as a guide for reassembly of the plate after it has been dissected.
A tracing was made for the main colour sketch and then it was flipped over and redrawn into the foam using a ballpoint pen pushed through the thin tissue.

I then darkened the indented lines in the foam surface with the pen point. At this point I was able to add texture into the plate for added effect in the final print.
The plate was cut apart into the ten main shapes and using permanent black marker I marked the corresponding number from the colour sketch onto the reverse side of each piece.

I applied a water based block printing ink onto the non-numbered side of each piece and then carefully reassembled all the pieces onto my registration board. Slightly damp paper was set over top and using hand pressure with rubbing stick was printed. A print was first made onto a piece of white subi paper. I applied more ink to the pieces and printed the plate onto a dark paper. I cropped the print on the dark paper and mounted it onto a white background.

For the black line version I printed the inked plate onto black construction paper and by passing the registration board, plate and paper under the roller of my small etching press. Even though I had added a little white to the ink to make it a bit more opaque some of the black did come through and influence the vibrancy of the colour.

You will notice that I did a little blending of colours on a few pieces during the inking stage. This was achieved by blending two colours of inks together on the brayer before it was transferred onto the styrofoam plate piece.