Printmaking Methods
Printmaking Forms written by Jenny and Dave Gunning
Below are some explanations of methods of printmaking with small descriptions.
We give workshops on all the below forms of printmaking.
For more information please get in touch. 01952 434033 jenny@shropshirefinearts.co.uk
Etching (intaglio) using steel copper or zinc, with acid resistant materials to paint or draw onto the plate to control where the acid bites into the plate, creating line tone and textures that you can print from. Each metal gives different results, and each metal needs different acid.
To see all the available workshops please click here or call Jenny for more information 01952 434033
Hard ground, soft ground and liquid ground (etching) are made from bitumen and beeswax.
Beeswax is resistant to nitric acid however it is see-through so bitumen has been added to the ground to make it a dark colour.
Both hard ground and soft ground are melted onto the plate using a hotplate and a roller or dabber (traditionally Rembrandt would have used a dabber). Hard ground creates a strong line. Soft ground creates a soft line however with soft ground you can push feathers and textures into it creating lovely effects.
To see all the available workshops please click here or call Jenny for more information 01952 434033
Liquid ground gives a similar effect to hard ground however it is not as strong as hard ground.
Aquatint (etching) is a resin powder that is sprinkled onto a warm metal plate. The plate is then heated up using a blowtorch from underneath the plate until the resin has melted onto the surface of the plate. When etching the plate, the resin powder creates a grain, so the longer the plate is in the acid the deeper the grain gets equalling to the darker the plate will print.
To see all the available workshops please click here or call Jenny for more information 01952 434033
Spray Paint Aquatint is (etching) using spray paint instead of the resin powder. This gives some lovely effects.
Marbling (etching) is an effect you can create using stop-out varnish with water. You apply this to zinc, steel or copper plate that has an aquatint on it. This creates a better tooth for the marbling liquid to sit in.
Spit- bite is etching a plate using sure neat nitric acid.
Photo-etching is transferring a photograph onto a plate using acid resist materials and etching photograph into the plate so that you can print from it.
Dry-point (relief) using soft copper, zinc, or plastic styrene to scratch your drawing or image into the surface of the plate, creating line and textures.
Carborundum (relief) is mixing three different grades of grit into glue and applying to the surface of a metal or plastic plate so that you can create textures. The heavier the texture the darker it will print.
To see all the available workshops please click here or call Jenny for more information 01952 434033
Colograph (relief) there are two different ways of making Colograph plates, the first one is using mount board and cutting in where you want the dark areas and placing cello-tape on the surface of the plate when you want white areas. The second form is using things like string and anything with textures in to stick to the surface of a metal, cardboard or plastic plate
Lino. Using Lino tools you cut into the lino creating textures and line so that you can print from the plate
To see all the available workshops please click here or call Jenny for more information 01952 434033