Printmaking 101: Gray area printmaking

We at WPG just happen to have recently been involved in a few casual discussions about whether someone’s work would be considered a “print” or not.  Sometimes, we have a hard time deciding.  Here are some of director Annie Newman’s thoughts on a few media.  These are one person’s thoughts, and by no mean reflective of the entire gallery membership or other artists’ beliefs.  We’d love to hear what you think, whether you agree or disagree!

"Days o' Work" by Trudi Y. Ludwig

Rubbings-I tend to lump this into printmaking, generally because relief printing was developed from the art of making rubbings.  I’ve also seen some really great incorporation of rubbing into mixed-media prints.  Take a look at Trudi Y. Ludwig’s Days o’ Work. The color portions of the foliage were made from a rubbing, and the black and white imagery is a giant woodcut.  That doesn’t mean that every piece of notebook paper with pencil rubbings from a monument is a work of art, necessarily.  Really, it comes down to the intention of the person creating the rubbing–are they trying to convey a message or subject that is best done through rubbing?  Then yes, that’s a print.  Are they making a souvenir?  No, that’s not a print.

Acrylic Transfers-Acrylic transfer is done by taking a xerox copy and using a clear acrylic medium to adhere it to a surface (usually canvas, but not necessarily).  After it dries, the paper on the backside of the xerox is rubbed away with water, leaving the image adhered to said surface.  Anyone with access to copy machine and some acrylic medium can all the sudden become an “artist.”  For this reason, I generally think of acrylic transfers as more of a craft project than a printmaking technique, but I have seen some exceptions.  Again, the difference lies in the intent.

"Georgetown View with Scullers" by Yolanda Frederikse

Pastel Transfers, Watercolor Transfers-Yes.  These are essentially monotypes, just created with a media other than intaglio ink.  They differ from Acrylic Transfers in the fact that the artist is creating the image, rather than just cutting something “cool” out of a magazine and making a photocopy.  Also, pastel and watercolor transfers are run through a press in order to get the pigment onto the paper, truly making them a print. Check out Marian Osher’s work for an example of pastel transfers-her recent work is labelled mixed media monotypes, since she manipulated them further after the printing, but the original technique is unchanged.  You can also see some beautiful watercolor transfers by Yolanda Frederikse on our website.

Identical paintings/sculptures-While these may be true multiples, they are NOT prints.  If you see an artist with four paintings that are (mostly) identical, it just means he or she painted that painting four times.  Sculptures from a mold can be made in multiples.  In an oversimplified sense, sculptures from molds are basically made the same way chocolate bunnies or other shaped candies are made: a liquid (melted chocolate for candy, uncured cement, liquid bronze, or something else for sculpture) is poured into a shape and allowed to set.  You can do this over and over until the mold wears out, making those statues multiples, but not prints.

Spring/Summer Workshops at WPG

Did you know Pyramid Atlantic has classes listed through August on their class website?  If you, a friend, or a family member ever wanted to learn more about a specific printmaking process, now is the time to sign up.  Our top picks are:

"Martin Schongauer Engraves St. Anthony," engraving by Evan Lindquist

Engraving, Saturdays, June 9 and 16, 11am-2pm-Did you like the second-place winning print from NSW last year?  It was an engraving.  Want to learn that technique?  Try it at this class!

Earth Day Papermaking, Sunday, April 22, 10am-4pm-This crash-course in papermaking teaches participants how to use recycled and and sustainable materials-including rags, kitchen scraps and vegetable based dyes-to make beautiful handmade paper.  The perfect activity for Earth Day!

Alternative Processes, Saturday, April 21, 10am-2pm-Gel Transfers and Acrylic Lifts-This is a great, solvent-free way to start printmaking.  In addition to learning this easy-to-master technique, participants will engage in discussions about the “why” of their art to help develop and fully understand the concepts in their art making processes.

Worthy Causes and Good Reads

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  WPG Director Annie Newman (Annie McCullough just for today) here.  I want to mention a cause that’s not arts related, but is still close to my heart and appropriate for this holiday-the St. Baldrick’s Foundation-a volunteer driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives.  Two years ago my sister raised $1000 towards this goal and shaved her head in a show of solidarity with kids fighting cancer, and this month my mother is doing the same thing as part of the Shaving the Way to Conquer Kids Cancer movement.  You can check out their website above, and I encourage you to make a donation, either to my mom’s fundraising goal or in general!

