print from a single plate that combines three techniques

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/612814647/small-landscape-combination-drypoint?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=&ref=sr_gallery-1-39


Back in October of last year I posted about a print I had made from using a single clear acrylic plate. 
http://myprintmakingjourney.blogspot.ca/2017/

This combined colour relief roll, monotype and drypoint. I had only made a couple of prints at that time. The plate was put into a safe place and I became involved with other projects   

Over the past couple of days I decided to return once again to printing a small edition off of this plate. I took photos during the process which I believe may explain better how I achieved each print on paper from the plate. I am hoping to print an additional 6 for a total of 20 over the next day or two. To date I have printed 13.

I am printing these using Caligo Safewash etching inks. The etching ink is also used for the relief/monotype stage.

Each print is made onto Somerset satin white rag. Using moisture activated butchers tape I affix each print onto a thin mdf panel where they are allowed to dry. The tape also keeps the slightly damp paper from buckling. 

The plexiglass (aka perspex) plate. Here the surface scratched line is revealed by applying and wiping black etching ink across the surface.

The plate showing colour relief roll of ink on the surface and the beginning stages of subtractive monotype. I create a colour blend for the blue on another larger piece of acrylic using a soft rubber brayer. I achieve this by applying prussian blue with a little white to establish the darkest hue at the top. I set a little white a couple of inches beside this and by rolling the ink with the brayer forward many times the two intermix until a nice blend from dark to light occurs. I then carefully transfer this from the roller onto the plate surface.

The light biege ink on the bottom foreground rock was applied with an even smaller width rubber brayer. This is achieved by first determining by eye where to start the brayer to meet at the line of blue and moving it across the surface to deposit the ink and not touch the wet blue ink. It requires a bit of skill and steady hand co-ordination.

Here you can see where I have removed ink using various tools (cotton swabs, rolled tissue, tip of a bamboo skewer) that will print as negative space.

Result of the printing of the colour relief roll and monotype for the first stage. 

The plate was set onto the press bed inked side facing upwards. I used a registration sheet underneath with markings made in light pencil to center the plate and also indicate where the corners of the paper should be. Soaked and blotted Somerset satin 250 gm rag was set over top. A piece of clean newsprint was set over the somerset and then the three wool felts were placed over all of this. The plate had a 45 degree bevel filed along the edges earlier. The pressure of the roller created an embossed mark around the print edges during printing. This will assist in positioning the plate a second time (ink side facing down) for the drypoint.

The colour ink residue was cleaned off the plate surface (using a rag and vegetable oil). I wiped carbon black etching ink into the recessed lines that were scratched on the plate earlier (the drypoint component). 

So now came the really tricky part. Carefully using a combination of steady hand and eye coordination I positioned the plate ink side facing down and set it over top of the colour print. The emboss from the bevel helped me to set it into place. 

I then set my clean hand over the plate. I placed my other hand underneath the paper and with a bit of slight pressure set it under the area where I had the plate pinned to the paper with the other hand on the opposite side. 

I slowly flipped it over so that the plate was underneath. I set this down on the press bed at a 45 degree angle and as the plate was lowered into a horizontal position I removed my hand slowly from underneath but made sure my hand over top of the paper and plate was pushing and making sure the plate wasn't slipping out of position underneath. I could tell once the paper was down flat as the raised shape of the plate from the previous printing held the plate in position. 

Clean newsprint was set over the back of the paper and once the felts were lowered. This time I set the hand that wasn't turning the press gears on top of the felts over the plate and paper area to hold in place until it was caught by the edge of the roller as the bed was moved under the roller.
When I lifted the paper after it had cleared the roller on the other side I saw that the drypoint element had printed nicely where it should be and the colour underprint was also in alignment.

