We are starting out with straight-up, line etching using the copper sulfate bath on zinc plates. First lesson was hard ground- ball and liquid. He preferred rolling the ball ground- much thinner and easier to draw through. And the very next day we were etching and printing! Just yesterday we tried stopping out to get line work of different depths and I also taught beveling and polishing plate edges for a final edition. Next we will work on registration and aquatint. It's been quite fun to get back into teaching- I didn't realize how much I missed it. I love getting 'nerdy' about all sorts of technical details, doing demos, writing handouts, and most of all sharing the enthusiasm with someone who is equally excited about the medium! A good student is always a big help.
And last week I met with a most wonderful local artist. He mostly does painting, but is very interested in intaglio after recently seeing a demo at TLP. He had not done any printmaking for years. As we shared work in his studio, he was very intrigued by the aquatint and mezzotint methods of working from dark to light, stating it is just how he prefers to work in drawing and painting. So, in a few more weeks we will meet again to discuss supplies and tools, and then get started. I will mostly be preparing plates, giving advice and doing contract printing.
I have also been very busy testing papers to print combination relief etchings (printed like intaglio- it's complicated!) and woodcuts on for the other artist I have been printing for, Jay, as there is a big deadline coming up for Smith College. I am still working out some registration issues, but after testing Rives BFK and Hahnemuhle Copperplate, Arches Cover takes the cake as the most beautiful for both. It is the most expensive of all three, but well worth it.
While all of that goes on, I have a few more job possibilities in the air- more on that later if anything comes through. I have also been working on a new zinc plate, 20" x 24". I've gotten the line work done, and several phases of stopping-out with aquatint. Sadly that funny phenomenon happened where I really like what it looks like on the plate, possibly more than any proofs so far!
All of those colors are various stop-outs- such as the red stop-out, Sharpie paint pen, and crayons.
Here is the whole plate. Yes, it's a weird photo- those are my green boots on the right!
And another close-up. Hmm, perhaps I could figure out some chine-collé or inking in multiple colors for the final print? I will have some images to share by the next post!
And lastly, I have been sewing away most every evening, and here is my first Vogue pattern which made it on their Facebook page, hooray!
Next is vintage patterns- can't wait to put this all together with a skirt and vest. So cheers to sewing and printmaking. It feels good to get my intaglio wiping arms back in shape. Phew, they've been sore!
Till next time...