In other, more-print related news, we’ve enjoyed reading Drew Kail’s multi-posting process about printing a lino-cut at home.  He addresses several technical issues, like color relationships and registration, in great detail.  We love that a lack of dedicated studio space (he’s printing out of a home studio, emphasis on home) isn’t stopping him from making some great prints!  If our own Printmaking 101: Color Reduction Woodcuts left you wanting more, check out his in-depth notes above (we’ve linked here to the final posting, you can scroll back through the other 5 steps).

Printmaking 101: Mixed Media Monotypes and more

Are you interested in how Marian Osher created the lovely and vibrant prints in this month’s exhibition?  Below is a description of the two types of prints in the exhibition as well as a word on how she has protected the works.  Images provided courtesy of the Artist.

Sealing the edges of the foam core

Mixed-media monotypes on canvas

After creating a monotype on a mylar plate with water-soluble media, Osher transferred the image to dampened paper with her etching press. The monotype dried between blotters under weights for at least one night. After deciding which parts of the print would be raised and which lowered, she taped the monotype to a piece of acid free foam board and cut through the print and the foam board with a mat knife. Edges of the foam board shapes were lightly sanded and sealed with Golden GAC 100. The edges of the foam board and stretched canvas were painted with acrylic paint, choosing colors related to the monotype. The shell canvases were coated with beach sand

Raised Foam Core cut-outs and their corresponding prints and canvases before assembly

after painting. Using Golden Soft Gel Medium, pieces of the print were mounted on the foam board or stretched canvas. The foam board pieces were also mounted on the canvas. Drying the assembled work under weights prevented warping.

Relief monotypes on sculpted canvas
Monotype prints were mounted onto heavy floor canvas with Golden Soft Gel Medium and allowed to

Cutting out the monotype mounted on canvas.

dry over night under weights. Flower shapes were cut out, bent and molded to make the relief shapes. A layer of GAC 400 was applied to the back of the canvas as a stiffening medium to hold the relief shape. This was dried over night with tin foil supports under the raised areas and then “cured or set” with a hair dryer.

Preservation of the Artwork
Because Osher’s work is presented without conventional framing and glass, she consulted with Golden Artist Colors technical experts to learn about a six step

Relief monotypes drying, with aluminum foil "forms" helping to hold their shape.

archival process to protect and preserve her artwork. Two of the steps occur after the monotype is printed, flattened and dried. The final four steps of the process are applied after assembly of the artwork on canvas is completed.

Printmaking 101: Applying for shows

Our 15th Annual National Small Works Call for Entries went live yesterday!  We encourage all printmakers age 18+ nationwide to submit your prints.  Do so before April 19, and you’ll get in on the reduced fee, only $20/four prints (instead of $30).  We thought now would be a good time to go over some do’s and don’ts of submitting your work, whether it be to National Small Works, another juried show, a portfolio event, or anything else!

DO read the directions fully and carefully.  We know because we’ve been there, too–nothing is more frustrating than preparing all your digital files as 300 dpi jpegs and then seeing that little note at the bottom that says they all must be .pdfs, or in a slideshow, or only 72 dpi.  But you could have saved yourself the extra work and trouble if you had read through the entire prospectus before submitting!  Not only will carefully reading the prospectus save you unnecessary work, following the directions to the letter will keep your submissions from being disqualified.

DO call for clarification.  You know what assuming does–so don’t.  If something isn’t clear to you–after you’ve thoroughly read the directions–call and ask!  Prospectuses are a constant work in progress, and it’s good for the organization soliciting entries to know if something isn’t clear.  It’s also good for you to make sure, so that your entry is the best it can possibly be.  There is no stupid question.

DON’T send a whole bunch of extra stuff.  If the prospectus call for four images, only send four images, unless, of course, you have the option to buy more.  Also, don’t send old show cards, catalogs, or other materials if they are not asked for.  These unwanted extras ultimately end up in the trash.

DON’T ask for special treatment–i.e., extending a deadline, permission to submit work in a different format, help formatting a CD.  This makes you look unprofessional, and more often than not the answer to these questions is “no.”  Stick to deadlines, and if you do need help formatting your work, get a friend or hire somebody to do it for you.  You can see our tips on presenting your work to get you started.

DO take care in shipping any accepted works.  WPG accepts over 100 packages of artwork every year, and we’ve seen just about everything.  Our number one pet peeve: PEANUTS!  Do NOT use Styrofoam peanuts–they get everywhere!  Do wrap you work well in bubble wrap or brown paper and make sure your box is sturdy enough to handle the journey.  Some of our artists send super swanky custom made boxes, which is great, but not necessary to insure your work get here in one piece.  2-3 inches of padding on all sides and a secure cardboard box around it generally means things arrive just fine.