Prints drying in a warm room. I use both sides of the boards to attach prints so angle them slightly out from the wall to allow for airflow on both sides during the drying process.

new work from the studio

Finally found time this year to return to the studio and pursue a few ideas I have been wanting to translate to prints.
Shoreline is a new study that originates from a drawing I did while touring the north shore of Lake Superior. It is a small image that measures 8.5 x 8. 5 cm (3.5 x 3.5 inches). It was originally intended to be a collagraph, but reality struck when I realized the small size would be very difficult to construct a plate especially with the fine details in the rock, trees and island. So a decision was made to interpret it as a drypoint.

I transferred my sketch on matboard plate onto clear acrylic plexiglass (perspex) and using a fine point needle scratched lines into the surface. I wanted additional texture in the foreground rocks and achieved this by applying pressure using the back of a metal spoon rubbed onto the back of a small piece of cut coarse sandpaper. 

Akua intaglio ink (carbon black and a hint of white mixed in) was wiped into the lines and damp cotton rag paper was set over top. I printed about four of these. My plan is to apply hand-colouring to these prints when they are dry. 

The next phase was to combine a monotype on the surface of a second plate (equal size of the drypoint plate). The monotype was made on thin acetate using rolled thinned colours of etching inks onto the surface. I then used cotton swabs, pencil point and bristle of small brushes to remove ink and make marks.

However I had only printed two versions using both plates and noticed off registration occurring in each. I made notes during the process. 

Observations

The 3mm key plate had been filed along the edges at a 45 degree angle.

The thinner acetate plate was cut to the same dimensions as the other plate. It did not have a angled edge.

Bristol card was used a bed liner and registration template for the plates. I had anchored the edges of the template with small tabs of painters tape onto the acrylic bed. The plexiglass plate was traced in light pencil on the template. Another light pencil outline as made several inches outside the plate position marks that I could use to line up the print paper. 

I had a piece of thicker plexiglass already set on top of my phenolic press bed. However past experience taught me that setting plastic plates onto a plastic surface did not result in a good outcome.  Many times I had noticed the plate had angled when it was subjected to the high pressure of the roller. Generally taping a piece of paper to set the plate onto usually keeps the plate from shifting. Possible problems:

• Perhaps shifting was occurring when I passed the plates under the press roller? 
• Was the coated side of the bristol card not providing enough grip and possibly not creating an indentation in the surface from the plate under pressure? 
• Should I use another material for a press liner such as mat board? Was the off register being created when the plate was meeting the roller?  

                                                                             

misalignment of plates noticeable on sides

Possible Solutions 

Pass an inkless plexiglass plate through the press with enough pressure to see if it might make an indentatin mark in the Bristol card.

Trim the acetate sheet to fit the inside dimensions of the indentation in the registration sheet. This would allow the bevel edges from the main plate to emboss as a clean edge with no carry over of ink.

Forego the monotype plate. A fellow printmaker from an online community suggested that I try inking/wiping the plate and then applying a relief roll of thinned inks on the surface.

Success with single plate approach

I decided to take the advice and try the relief roll. This time around I used Caligo Safewash etching inks. I applied two colours with small brayers. For the sky I used a blue mixed from a combination of prussian blue with a little white modified with medium. The colour for the foreground rock was a combination of three process colours (magenta, yellow and cyan) with a little white and modifier to make it transparent.

The surface was carefully worked into with cotton swabs (clouds) and using the tip of a pencil to make tiny lines in the blue ink (above the rocks) that created the effect of light on the water surface and the horizon line.

I was pleased with the result when the print on paper was revealed after passing the plate under roller. And also no slipping or angling of my plate as I reversed the bristol template and had used the uncoated side to lay the plate onto.

My lesson learned here was that being patient and having a spirit of adventure can sometimes yield a favourable outcome.

 

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.

