continuation with relief based engraving

 

Wild Blueberries
hand-coloured resingrave relief print

During the summer I had some opportunities to continue adapting some of my small sketches onto both real end-grain wood surface (maple) and some older blocks of synthetic resingrave. 

Wild blueberries was based on my experiences in my region of the world where the mid to late summer these plants native to this region produce a lot of berries that the local fauna and many humans feast on. I also wanted to develop my skills with the engraving tools to create texture, lines and shapes in the composition that would be interesting and have a visual impact.

pencil sketch made on surface of a 6 x 9 cm (2.4 x 3.5 inches) rectangular resingrave block

permanent black marker traced over top of the pencil marks

inked rolled onto block surface to reveal progress while engraving

further engraving progress 

final proof in black oil based relief printing ink made onto 250 gsm white cotton rag paper

I also created three more engravings using 1.27 (1/2 inch) thick maple end-grain blocks that were gifted to me by a master engraver friend.

Two of these became exclusive hand-printed cards for my parents as a gift from me to them in honour of their 65th wedding anniversary. I printed and hand-coloured 10 of each design. The blueberries theme was repeated in a smaller print. I also used a rural landscape sketch made during a previous visit to the region where they reside. The blueberries would remind them of an earlier time in their lives when they met in this region and as a child was an annual tradition to head outdoors in August to pick berries for pies from nearby wilderness locales. 

pencil sketch on maple end-grain. I shaved back the top and right side edge to square the image.

dusting baby powder onto the surface to reveal engraving markings

black oil ink proof on paper

hand-coloured print 

Wellington County hand-coloured engraving 

engraved block progress proof

Dogwood
engraving with hand colouring

Chickadee - relief block engraving (hand-coloured)

 

Continuing the addition to my small songbirds of the boreal forest series of engraved surfaces that began with a small study of a red-breasted nuthatch click here I have a new work to share.

This time it's a black-capped chickadee.

This particular study like the former print again echoes the bird placement among tree foliage and the inclusion of hand colouring after drying of oil relief ink on paper (printed from the block). 

 The chickadee print is slightly wider but the same height compared to the nuthatch in block size. It is 6.25 x 9 cm (2.5 x 3.5 inches). To date I have printed 10 good images on heavier italian milled cotton rag paper. It will be an open edition so I can print more as needed off the block.

I won't go into written detail about process with a lot of words since it has been described several times in earlier posts found by using the search word engraving. Instead I will show photos of stages of creation that visually describe the process I use.

tracing from a basic soft lead pencil sketch and transfer to block surface

pencil sketch then had black permanent marker over top

a wash of thinned india ink was put over the marker image 

photo shows early stages of engraving using a scorper blade (top) and a spitsticker blade (side). After this photo I decided to cut incidental marks to create foliage

a progress proof on japanese paper

marker pigment removed using acetone

inked block on the press bed with runner bars on either side that paper will set on top

block surface inked and ready to print

adding watercolour wash during hand-colour stage

the final result

nuthatch and chickadee engravings on paper

I was recently gifted some damaged wood pieces by a fellow engraver (boxwood and maple) that I had cut by a local cabinet maker using a bandsaw to yield me a range of smaller blocks that were usable. I just hand sand the block edges to square them since the end-grain is delicate and requires special care for cutting into blocks from larger pieces.

more tetra pak printing

An example of recent studio experimentations using tetra pak as a plate surface. The study originates from a sketch made after a visit to a local botanical conservatory. The bird of paradise blossom was in full bloom and made a good subject to interpret using a print based medium. In this case I chose a small tetra pak surface to use as a plate to transfer my sketch onto and scribe line into the surface and print onto paper using an intaglio technique.

I traced the main shapes from my sketch onto thin transparent tracing paper using a soft 6B pencil. The tracing paper was flipped over and aligned over the surface of the tetra pack panel (thin plastic coated foil fused to the paper fiber base). I went over the lines I could see through the paper using a hard but sharp pointed tip HB pencil and this left the impression of the 6B tracing but in reverse. Then with the use of an etching needle and cross hatching I was able to add in more tonal variation with cross hatch and stipple. 

Oil based Cranfield Safewash etching ink was wiped onto the plate surface and down into the scribed lines using a dabber made from tightly rolled up craft felt held together with a piece of duct tape. I wiped the ink with a soft porous fabric (not tartalan as it would be coarse and left scratch marks in the surface that would show with ink). I polished the plate surface with thin newsprint. 

I lightly misted & blotted a piece of  250 gm all media cotton rag paper that was then placed over the upward facing inked plate set on the press bed. A piece of newsprint was set over top of the print paper (protects blankets but helps absorb any moisture, then blankets were carefully set over top of this. I then passed all of this under the roller of my table top etching press.

The print was carefully removed and taped down onto a piece of mdf board to dry. Later I added washes of watercolour into the white regions to colourize the image. The plate and printed image size is small (7 cm x 8 cm). I was able to yield a total of 5 good images from the plate before it deteriorated to a point that the line was very faint.