DO reapply–if your work isn’t accepted by one juror/jury, reapply next year.  For better or worse, jurors come to the work with their own set of biases and preferences, and just because your work wasn’t picked doesn’t mean it’s not good.  A rejection letter also offers a good time to follow up with the hosting organization.  Calling and asking for any feedback allows them to tell you if your work wasn’t presented professionally, if the juror had any comments about your work, or maybe even a few insider tips that you can apply to future shows!

Printmaking 101: Galvanic Etching

"Rest Stop" by Dean Russell Thompson, a galvanic etching

New artist member Dean Russell Thompson is a multi-talented artist–creating works using lithography, woodcut, and the interesting process of galvanic etching.

Galvanic etching, (also known as electro-etching) is a “green” or “safe” alternative to traditional acid intaglio processes as it puts off no acid fumes or flammable gas and there is no hazardous waste to be disposed of.  Here are the basic, abbreviated steps to how it works:

First, an image is transferred to a metal plate.  The most common (maybe only?) way we have heard of is using an image printed using a laser printer and ironing it onto a metal plate.  The heat of the iron sticks the toner to the plate, and the paper can then be soaked off.

The plate with the toner image is then put on exposed wiring or a metal grid and immersed in a solution of water and copper sulfate.  The wiring is connected to a battery (lawnmower, car, etc).  When the battery is turned on, a charge runs through the wire and the plate.  Anywhere there is toner, the brass stays in place.  All exposed areas are bitten away, as the acid does in a traditional etching process.

The result is a plate that can hold ink just like a traditional etching.  From here on out, printing the place is the same as printing any other intaglio plate.

If you’re interested in learning more about this process, we found the most helpful website to be by Steampunk Workshop, which goes into way more detail than we have here.  You can see examples of Dean’s galvanic etchings in the gallery and on our website.

Printmaking 101: Reductive Serigraph

We’re thinking a lot about serigraphs (aka screenprints or silkscreens) right now as Michael Hagan’s exhibition “Doodle Digit Dot” goes up next week.  We’ll have images and more information about his printing process next month (for now, you can check out his blog entry on halftone screenprints to get an idea of his work and process).  In this entry we wanted to talk about another WPG artist, Andis Applewhite, and her interesting process of reductive serigraphs, which got a lot of questions during her July solo exhibition.

"Freedom 5" by Andis Applewhite, reductive serigraph

You can best understand the process by watching her videoof the process (click the link to see it).  But here’s the basic idea:  Andis uses a water-based resist on the screen.  A resist blocks the screen, so when the squeegee is pulled over it, the ink will not go through to the paper in area’s that have been painted.  Using a water-based resist means Andis can easily manipulate any marks she’s made–picking up areas with a wet sponge or moving the resist around to create a textured background.  However, using a water-based resist also means she must use an oil-based ink.  Oil based ink can be cleaned off the screen with mineral oi or turpentine (or other similar paint thinners) without affecting the water-based resist.  If she used a water-based ink and tried to rinse it off with water, the resist on the screen would come off, too!

Andis starts with a large area of color and prints that first.  In the video, it looks like she started with a black.  Then, she paints the resist on the screen.  The black will remain visible in these areas.  You can see in the video that her second printing of yellow was another large area, with only a few brush-strokes of resist leaving the black from the first layer visible.  Finally, in the video, you can see her painting another layer of resist.  Anywhere this resist doesn’t cover is then printed white.

You can see examples of Andis’ reductive serigraphs in the gallery.  You can also see Michael Hagan’s very different screenprinting process starting next week. Come in and compare the two for yourself!

Printmaking 101: Introduction to Paper

Printmakers face an important decision when it comes to what paper to use for their print.  Usually, when in the art store, the type of paper will be labeled with what it’s meant for, such as “Watercolor” “Charcoal” and of course, “Printmaking.” However there are also kinds that can be used for any of these purposes. There’s nothing wrong with using multi-purpose papers as long as it holds ink without rippling. Generally, the thicker it is increases its ability to not be affected by the moisture of the given medium. Here are some popular brands among printmakers:

Arches 88-a great general paper for silkscreens.

Copperplate-made especially for intaglio, it has no sizing and therefore soaks immediately when being prepared in a water bath before it is run through the press.

Cover (particularly Arches cover)—a heavy-weight paper that comes in a variety of shades which is great for lithography, intaglio, silkscreen, and collograph.

Rives Lightweight- perfect for lithography, intaglio, screen printing, relief printing, linocut, and collograph.

Stonehenge- intended for a variety of printmaking techniques including etching and silkscreen.