Some prints from a long time ago

I found a few photos of some of my earlier printmaking adventures that not many have seen so thought I would share these with my blog followers.

two colour linocut from 2006
a study of a sailing regatta in Thunder Bay

A relief print I made in 2007 from a piece of scratchfoam.
I drew into the thin foam plate using a ballpoint pen to create the relief.
Instead of printing black ink onto white paper white ink was applied and then hand burnished onto a piece of black stonehenge paper.
Inspired by a visit to Killarney Provincial Park near Sudbury, Ontario.

In 2009 I took a scan of a black ink print on white paper from one of my larger carved pieces of linoleum.
 I resized and then reversed the image, printed it onto an inkjet transparency and exposed it as a negative on to a small piece of solar plate. The plate was developed and I applied ink with a brayer on the surface and printed it as a relief image using block oil based ink onto 140 lb cold press watercolour paper. I then applied hand colouring into the print using watercolour. You can get a sense of the size of the printed image as the frame dimensions measure 5 x 7 inches, so it in effect is a miniature print.

2005

another experiment of relief printing from four blocks
made from 1/16 inch thick craftfoam. Pieces were cut out and glued onto a cardboard base sheet.

A cosy place 2006
This is a small drypoint study printed from a drawing
 made with a drypoint needle into thin piece of aluminum plate

Heat/Sunspot lover 1987
I made this relief print using a product called Fujiblock that was made by the UK based Windsor and Newton Company known for their fine grade watercolour paints
The block was a stiff piece of cardboard that had a thin layer of felt material glued on top. You cut away the surface material using a double bladed utility knife, then peeled off the thin cut lines and then applied watercolour onto the remaining surface. The media was allowed to dry then reactivated by misting or you could also print onto damp paper to give a unique white line print.

this was a multiple plate square format collagraph
2006

Sunflower linoluem relief block print with hand colouring
2005

Songbird
2005
a simple relief print from a piece of 1/2 inch blue building grade styrofoam that I drew into with a ballpoint pen. I hand burnished the black ink coated block onto torn piece of amber colour japanese Chiri paper.
It has been mounted to float inside a birch shadow box frame.

another multiple plate collagraph
2005

collagraph/monotype
2005

Hosting a Monotype workshop

Giving a demonstration showing the application of watercolour onto Dura-lar wet media film 

Last Saturday I had the honour of conducting a workshop in Monotype printmaking for 14 enthusiastic members from Lakehead Visual Arts, a club I have been a member of since the mid 1980s.

I had been approached a while back by the club to see if I could give some type of printmaking activity that members could do in a one day session and that wouldn't be too expensive for supplies.

We explored two methods. The morning was spent working on subtractive monotypes using oil based etching ink that was rolled out on plexiglass plates from a brayer. The artists used a variety of tools including bamboo skewers, pieces of paper, tissue, blending sticks to remove ink from their plates. These were then printed onto soaked and blotted cotton rag paper using an etching press.

subtractive monotype by R.Vilim ã

working into the ink covered plexi to remove ink

the resulting print in reverse on paper after being pulled through
 the etching press onto damp cotton rag paper

subtractive monotype swine study by R. McKenzie





assisting one of the participants run a plate through the press

The second method we explored during the afternoon session was additive monotypes. Participants were given a piece of clear wet media Dura-lar film. They were able to put sketches and/or photos under it to use a painting guide. The wet media film allows washes and thicker applications of paints such as watercolour, gouache, createx monotype inks, and also acrylic paint and ink.
By placing dampened paper over top and using either hand burnishing with a tool or by running the film and paper through the press a transfer is made onto the paper. The painted medium can be dry or wet. If it is dry the damp paper will reactivate it. If you print onto dry paper you can apply a light misting of water to the plate or paper to facilitate activation of the media and allow transfer.

watercolour transfer by G. Postans made from Dura-lar

onto rag paper using the table top etching press

Since nearly everyone in this club are painters I thought that monotype would hold appeal, especially for the additive type where one can apply paint on a flat surface and transfer it in reverse onto paper.

watercolour monotype by R. Vilim ã

watercolour monotype by S. Bishop ã

participants working on their plates