Reading and research: Collagraph Techniques

I decided to do a bit more research on collagraph techniques so I read chapter 6 of "Printmaking: A complete guide" (1) and made notes in my 'techniques' notebook. 

This provided a good summary of collagraph techniques. There was a useful table comparing the properties of different base plate materials and the advantages and disadvantages of each. There were also examples of various collage materials; both wet and dry, which can be employed. 

The key to being successful with collagraph seems to be the ability to understand how each selected material will hold ink and release it onto the paper. In the chapter, there are detailed explanations of various types of collage materials and how to get the best out of them. I will not go into detailed explanations in this review but I have made lots of notes to refer to during the remainder of the course. 

The chapter also describes the use of carborundum to create dark areas and the use of 'maniere noir' (silk collagraph or silk aquatint) which I would like to this try in order to create a range of tonal values. It also describes the use of photo collagraph which uses light sensitive screen printing emulsion - this is an interesting technique which I will keep to one side for future reference but is beyond the scope of my current studies. 

I had seen this book (2) recommended on collagraph printmaking groups on social media: 

This is very old book which has been out of print for decades. I had seen it in online bookstores for a ridiculous price (Over £100) and I didn't have access to a local library to borrow it. However, I then had a stroke of luck. I saw a rather battered copy on a website for £35 is I ordered it. After a month of waiting it still hadn't arrived and I had given up hope of ever seeing it. I emailed the bookstore who were very apologetic and refunded my money. They also said that if it did arrive, that I could keep it free of charge as they didn't have another copy they could send me. I was very excited when it finally arrived a week later!!!!

Despite being an old book, it is extremely useful. I read it from cover to cover within 24 hours of receiving it and made copious notes in my techniques book. I will scan or photograph my notes and post them as a separate post rather than re-type them here. 

I was enthused and inspired by this book and came away with a very long list of techniques I would like to try as follows: 

• silk collagraph/silk aquatint and blending a tonal gradation
• using acrylic gloss medium and holding paste
• blind embossing
• making impressions of found objects in moulding medium
• techniques for making lines with media/tape/thread/blade
• spraying/spattering media
• using stencils
• marbling acrylic media
• using incompatible fluids
• burning/blistering the plate
• freezing the plate before media are dry to create cracks
• colour dragging
• jigsaw plate
• overprinting plates
• partial rollup or stencilled/masked rollup
• multiple colour rollup
• roll-on, roll-off
• viscosity printing
• multiple image print
• auxiliary plates

I think this shows how versatile collagraph printmaking is. I really want to experiment further with this but as I have limited time to complete this section of the course, some of my experimentation will have to be carried over into part 5 (and afterwards). I'm excited to get started!

I particularly like the fact that collagraph uses recycled materials and found objects. Although I would like to try using the acrylic media mentioned in the text books, for the time being, I can't afford to buy any new materials so I will have to make do with what I have in my studio: Various types of cardboard and hardboard, PVA glue, acrylic paint, gesso, thin shellac and spray on clear acrylic lacquer. 

References:

(1) Fick, B. and Grabowski, B. (2015). Printmaking. A complete guide to materials & process. Rev. ed. 2nd ed. London: Laurence King, p.142 - 158
(2)Stoltenberg, D. and MacKenzie, R. (1975). Collagraph printmaking. Worcester, Mass: Davis Publications.

Research Point: Contemporary printmakers who use experimental methods in their printmaking

Research point

Take a look at some contemporary printmakers who use experimental methods to make their prints. You could start by exploring the printmakerscouncil.com website, where you will find links to some interesting practitioners. What have you found of interest? What new techniques and ideas have arisen in this investigation? Make notes in your learning log.

First a disclaimer because found this research point quite difficult. The reason for this is that I am relatively new to printmaking so all printmaking techniques are new to me. This means that I found it quite difficult to identify which printmakers were using experimental techniques. However, I have become very interested in lino etching after the course which I attended, so I decided to look mainly at artists who employed this technique. To me this seems like and experimental technique but it may now be accepted as mainstream.  

Fabian Matthias Osborne

Click here to view examples of the artist's work on his website

Fabian was one of the tutors on the lino etching weekend course which I attended at West Yorkshire Print Workshop. 

Originally a ceramicist, his printmaking has developed from the same thread of subject matter which came through in his ceramics. He explores the surface textures and patterns that he finds in the landscape, both in the urban environment and in nature. 

His current work uses lino etching entirely and he generally works on large circular plates which he cuts by hand with a craft knife (quite a feat in itself in my opinion!). This must also make registration when printing in multiple layers a real challenge. On the course, he seemed to be able to do it using a simple registration sheet by eye - but as I said not having a corner to register to may make this more difficult than he made it appear. 

He creates patterns and textures using a variety of techniques with the etching. For example his 'Emerald Moon' employs marbling with stop out varnish and repeated etching. 'Spacers' employs letterpress spacers dipped in stout varnish and applied to the plate in a pattern and 'Pool' and 'pools' employ the technique which I tried out on the course which involves repeated etching in ever decreasing areas concentrically. 

