Printmaking: Printing by Hand

Printmaking: Printing by Hand

 

Taking a Break, drypoint etching, hand printed

 

Introduction

 

A further way of creating a print with atmosphere is to make a drypoint etching and to print it by hand. Last week I saw a demonstration over "Zoom" by Tim Needham, painter/printmaker which really helped me see how an atmospheric print can be produced using this method. My drypoint printed by hand is illustrated above.

 

I made some notes (reproduced below) about the demonstration which I used to help me print "Taking a Break" by hand.

 

The Demonstration

 

The theme of Tim’s demonstration was how in times of “lockdown” it is possible to use everyday materials in printmaking and print without access to a press.

Materials

 

Tim described the materials he was working with:

- The cover of an A4 file or sketch book cover with a type of vinyl back. This can be used as a plate. The material can be cut into and glue added as required, rather like making a collagraph.

- Flexible plastic (like a type of polyurethane) that is often found as a front piece to documents in a stationery shop. Like Perspex, this material can be used for drypoint.

- The two can be combined by overprinting the drypoint onto the collagraph plate.

Prints

 

Print 1 : A drypoint portrait on flexible plastic

 

 

Tim Needham, Portrait (1), drypoint etching printed by hand 

Tim etched grooves into the plastic with an etching tool. He then carefully inked the plate, taking care not to press down too hard - which may have spoiled the burr. (When the tool is moved through the plastic material it is just moving, not removing, the material - the process which creates the burr. Tim used a circular movement to avoid taking too much ink out of the grooves. He then took a piece of damp paper, placed it over the plate and using the back of a metal spoon worked across and pressed down over the back of the paper and defined the edge. Tim then revealed the print. The image was well defined and very tonal. It had a lot of character. 

Print 2 : A combination of a drypoint and collagraph print

 

 

Tim Needham,  Portrait (2), collagraph overprinted with drypoint etching, printed by hand

Firstly, Tim inked up the collagraph plate. He made sure that he got the ink right into the cuts. Then Tim used damp paper which he placed over the plate and used a metal spoon, as before, on the back, finding the edge as he went along. Tim also inked up a “Perspex” plate in a different, complimentary colour, which he placed over the top of the collagraph. He very carefully turned it over and used the metal spoon again on the reverse. The print came out well and the colours worked together.

General Comments about the demonstration

Although a press can be used, different qualities are able to be achieved when hand printing. It allows for a more playful approach to the topic, such as a portraiture, producing prints with extra character and atmosphere. Colours can be found which work well together and can be mixed. Hand printing can also be done by using a spoon on the back of both Perspex and metal, such as aluminium.

 

My Print - "Taking a Break"

 

Process

 

I used the same process as in Tim's demonstration for Print 1. After printing it by hand I did not think that it was dark enough, although it had an atmospheric "moody" look, rather like charcoal. I had used Charbonnel Carbon Black for the ink and used a metal spoon on the reverse to print.

 

 

I worked the metal around around on the reverse of the damp paper and pressed down

 

Following Tim's idea of printing on top of a collagraph, I decided to ink the plate up again in another colour, Charbonnel Raw Sepia, to add more tone, to make the print darker and the details more defined.

 

 

 

The final print revealed, overprinted with raw sepia and printed by hand

 

Summary

 

The demonstration was very helpful as I had never seen a drypoint etching printed by hand before. I concluded that it was a good method to add atmosphere and drama if required. I decided to add a figure in a flat cap and smoking a cigarette  to the warehouse scene to add narrative and drama to the atmospheric print. The process itself produced a print which has a soft, moody, charcoal-like effect. I will try this process again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Printmaking: In the steps of Gaugin and Degas

Printmaking: In the steps of Gaugin and Degas

 

Wilberforce Gardens, water colour monoprint over-printed with drypoint

Introduction

In "lockdown" my access to a printing studio with nitric acid, copper sulphate and aquatint has been curtailed. Hence, I have been finding other ways to print which achieves a similar look, this entails including forms of line drawing with atmospheric tones.

Over the previous few weeks I have made a number of monoprints with a view to honing in on a particular method and style which I can use for a series of final prints. In doing so, I have gained much from studying the methods of Gaugin and Degas.