Miniature print series - Birds of Northwestern Ontario

Progress has been happening with a series of miniature intaglio prints that began a few years ago when I decided to use up a few pieces of scrap polymer plates being stored in a small box in the studio. They are based on a common theme of birds found here in the region of Ontario where I reside.

The plan was to create art on a small scale and transfer the work to a plate. The plate would be inked and printed onto rag paper using an etching press.

scale of work compared to a $2 Canadian coin which is
slightly larger than a $0.25 cent coin).
Print size is 1.25 x 1.75 inches (3 x 4.5 cm)

My very first study from one of those small plates was of a  chickadee at a feeder. The square plate size measured 1 inch (2.5 cm).

chickadee 2015

Translating hand-drawn artwork onto a plate

I took a sketch made on paper and made a high resolution scan of it.

Using a photoshop program the contrast was adjusted in the scanned image. I also adjusted the tone and lightened the image that was being viewed on screen by 20%.This was printed using grayscale setting with black ink only option from a HP inkjet printer. It was printed onto an inkjet transparency. 

I placed the transparency tightly against a thin metal plate that had a thin coat of light-sensitive polymer fused onto it's surface. I clamped the transparency to sandwich it between a small cut piece of tempered clear glass and a wood backing board that had a thin piece of bubble wrap taped along the edges. Using four inexpensive plastic shop clamps (these resemble large close pins) I clamp in on the glass and board from the corners about .5 inches (13 mm). You need to have the artwork pressed flush against the plate but clearly visible for ultra-violet light to create a chemical reaction in the polymer.

The art work and plate received a timed 3 minutes of exposure to a UV light source (a small box chamber I had constructed several years back). It had four banks of 18 inch(.5 metre) long black lights mounted to the underside the box inside). Black light emits ultra-violet spectrum light. If there are clear sunny skies you can also expose the plate outdoors. 

Plates post-exposure are developed using warm tap water and gentle scrubbing using an old toothbrush. I blot the wet plate after the image appears etched into the polymer surface. The plate is then exposed once again to UV light for ten minutes to harden the polymer to create a permanent set.

I wipe oil based (non-toxic) etching ink into the plate surface. The ink by wiping into shallow pitted surface areas that will reproduce the image from its surface when very intense pressure is applied from a press roller passed over the plate surface.

Hand colouring images

Since it would be very difficult to wipe various colours of etching inks into lines in very small plates I paint colour into the image using brush and watercolour pigment. Each print varies slightly and is unique unto itself in application of the colouring.

Bird Series - Intaglio based miniature prints

After printing a small edition of the chickadee I made a decision to expand on the miniature plate intaglio process and develop this into a series. 

Downy was the next original image that began as artwork on a positive and was once again translated to polymer plate.

Downy 2017

This was followed a few months later with the study of a blue jay.

Bluejay 2017

Drypoint plate intaglio

Beginning 2018 with renewed creative energy I have continued the series by adding another two added to the collection (see photos below). To date there are now a total of five prints in the series.  I am still in the process of applying hand colouring to the new works (printed in editions of 15).

This time I used drypoint as the medium. Each originates from a drawing scratched into the surface of a clear hard acrylic plate with an etching needle. I can put my sketch underneath and use it as a guide to scratch in the image.

The plates then have etching ink wiped into the surface marks. Damp paper is set over top of the plate (set on a movable bed) and by turning the gear handles manually they are passed under a stainless steel roller. The extreme meeting of the paper and plate surface literally drives the paper fiber into the recessed inked lines to transfer the image (in reverse) onto the paper.

Colour is introduced after the print has dried once again through diluted watercolour pigment applied with brush.

nuthatch 2018

Whiskey Jack 2018

The plan is to continue adding new studies to the series. In the meantime I will be making these available through both local venue and an online handmade retail site  (Etsy).

Milk carton printmaking - experimentations

A couple of weeks back I began exploring the possibilities of producing prints from plates that are made from milk cartons. Mainly the inner surface of the cartons which protect the liquid inside be they milk, juice or beverages derived from nuts or seeds.
This all started with a drop-in art activity for children that I volunteered to give at a local art center. I had seen a photo online of a young woman who had taken a printmaking workshop (not sure where or when) and she mentioned they were having fun making prints from milk cartons. This caught my interest. 

Anyhow I had been saving cartons for other uses (making bird feeders, snow scoops for snow sculpture construction) and discovered I had quite a few amassed in my cellar.  These had previously been rinsed out with warm water after their initial purpose was complete. I carefully cut the tops off then slit the sides using a utility blade . Some edges had wrinkles in the surface (perhaps from rough handling when these were put by staff on supermarket shelves or during transport from the shopping cart to my refridgerator) so I had to trim these wrinkled areas off the plate. I ended up with a collection of various square and rectangular plates. 


