printmaking | Beth Emmott

This is the archive for the ‘printmaking’ Category

Print Class: Tools

August 3rd, 2011

Another medium, another set of tools to get hold of and to learn, and another set of muscles to learn to use.

I had a few things from working with linoleum blocks a number of years ago. One handy thing is a metal stop (a bench hook) for the wood I’m working on. Keeps it in place as I push against it. I did modify it with a rubber mat under it and a sticky woven rubber mat on the surface to keep my block from sliding about.

Bench Hook with both mats and block in place.

I also have a few brayers and a plastic baren (I covet a nice traditional Japanese Baren) and some inks—water and oil based. Bob had given me a nice chunk of glass about 10 inches in diameter and 1 inch high that I use for preparing ink. Don’t know where that came from, probably Edmound Scientific, years ago. I posted a picture of these in an earlier post.

With wood I need better knives and chisels that the speedball handle and cutters I have. Again, Bob’s workshop supplied several sets.

Wealth of knives and chisels.

One is a very sweet set in a wooden box with its own sharpening stone. He thinks it was his father’s. Another set was by Millers Falls, who no longer makes wood carving tools, and a third set by Hirsch which he claimed I gave him years ago but I don’t remember and a tiny set of Dockyard Micro Carving Tools that come in a little canvas carrier.

So, I seem to be set with sharp things for now anyway! Actually after a lot of experimenting, I’m mainly using a knife from his Dad’s set and a rounded chisel from Millers Falls for my current project.

Print Class: Catching up

July 31st, 2011

My class instructor is Kay Healy and the workshop is run to allow each individual to work on their own project. It is a small (6 students) class and most of the others have more experience and came with a plan in mind. My plan is to experiment with as many different forms of printmaking as time, facilities, and my wits allow. Kay has arranged 4 outside lecturers to speak to us. Unfortunatly, I missed the first, Daniel Heyman, when I missed the second class, but have heard Sandra Davis, speak on “Cyanotypes”, and Katie Baldwin speak on “Relief and Letterpress”. Later Ben Woodward will speak on “Screenprinting, Wheatpasting and Public Art.

I was esp. interested in Katie Baldwin’s talk on Mokuhanga, a form of Japanese wood block printing.

In the mean time my first collagraph prints have dried and I’m showing the first one here. (The plate for this can be see in a previous post.) Here it is printed as an intaglio plate, with the ink in the recessions.

First collagraph print for the Fungus Series

Print Class: # 6

July 29th, 2011

Last night I ran some wood block tests on the press. I’d never done this on a press before and a few things are different. The pressure is different of course as the block is much thicker and you don’t need the blankets as the plan isn’t to press into the paper.

My block has a slight depression where I have to pay special attention to the inking.

Getting the ink ready and Adjusting for pressure.

I also tried a few more tests on the collagraph print I worked on last class. Once again the results are drying at school and perhaps I can pick them up tomorrow.

Print Class: More stuff

July 26th, 2011

This is the monoprint I created last Thurs evening in class. Wasn’t expecting to work in this medium so it’s based on my mushroom studies which luckily I had with me. I left it in the print studio to dry and picked it up Fri before we went to VA.

First Monoprint for class

I tried 3 different drawings on the plexi plate and my second printing of each one showed the best texture and of the 3 this is the first and the one I like best. The others had moments but they were more about experimenting as I tried to see what else I could do. (I was also working with torn cardboard as a mark-maker and an old brush found in the studio.)

In preparation for tonight’s class, I have carved a second test woodblock trying to get the organic lines I want. If I can print this tonight I can plan the next step.

Second woodblock test.

The first test woodblock was printed by hand. I hope to print this on the press. We’ll see how it goes.

Print Class: #4

July 22nd, 2011

I’m still working on my wood block experiments. I used part of one of my photos for the current header of this blog and thought I’d work with that. The first image shows a study which I’m working into a design for a horizontal print.
I’m still working on my mark making and not ready to begin a full block so I’m testing this design on a smaller block. Beginning cutting is shown in the second shot.

Design for Woodblock and Test block.

Didn’t dry in time, will print Tues!

For class last night, we were to have printed work for class review by 8:00 which would have given me time to print something. But what? I had created this collagraph plate from gesso, twigs, and crumbled leaves which I sealed with acrylic matt medium. Unfortunately, due to the humidity, it didn’t fully dry so I had to come up with something else—fast. There were some plexi plates that I could use with oil based printers ink and I based my design on my original studies. They are a bit experimental and are at school drying—I will post something on them later.

Print Class: #2 Studies

July 20th, 2011

Think I might explore some imagery of wild mushrooms I saw in the Poconoes a week ago. Spent some time drawing them to understand them better. Not sure what print medium I’ll work in as time is short but I would like to use the presses available to the class and to work in something I haven’t before. Might explore wood block—see how it goes.

Subject studies and Home set up.

Spent class last evening exploring mark making in wood and getting the lay of the land in the print studio. Today I ran a quick and dirty proof at home to see how my marks look.