Monoprint with Water Colour (tonal)

An earlier monoprint I made using greaseproof paper was of the gardens behind Wilberforce House on the bank of the River Hull. I decided to make a tonal monoprint of a similar view using water colour. I prepared a piece of Perspex and prepared it as before by scuffing the surface and applying a small amount of soap to "lift" the monoprint. I chose a selection of paints consisting of yellow ochre, browns and black so that the outcome would be monochrome and tonal. I left the paper white for the white areas. I then worked the colours up from light to dark.

 

The painted Perspex

 

I then printed the monoprint as before by wetting some  paper, placing it over the top of the painted Perspex and using a roller on the reverse. I then revealed the print. I had lost some of the depth of paint and I also realised that I should have reversed my painting on the Perspex so that when it was printed it would be the correct way round.

 

 

Watercolour Monoprint

 

I then did another monoprint following exactly the same procedure as above, but remembering to reverse my painting and to apply a little bit more paint and more pressure on the roller.

 

Drypoint Etching

 

I continued the process by using another plate to make a drypoint etching using a drypoint needle which I then inked up and printed  (see below). I felt that the print was too pale, so I decided to ink up next time with more care, leaving more ink on the plate

 

 

Drypoint version

 

Water colour monoprint over-printed with drypoint (combination process)

 

My idea was to combine the two processes so that the finished result had both good lines and tonal qualities. I therefore inked up a further etching, took the monoprint which I previously made (the second version which I had reversed) and overprinted with the drypoint etching. I did this whilst the watercolour monoprint was still damp. I carefully placed the drypoint over the top, turned it over and ran them through the press.

 

 

 

Water colour monoprint over-printed with drypoint

 

Summary

 

The first versions of both the monoprint and drypoint were too pale and indistinct. Therefore in the combined version I made sure that both were inked up more carefully and greater pressure applied during the printing process.

 

The watercolour monoprint had a soft, painterly quality, whereas the drypoint etching was very linear. When I combined the two processes I managed to achieve both types of qualities in one print, as can be seen above.

 

 

Research : Monoprinting, Paul Gaugin and Edgar Degas

Research : Monoprinting, Paul Gaugin and Edgar Degas

Paul Gaugin (1848-1903)

Paul Gaugin’s oil transfer drawings are examples of his innovative works on paper. They are a type of monoprint in that they are a “one off” and cannot be exactly reproduced. An oil transfer drawing is a hybrid medium of drawing and print that Paul Gauguin invented while living in Tahiti in 1899. This is the type of monoprint I illustrated and discussed in an earlier post (30/04/20) - a monoprint/transfer drawing of a warehouse hoist.

The example below by Gaugin stands out for its monumental scale and magisterial presence.

Paul Gauguin. Tahitian Woman with Evil Spirit (recto). c. 1900. Oil transfer drawing. The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Each transfer drawing is a double-sided work with a drawing on one side (the verso), and an oil transfer on the other (the recto).

Paul Gauguin. Tahitian Woman with Evil Spirit. c. 1900. Verso: graphite and coloured pencil; recto: oil transfer drawing. The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Gaugin’s experimented with monotypes and transfer drawings combining elements of painting, drawing, and printmaking. He drew inspiration from Christianity, Polynesian myth, ancient monuments and motifs from European predecessors and contemporaries.

Gauguin described the process in a March 1902 letter to his patron Gustave Fayet: “First you roll out printer’s ink on a sheet of paper of any sort; then lay a second sheet on top of it and draw whatever pleases you. The harder and thinner your pencil (as well as your paper), the finer will be the resulting line.” The pressure of the pencil caused the ink from the bottom sheet to transfer to the back of the top sheet. When the sheets were peeled apart, the transferred image became the final work of art.

Gauguin used sharp graphite pencils and softer blue pencils to delineate the figures; these lines appear as black ink on the recto. He subsequently added the olive tone to the recto by covering another sheet of paper with olive ink, laying his sheet with the black ink transfer on top, and applying pressure selectively to enable the transfer of ink. With this technique, Gauguin was able to almost magically transform his images.

