Workshop in Relief block print and Collagraph

Last week I delivered a two part workshop in two printmaking techniques to ten participants. Relief block and collagraph were the focus. This was also a non-toxic workshop since all the materials we used didn't pose any health or enviromental concerns. This took place in the community activities room at our local art Gallery.
For the relief block component participants carved their designs into pieces of Eco-Karve made by Inovart.
The prints had Caligo Safe wash relief printing inks rolled onto their surfaces with soft rubber brayers. Each person had a simple registration system of a three hole punch press attached with duct tape to a base sheet of recycled core-plast sign material. Blocks were held in place with wood popsicle sticks taped onto the board using masking tape. Prints were made onto thin but strong Masa paper. The punch also acted as a pin system to hold the paper in place for additional blocks that could printed first and then the key block printed over top in alignment.

participants removing eco-karve material

with linocut tools to create relief surfaces

participant using rubbing tool burnishing the backside of Masa paper

that is set over top of an inked block . The boards I provided used

a makeshift 3 hole punch registration system to hold the paper in place.

The artists if they wanted had the opportunity to create multi-coloured

prints from registering several blocks and paper on the board .

single colour proof print made on newsprint

a Matisse inspired design

 a colour design on paper translated to block surface then to a two colour print

 prints set aside to dry along the wall

recycled cardboard trays for taking home wet prints

one participant was clever and masked off the central blossom area
in one of her prints with foil to print. She rolled on the first colour (green),
washed off her block and then carefully spot inked the blossom in red
and black. This gave her a three colour print off the one block surface.

The second technique explored was Collagraph. Participants were given a smorgasbord of materials to use to construct plates that included paper scraps, string, dried plant material, stuff from recycle bins, glues, acrylic gel mediums, modeling paste, water filter particulate, etc...
There wasn't enough time to seal the plates properly with shellac or acrylic medium so I sprayed them with an adhesive and put plastic food wrap over top. These were run through the press (with blankets over top) to both level the plate and mold the wrap over the collage elements.
Akua Intaglio inks were wiped, painted or rolled onto the plates and then after a bit of selective wiping dampened heavier rag paper was put over top. This was again passed under the top roller of the press and some very colourful collagraphs were made.

the instructor (yours truly) performing the task of leveling plates
seal with plastic food wrap while participants carve their relief blocks

 press printing station setup with small press, table in foreground
 was used as an area to adhere prints to boards with butcher tape

 example of a two colour collagraph created by participant using collage technique
and marks made into the mat board based plate

another student work from a plate that used a variety of materials

Participant with her colourful collagraph print on paper

prints were secured onto thin pieces of hardboard
with adhesive butchers tape to dry
this particular print had a dried maple leaf glued
in the center of the plate which picked up in print

Drypoint on acrylic plate with added hand coloring

Southern Ontario Farmland

drypoint with hand color

varied open edition

Brian Holden

copyright 2012

I have been producing a few new miniature size prints in preparation for another solo exhibition of my work this coming summer. This show will feature only small size printmaking from my studio that utilize various techniques in their creation.
The above study could actually be labelled mix media since watercolor painting was an additional process I used to add color to the image. The plate size is 7 x 12.5 cm (2.75 x 5 inches). I don't imagine I'll be able to print too many images from the plate as the plexiglass usually only yields a small number of good impressions before the line deteriorates.
As for the process I made a sketch on paper using a photo I had taken a couple years back when I visited this region as reference and laid a piece of clear non-glare plexiglass over top. Using my sketch as a guide I worked into the surface of the acrylic using a steel carbide needle and also a small diamond tip stylus.
Then oil based etching ink was wiped into the recessed lines and the plate was printed into soaked and blotted 250 gm rag paper. I taped the paper to a piece of thin hardboard with butchers tape and let it dry. Watercolor was then added.
The landscape is a view of farmland on a hillside that is part of a river valley in an area of Southern Ontario very close to where my father and mother reside. I also spent some time during my childhood in this region and used to fish and swim in this river as a lad.

polymer plate printing using different printmaking inks at the same time

This is a print from a solar plate I created last year. Decided to try something a bit unusual this time around to make a few more prints from the plate. Graphic Chemical bone black oil based etching ink (linseed base) was applied first into the exposed plate recessed areas. After a good wiping with tartalan cloth and yellow pages I then applied color Akua intaglio ink onto the surface areas. For this the ink was applied using a small watercolor brush and I used my pinky to smudge it around a la poupee. Some of the ink was applied as is right out of the jar but I also diluted a few colors like the green with a little Akua blending medium.