These papers come in a variety of textures and shades, which can make a difference in affecting the mood of your piece. For example a warmer tone of white may look better with a summer landscape, while a cooler-toned white may enhance the wintry feeling of a snowy landscape. Also, the smoother the paper, the more crisp and precise the image will look in comparison to printing on a rough-grained paper. Finally, as we have mentioned before, paper intended for printmaking (such as the ones above) should be acid-free. The natural acids that occur in the wood pulp used in copy paper or newsprint break down eventually causing the paper to yellow and deteriorate, but getting acid-free paper will ensure your piece lasts longer!

Printmaking 101: Hand Pulled vs. Digital

"Flight" Photogravure and Etching, by Jenny Freestone

Here at WPG, we focus on contemporary, artist-pulled prints.  We’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about giclée prints and whether or not our prints are actually “fine art prints” or “one of a kind,” not “reproductions.”  All of these are valid questions, as the lines between these definitions continue to blur with modern printmaking processes.  Consider this your introduction:

"Tulip Tango," by Nina Muys, Carbogravure, 25x19 in, 2005

In the most basic, think of hand-pulled prints like a set of twins (or triplets or quadruplets, etc).  All are originals, even though they may look exactly the same.  Digital prints and reproduction prints are like photographs of a person, totally different from having a twin.

To go into a little more detail, hand-pulled prints involve a certain amount of physical labor not found in digital prints.  Usually, this means a plate or stone with the original image was inked by a person and then run through a press, a person pulled a squeegee full of ink over an original screened image, or a block of wood was hand-printed when a person used a barren or similar device to rub the ink onto the paper.  As you can see with these examples, a person was needed to do the physical work of the printing.

"Ella," linocut by Edward McCluney

Digital prints do not need a person to do the physical work of the printing, unless you count hitting the “print” button.  All digital prints come out of a printer.  Some of these are dubbed “artist quality,” printed on archival paper with archival inks.  Some artists do create original digital files or photographs that can be printed in limited editions, and thus be considered a fine art print, but mostly these prints are reproductions of paintings or other works of art.  Also don’t be fooled by the word”Giclée,” (technically pronounced zhee-clay but also commonly pronounced gee-clay) which is just another word for artist-quality digital printmaking.  Just because something is a giclée print does NOT mean it is an original print–many people use giclee printing to get quality reproductions.

"Eve II" by Lila Oliver Asher, linocut, 25x26 in

But back to hand-pulled printmaking–we want to make one more important distinction about the prints we show, which are artist-pulled.  This means the artist that created the original matrix (the matrix being the plate, screen, stone, or wood-carved image) also printed it.  We do have some rare exceptions, but for the most part, it holds true.  Don’t, however, be put off by prints that are not artist-pulled.  Many artists, printmakers and non-printmakers alike, create a matrix and then have editions pulled by master printers–people who work very hard at learning specific techniques and who are skilled at getting the most out of their medium and can create beautiful, original, hand-pulled prints!

In summary–yes, WPG is a fine art gallery.  Yes, we exhibit only prints, but these are all original prints, pulled by the artist.  And yes, the prints shown in this entr are all original works of art, as are all the prints at the gallery.

Printmaking 101: Drypoint

"Beach House" drypoint by Deron DeCesare.

If you’re looking to try printmaking, drypoint is a great introduction to the intaglio process, without all the scary, smelly chemicals.  Most artists are still using oil-based ink for printing, but drypoint can be a completely non-toxic process if one is using water-based inks. All you really need is a copper plate (or plexi or zinc) and a scribe–a thin metal tool resembling a pen or pencil.  Lots of other tools can be used as well to make drypoint marks on a plate, such as a roulette wheel (a tiny spiked wheel), or a burnisher, which can smooth out plate marks, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

"Turtle," drypoint and roulette by Lee Newman

To create a drypoint, the artist simply draws with the scribe directly onto the plate. The lighter the artist presses, the fainter the line will be.  The heavier the artist presses, the darker.  This is because the artist is actually making a mark in the copper (or plexi or zinc).  Fine lines that are close to the surface don’t hold as much ink as deeper lines.

Once the artist is happy with their drypoint, the plate is inked and run through the press.  Drypoints are often noted for their soft, crayon like lines.  This characteristic comes from the metal burr kicked up by the scribe.  Think of creating a drypoing as similar to ploughing.  You know how dirt gets kicked up into little mounds on each side of the row?  The same thing happens to the copper.  When the plate is inked, those little raised edges on each side of the line hold a little ink as well, making the lines slightly fuzzy, or crayon-like.

Come in and check out artists like Lee Newman or Deron DeCesare for some examples of drypoint, then try it out for yourself downstairs at Pyramid Atlantic!