Gauguin was enchanted with this process and with the way it transformed the texture of his lines and introduced an element of chance into the creative process. The incidental markings, blurred lines, and earthy tones of the transfer suggest an image unearthed from a lost time. The subject of a beautiful woman haunted by a mysterious spirit is a repeated motif throughout Gauguin’s work.

 

Tahitian Woman with Evil Spirit, traced monotype, 1899/1900

Edgar Degas (1834-1917)

Edgar Degas is best known as a painter, but as a in the mid-1870s he was introduced to the monotype process—drawing in ink on a metal plate that was then run through a press, typically resulting in a single print. He then immersed himself in the technique and was captivated by its potential. The monotype allowed Degas to use the medium as a starting point from which an image could be reworked and revised. He began to incorporate paint into the prints and would make second prints to which he would add pastel. Monotype also opened a door to spontaneity, both in his images of figures and landscapes.

 

 

Edgar Degas, On the Street (1876-77).

 

Edgar Degas, Landscape with Rocks (1892).

 

More recent examples:

 

Bryan Wynter, path through Wood, 1950, monoprint on paper, Tate

 

 

Naum Gabo, No Title, Part of Opus 6, c. 1955-56, monoprint from wood engraving on paper, Tate

https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/1613

https://news.artnet.com/exhibitions/edgar-degas-monotypes-at-moma-459263
https://www.haberarts.com/degas2.htm

https://monoprints.com/

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Printmaking: Monoprint Using Greaseproof Paper "Wilberforce House Gardens"

Printmaking: Monoprint Using Greaseproof Paper "Wilberforce House Gardens"

 

Wilberforce House Gardens, monoprint using greaseproof paper

Introduction

This way of making a monoprint is a variation of the method I used in an earlier post when I made a print of the warehouse hoist using the transfer process as used by Paul Gaugin. That process involved drawing on one side of the paper over an inked surface so that a transfer print appears on the reverse. It means that you can do a sketch from life and then turn it into a print on the spot.

Warehouse Hoist, monoprint using transfer process (see earlier post)

The greaseproof paper method is a process used by a local professional print maker and shared for dissemination of its attractive properties.

I used an image I had from a walk along the River Hull, looking through a window in a wall onto the back of Wilberforce House Gardens.

Process

This method produces a print "as is" and not in reverse:

- Protect table with newspaper
- Obtain ordinary kitchen greaseproof paper
- Create a window in a piece of cardboard (mine was 20cm x20cm)
- Use intaglio etching ink
- Cut the greaseproof paper to fit the frame with an extra 1cm around each side
- Using a pencil (HB ok) draw an outline on the matte side of the greaseproof paper (may use a previous sketch as a guide)
- May use thin or thick printing paper (trace monoprints (as above) work better using thinner printing paper)
- Roll out ink thinly and evenly on glass surface (the first time I did it the ink was too thick and sticky and the print did not work)
- Roll out ink very thinly and in many thin layers in stages over the shiny side of the greaseproof paper, going right to the edge
- Keep going until entirely saturated with ink
- Place the window on clean newsprint
- Turn the greaseproof paper over and place face (inked side) down on to the window, hold, and tape to back to cover the window frame
- Take printing paper
- Lay frame onto printing paper
- Register if want to use another colour
- Use outline sketch already drawn as a guide and build it up using the full frame
- Draw and work with pencil lines, using a variety of pencils (HB - 6B etc) or hard pencil, biro, or finger for soft shadows and shapes
- The key to a good image is to get different tones, lines, dots etc.
- Lift the frame away from the printing paper beneath
- The frame forms the edge
- Can repeat process using a different colour rolled onto clean greaseproof paper

The process

 

To use up rolled out ink:

- Take a picture from a magazine
- Must be glossy/shiny/waterproof paper or a photo (not photocopy paper or newspaper)
- Cut out to correct size
- Use instead of the greaseproof paper
- Roll out ink on glass evenly as before
- Ink up the reverse of the picture
- Turn over and stick down over frame (inked side down)
- Borrow some of the image from the magazine clipping or other image
- Draw over the shapes
- Add shading
- Can improvise and put another piece over the top or over part of the space/drawing (i.e.part of a different image to be included)
- Draw into the space available as freely as wished
- Press edge down
- Lift off frame
- Reveal the print underneath
- Use different lines, pressure tones with finger for dark areas etc.
- Can add colour (use clean piece of greaseproof), or
- Can collage other images over the top - or add water colour

Summary

Monoprinting using greaseproof paper is an excellent way of making a sketch and turning it into a print. The out come is very attractive with lines which resemble lithography. It is versatile, and can be used on the spot to get immediate results. The image is not in reverse, which is an additional advantage. I will use the process again as I think that the outcome was very successful..