I pre-soaked a piece of Canson Edition 250 gm rag white for about 40 min. which was blotted between cotton towels and then laid slightly damp over top of the plate that I had set onto a piece of cartridge paper on the press bed. A piece of newsprint was placed over top of this and three layers of wool felts carefully set on top of this. The inked plate was passed through the press. The photos above and below illustrate the result. Even though the inks are from different sources they do appear to work together. I was careful to not to apply to much Akua ink but to leave some little white areas exposed to add highlights.

Echinacea

solar plate etching

copyright Brian Holden 2012

image size : 8.6 x 12.7 cm (3 3/8 x 5 inches)

paper size: 18 x 23 cm (7 x 9 inches)

varied open edition



Hand colour added to monochromatic collagraph print

Trowbridge Island

collagraph/hand colour

varied edition of 10

Brian Holden
copyright 2012

detail of lighthouse

detail of residence

I thinned down my black ink a little to make it less high contrast. Then printed a run of around 12 images onto Canson Edition paper.
I decided to add some watercolour into one of my monochromatic collagraph studies of a lighthouse and lighthouse keepers residence. This is the result. It does help define some things like rock face not visible in the non-colour version.
Unfortunately I found that the relief elements on the plate were starting to flatten down with each pull under the press roller so I have really only 10 good prints on paper and two artist proofs. Therefore this will be a small edition print.

more collagraphs

Trowbridge Island Lighthouse

collagraph

I am really enjoying experimenting with this type of loose printmaking (collagraph). I think it is the surprise factor is that excites me the most. You build a plate but really don't know what you will get due to various factors that include the textures from the various collaged media, how well the plate is inked and wiped, the amount of pressure exerted on the plate by the press roller.

Here is my first print off a small square matboard plate I constructed on Friday. Decided to print this as a monochromatic as a test to see how the resultant image would translate onto paper.

This is a study I did from a freehand sketch made from a photo taken of Trowbridge Island lighthouse, located at the entrance to Thunder Bay near the Sleeping Giant peninsula. It is also not a big study by any means, in fact I would classify it as a miniature since it is only 10 x10 cm in plate size (4 inches square).

As I wiped the plate I saw areas that I wanted a little more defined as lightest in the print so did some spot wiping and ink removal with q-tips.

The plate was constructed using cut out pieces of scrap ends of printmaking paper, modeling paste, white and yellow carpenters glue plus peeling away a little of the top layer of the mat board.  I worked the modeling paste with the end of a pencil to get those swirly shapes happening in the foliage that defines the area in the middle of the print.

It was sealed with water based varathane (3 coats).

Printed into a scrap end piece of Canson Edition rag. Akua Carbon black intaglio ink (not thinned down).

I may print a few more monochromatic from the plate and apply hand color just to see what that does to the image.

Collagraph experimentations with new ink

Waterlilies

collagraph

This is a recent little collagraph study I made. It measures 10 cm x 10  cm or 4 x 4 inches.

The plate is a substrate base of thin cardboard (the backing from a writing pad.) I glued on cut out pieces of cardboard packaging from a food product to create the flower petals. Also added modeling paste and a little white glue to create the lily pads. I also peeled away a bit of the top layer of the base board in between the raised areas. Surface marks were made using an xacto blade to create fine lines in the flower petals. Three coats of water based varathane were spray over top to seal it.

The plate was then inked up with Akua Intaglio inks (using both finger wiping and brush application). Printed on the Canson Edition paper.
The Akua ink is nice. It applies nicely to the plate using both brush and wiping with scrim. It is very easy to clean up to with water and liquid soap.