Here is the plate I  used for the demonstration (middle) and resulting print (left). The other piece (right) is from the front side of the original carton. I made a direct drawing using a drypoint needle right into the surface of the plain white reverse side of the plate.

The young artists who came to the drop-in had a lot of fun drawing on the plates and then scratching over the pencil line using needle tools. They wiped Akua intaglio ink into the lines and wiped the plates using newsprint and tissue paper. 

They got the opportunity to turn the etching press wheel when these were printed and then take their prints and plates home afterwards.
Since the plates were small it was easy to put several on at one time for a pass under the press roller. 

Above photo shows two square plate prints produced by a couple of young male artists (12 y/o). Akua Carbon black and Pthalo blue ink. Printed onto damp 250 Canson Edition white rag. 

I brought my plate home and decided to see what else I could do with it since it was still very printable after my initial demo print at the drop-in.
I once again applied Akua carbon black intaglio ink to the plate and wiped it back with a soft polyester mesh. Then I wiped the surface back with a piece of old yellow pages from an old phone book. I then spot dabbed colours of thinned Akua intaglio (thinned by adding a drop of Akua blending medium). These were carefully wiped using tissue over my pinky finger tip. This method is known as À la poupée.  

I set soaked and blotted Magnani cotton rag paper over top and ran it through my small etching press. 
The result was very favourable. 

I noticed a bit of peeling starting to occur around the line edges on the plate. I carefully lifted the peeling area of the surface and peeled it back making sure it didn't take up any of the elements inside the line. In essence this left slightly raised surface area. The area exposed from peeling was a bit rougher in texture. I again applied ink to the plate and wiped it back. However this time I selectively did a bit more removal of ink with tissue over finger tips and also a bit of strategic highlighting using cotton swabs. And the result came out like this in the photo below.

I have pulled a few more prints from the plate and fear now it is deteriorating fast. I believe that milk carton plates are good really only for small editions of perhaps up to 8 images.

Re-purpose household waste to make prints

Red fox study
drypoint engraving from plastic plate
edition of 11
2017

To learn more how this print was made scroll down through the post


I have been active once again in the studio producing some small and limited edition new work. Only in  this case I am using everyday common materials as surfaces from which the prints originate.
In fact, two materials specifically are being used where drypoint is the printmaking technique being employed.


Method #1 - paper card drypoint

The first material is the thin dense paper card used for the packaging of products such as cereal, pasta, crackers, teas, etc...
I have found that coating this with either several thin layers of shellac or acrylic varnish allows a fairly decent surface that can be scratched (or scribed) into with a sharp pointed tool. It is important that both sides of the plate be coated.

plate cut from cereal box board

reverse non-printed side is used for scribing image into.

Shellac is applied using a soft bristle brush over the surface 

and several layers are applied.

I have several tools available for using to work an image into the plate surface.

tools include traditional drypoint needle (metal tool 2nd from the right), diamond tip scriber (reddish wood handle tool), mechanical pencil holder with compass point inserted (far right)           and a home made needle with a steel darning needle inserted into a light wood dowel (between the diamond tip and metal etching needle).

An image can be drawn directly onto the surface using a dark graphite pencil or fine tip permanent marker or you can trace it on using carbon or graphite or saral transfer paper.

sketch of winter woods

sketch on tracing paper (right) with graphite paper over plate and image traced again over top (left)

Darken the graphite line transfer using a fine tip black permanent marker then scratch into these visible lines

The plate is inked either using Akua Intaglio ink (I modify it with a bit of magnesium carbonate powder to add a bit more stiffness) or Caligo Safewash etching ink (I add just a small amount of easy wipe compound to reduce the stiffness of this ink).

first proof print (right) and the plate positioned on the registration paper

Method #2 - plastic plate drypoint

I up-cycled a clear plastic lid from a seasonal greeting card box cover. I cut it into a couple of rectangular plates using a utility knife and a cork back metal ruler.
First draw the outline on your sketching paper and within the same size rectangle draw in your image. The plate can be placed over top. Draw in your sketch and then using tape secure the plate to the sketch. You will be able to view the sketch through the thin clear plate. Using a drypoint tool you can trace the image into the plate surface.

trace outline of your plate on the sketch paper. This will give you the dimensions of your sketch that will also fit within the plastic plate size.

Much like drawing you can add textural variations using cross-hatch, stipple. scribble. You can also use things like sandpaper or emery board to add rough texture to the plastic surface. The more worked a surface the darker the tone it will produce. 

scribed image in the plastic surface with thinner and denser line

and the resulting print from the plate on paper. The ink was a mix of Akua intaglio carbon black and pthalo blue.

The Hug

thin ink was wiped into the plate surface to reveal the image during the scribing process

plate inked and ready for printing

on the press bed awaiting dampened rag paper to be put over top

detail of print on paper

small edition of 11 drying