Printmaking: Working with Natural Pigments

Printmaking: Working with Natural Pigments

Introduction

My walk - Entrance to the Market Weighton Canal from the Humber Estuary

Whilst in "lockdown" due to the Corona Virus pandemic, I have been going for more walks in my locality.

My art work centres on the links between human activity and the natural environment. Recently I have been thinking about how I could introduce natural objects into my printmaking practice through the use of natural pigments.

I decided to explore whether I could use the natural pigments found in the flowers and leaves of wild flowers and plants which grow near to the river banks which have been the focus of my interest.

Process

On a walk along the banks of the Humber Estuary I picked a collection of wild flowers and leaves (see below).

The bunch included dandelions, buttercups, dock leaves, clover and cow parsley. I then chose two aquatints that I had previously done which had associations with the Humber. I took a bunch of each of the flowers/plants and squeezed and wiped them onto clean printing paper, trying to follow the shapes of the image.

 

Natural pigments applied (1)

 

 

Natural pigments applied (2)

 

I then dampened the paper by using a spray on the reverse and printed the aquatint prints over the top of the natural pigments. the outcome is shown below.

 

 

Drypool (print 1)

 

 

Bollard (print 2)

 

Summary

 

Natural pigments from flowers and plants can be used to add colour to prints. It is a relatively accessible and easy  process. In relation to my work the process was an added link to nature and natural objects. I am not sure how long the colours will last, and they will probably fade quite quickly - hopefully leaving a subtle and attractive residue of colour. Also, the aquatint hid some of the pigment. If I were to do the process again, I think that a drypoint, or another form of printmaking where more blank paper is revealed would help the colours to come through. It was a good exercise, and something to try again in the future.

 

Painting: Cargo Hoist

Introduction

Cargo Hoist (final painting)

 

In January as I walked along the River Hull and passed Drypool Bridge, I headed for the mouth of the river where it meets the Humber Estuary. I soon came across some old warehouses outlined against the sky with an old cargo hoist silhouetted against the morning light.

In days gone by, warehouses would have stretched along both banks of the River Hull, ready to house the multitude of goods arriving in the ships from all over the world. As workers busied themselves with unloading the cargo, mechanisms were put in place to assist with heavy loads. Some of these original buildings, hoists and cranes can still be seen along the River's edge.

 For lifting heavy weights you need a hoist or crane. Hoists were (and are) used on the outside of warehouses feeding outside doors at the various floors. When the load had been hoisted to the top, or relevant floor,  it could be pulled inside. 

Some hoists resemble small cranes bolted to the outside wall of a building. These are the ones more usually associated with warehouses as seen in the picture. Often hoists had no gearing at all, just a simple pulley and a rope - as most loads were originally designed to be man-handled. A set of block and tackle increased the load which could be lifted - although this slowed the job down.

I was struck by the bold outline of the structure and its working mechanism. I conjured up a vision of the sight, sounds and smell of the bustling quayside, which seem a distant memory.

Then, as I looked down the river I saw the contrasting sight of modern architecture and engineering  - the Hull Tidal Surge Barrier, a glimpse of The Deep and the Scale Lane footbridge.

I soaked up the atmosphere and decided that I must capture the scene and my thoughts on canvas.

Process

I do not usually draw in pencil on a canvas. In the past I have found that the graphite does not mix well with the oil paint and makes it "dirty". However, with this image I was concerned about getting the mechanism technically correct, and it was important to get a clear silhouette. I therefore, on this occasion, did an initial sketch in pencil.

Initial sketch with pencil (detail)

I then proceeded to continue painting the silhouette of the hoist and started the rest of the image. In between stage 1 and stage 2 I re-visited the site to remind myself of more of the details of the site.  I had struggled with both the foreground and the background. I simplified the shapes and it seemed to work better.