This is the plate cleaned off after the first print was made

I am experimenting with a few other designs at the moment including some abstract collagraphs that have a textural element created from the dried out contents of a Brita water filter used as a replacement for carborundum. Will post these next blog entry.

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Children's printmaking - Relief prints and Collagraphs

Grade five students printing blocks using a baby press with my assistance

 student carving eco-karve material block

 students construct collagraph plates and print them using the press

 example of collagraph print and plate by a grade five student

 Just wrapped up several visits into two elementary school classrooms in placements through our Community Arts and Heritage Education project.

One grade five class learned to carve and print a relief block in black ink then add colour in after using watercolour.

The other class, a grade four/five split constructed low relief collage plates using everyday common materials and recycled items destined for the trash bin.

Both grades explored the themes of ancient civilizations. The block prints are exclusively Eygptian influence where the collagraphs explored ancient roman, greek, eygptian and chinese cultures of old.

For the collagraph print project students used Akua Intaglio inks with blending medium which were painted, wiped and rolled onto the plates.

The final works on paper were presented to the public this past week in a display at our local community auditorium. Below are examples of student work and also photos taken of the display.

Relief printmaking workshop at our local art gallery Sunday Jan 22, 2012

On Sunday January 22nd I gave a workshop to 10 enthusiastic artists. As workshop duration was limited to 6 hours there was only time enough for covering the basics. I divided the session into two 3 hour components which were

a) sketching, transferal of design to block surface, rendering with permanent black marker and carving

b) printing using both hand burnishing and running block under the roller of a small printing press.

Participants used a new product Eco-Karve manufactured by Inovart Inc. to carve out their relief images which I acquired from Blick art materials online. They also got to try a few inks out including Graphic Chemical's new formula water-soluble glycol based relief inks, Caligo safe wash modifed oil inks and Speedball water based inks. All of the inks were easily cleaned up using a little liquid dish washing detergent first wiped on to the surface and then they were immersed into a tub of warm water which removed the dissovled ink.  

One word about the Eco-karve. It  is a soft pinkish brown colour material and is very easy to cut. It holds lines really well without too much crumbling. It is 1 cm (3/8 inch) thick, smooth on both sides and also is non-slip in nature. You can get pencil to transfer to it's surface easily just by rubbing your drawing in reverse over top with the back of a metal spoon, thus eliminating the need for transfer paper. However the material will stretch unfortunately under the slightest pressure of a press roller. This made it a bit frustrating to register a second block and therefore it was nearly impossible to get good registration using the press roller method of printing. I would have to say that the use of this material is limited really to using hand burnishing only. For accurate registration I would stick with traditional harder surface lino and wood surfaces.

To our surprise one of the gallery staff had tipped off the local newspaper about the workshop (since it co-incided with my current solo print based series exhibition at the gallery) and a photographer showed up unannounced during the session. The photo scans included in this post are taken from the Jan 23 edition of the Chronicle-Journal (our local printed daily paper) which show some of the activity that happened during the workshop.

Exhibition of prints opening Friday Jan 13, 2012

 Wilderness: Paterson Gallery in the Thunder Bay Art Gallery

 The Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Keewatin Drive, Thunder Bay, Ontario

  

 My series of wilderness prints opened for exhibition to the public last Friday at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.

34 studies are on display until Sunday March 4, 2012.

For the opening I gave a 40 minute in length artist talk complete with some digital slide accompaniment and a table display of tools, surfaces and books relevant to printmaking techniques from my personal collection.

This is my first solo show in my own community on this scale.

The gallery is also featuring two other exhibitions of original print based works and a display of prints created by first nations visual artists that have been selected from the gallery's permanent collection.

some of the serigraphs from my Wilderness series

 intaglio plate print with hand colouring titled "Canoe Trip"

patrons mingle and view my work on opening night

photo by A. Mackay

Artist talking to a partron

photo by A. MacKay

Giving an artist talk on printmaking and various techniques I use

photo by A. MacKay

Patrons reading my Artist Statement, Biography and the Curators Essay

photo by A. MacKay

Slide component of my talk

photo by A. MacKay

Describing the process of engraving on an acyrlic plate

photo by A. MacKay