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.