 

I then mixed a dark red colour for the outside brickwork of the warehouse. It was darker to the right of the painting which was in shadow. I also simplified the walkway and the metal fence at the corner. At this point I felt that the composition was unbalanced. The sky on my first visit was lit by a low morning sun, which I proceeded to re-create.

 

 

The final touches were to add the buddleia growing from between the bricks of the warehouse wall and some small weeds at the foot of the wall. I used some old buddleia heads from the garden as a guide to provide detail and authenticity. Again, the buddleia was in silhouette or shadow which emphasises its outline.

 

 

Summary

 

I have considered whether I have managed to achieve what I set out to do. The hoist dominates and is clearly silhouetted against the morning sky. Details such as the light on the wall, the doorways and windows add to the visual impact and concept of a by-gone industry. I think that the simplified shapes( both in the foreground and background) work better than trying to reproduce an exact replica. By working in this way I open up the scope to play with negative space - which gives the eye the opportunity to fill in the voids. using the same restricted palette the colours I mixed add to the atmosphere and character of the work. I believe that the final work gives the viewer plenty to think about, with good visual impact.

Painting: Riverside

 Painting: Riverside

Introduction

Riverside (final painting)

I have continued with my large oil paintings (3 feet by four feet). Since the initial outline sketches I have been working on each painting one by one. I have found this to be a better approach. I can concentrate on each individual painting and really focus on the composition, layering aspects, negative space and abstract shapes.

As I said in an earlier post, the architecture of the former warehouses sparked my imagination and I was inspired to create a painting of them. They depict a number of intriguing doorways and elaborate decoration. Part of the group includes the old Trinity House Buoy Shed.  A coat of arms stands over one doorway and depicts an anchor (for a safe anchorage), three stars  (representing the Trinity) a helm with the Admiralty Oar ( representing nautical justice). The Latin motto "Spes Super Sydera)means 'Hope beyond the stars'. The building served as a buoy shed for Hull Trinity House, an ancient institution that from the mid-15th century was responsible for navigation buoys and lights on the Humber Estuary. It has more recently been a workshop for  a Northern Divers. The wooden staging posts below are still used for the tying up of vessels.

At low tide the wooden posts are revealed along with the interesting shapes of the mud left behind by the receding tide. The shapes of the buildings and the view below allowed me to play with the use of negative space. On my side of the river there was a walkway with interesting metal railings and a gate with some bent spikes. This feature added further scope for inventive use of line. Nettles and buddleia provide some natural foliage along the river bank.

Process

As previously explained, my first sketch included a boat which was tied up along the frontages. However, I reflected on the composition and decided that the boat detracted from the scene and dominated the view. As I altered the composition and removed the boat it opened up more possibilities to engage with the interesting negatives shapes.

First sketch

With the boat removed and negative shapes created

I then re-designed the bottom half of the picture to reveal the staging below. I also added my side of the bank in the foreground and the metal railings and gate.

Wooden staging added

As I began to add colour to the painting the shapes began to come alive.

Use of colour

I mixed the colours to reflect the actual colours of the buildings themselves which emphasise the contrast between old and new. The mud at low tide provided further opportunities to make interesting shapes and create different tones.

Detail added with more colours

I then went on to paint the gate, walkway, plants and foliage. finally, I added the ropes which dangled from the moorings, waiting to be put into use.

Detail

Summary

I think that the grey background suited the subject matter. It allowed me to make use of, and emphasise, the colours within the picture plane. The buildings stand out against the grey backdrop and the negative space comes to the fore. If I had used brown as the background it would have been more difficult for me to emphasise the different tones of the wooden staging and mud.

I decided to make sure that there was a strong contrast between the light and dark tones of the space below the walkway. In doing so, the empty space below ground level leaves a cavernous void which I created with the use of a very dark mix of black (made up of burnt umber and ultramarine).

The composition works well. I used "artistic licence" to create the scene. The objects are balanced in shape and size and there are contrasting features, such as the linear fence in the background and gate in the foreground.

Finally, I think that it was a very good idea to remove the boat from the scene. It opened up all sorts of opportunities for me to make use of my imagination and to be inventive. I pushed myself in this work to be more creative.

  Riverside (final painting)