He prints in multiple layers and will rotate the plate slightly on each subsequent layer to enhance the irregularity of the patterns created (although again, it must be a challenge to know whether he has rotated it because of the lack of points of reference on the circumference of a circle. 

I found his work inspiring and it made me want to experiment further with lino etching. 

Jenny Thomas

Jenny also tutored on the lino etching weekend but she allowed Fabian to take the lead in the demonstrations. During the weekend she carried out many experiments with different ways of creating a resist. Her willingness to experiment and 'play' was contagious and I found her approach liberating. 

Click here to view and example of her lino etching on the Water Street Gallery Website

The image in the link above "Flower 7 - stripey" is created using lino etching. It is on a square format and I suspect it has been etched more than once. It is printed in two colours read and black. The gestural nature of the abstract flower petals give it a dynamic feeling. The texture is very interesting. Brush marks are exploited from where the etch has been applied and the parallel stripes have been made by dragging a metal decorators' comb across the lino during the etch to manipulate the placement of the paste and to scratch the softened surface of the lino. 

Steve Edwards 

Click here to see examples of the artist's work on his website

This artist is probably best known for his large scale cityscapes and landscapes. In particular he manages to evoke the atmosphere of the urban landscape of London and light reflections from the surface of the Thames. exploits the lino to its full potential using a combination of etching and cutting. He sometimes also combines this with monotype. As well as the landscapes he does look at other subjects including figurative (human) subjects. 

Looking at some of his London cityscapes from a distance, they look almost photographic in their realism. He captures the quality of light and the shapes of the London skyline beautifully. Looking in more detail however, you can see the complexity of the textures that he has managed to create on the surface of the Lino. 

He uses the textural elements from the etched Lino to represent the more natural parts of the urban environment such as the water and clouds. The cut elements are more controlled and therefore more suitable for the silhouettes of buildings. I think he uses a variety of techniques to ink his plates too such as rainbow rolling and selective inking of certain areas such that he may in some cases be creating variable editions. 

I would love to see this work in person as many of his prints are large (for example 70x90cm) and so it is no possible to perceive the full impact of the pieces from small photographs - I'd like to get right up close and try to work out exactly how he has achieved such textures and light effects. Maybe he is using a combination of relief and intaglio printing techniques which would add an additional layer of technical difficulty with having to dampen the paper and deal with expansion and shrinkage in multiple layered printing. I don't know. 

Alison Pilkington

Click here to view examples of the artist's work on the SO Fine Art Editions website

Pilkington is an Irish artist and is both a painter and a printmaker. she has really made Lino etching her own. Her works are abstract and are all about texture and colour. I again would like to see her work in person to try to work out how she has gone about creating these because the although they appear simple I suspect they are actually quite difficult to create. She manages to leave areas of crisp bright colours as well as the more granular textured areas of the etching - is she using cutting as well as etching? Does she use multiple plates or multiple layers of etching on one plate like a reduction? 

However she manages to achieve these exuberant prints, her work is very different in character from the other artists I have mentioned in this context - this shows that Lino etching is a versatile technique that can be used to achieve a variety of effects on the final print. 

Anthony Broad

Does not use Lino etching but I have never seen the technique he uses before so I have included him here under experimental techniques. 

Click here to view examples of graphite prints on the artist's website

Although the theme of this artist's work doesn't particularly chime with my own concerns, being about masculinity and concepts of manliness in society I was intrigued by the metallic surface he manages to create on his prints. 

On his website, Broad states that this is his own technique which he has recently developed. He applies graphite powder to the paper which he burnishes to a smooth finish. He then uses blind embossing with a woodcut block. This makes his final works almost sculptural although they are created on a flat sheet of paper. The paper appears transformed into something more substantial and perhaps more valuable - sheet metal, armour or coins. 

Research: Dale Devereux-Barker and Scarlette Homeshaw

My tutor suggested that I look at the work of these two artists. I have made notes on some of their work in my sketchbook - these are the main points:

Dale Devereux- Barker

Click here to view examples of the artist's work on his website

I was immediately drawn to this artist's work. It is bold and colourful and attracts the eye. He successfully exploits the graphic quality to which linocut lends itself well.

On the website I found work which includes a variety of subject matter varying from still life, to figurative portrayal of people swimming to completely abstract works. 

Some of his abstract works use a gridded structure for example This untitled work seen here on the artist's website . The print is in share format measuring 25cm by 25cm. It is subdivided into a grid of 5cm squares (therefore 25 squares in total). He has used yellow orange and black which creates a dramatic tonal contrast. He uses linear elements of varying thickness, some traits and some following the curves shapes of abstract forms within the composition. 

Abstract shapes link neighbouring grid squares and often the colour or surface patterning of these elements changes when they overlap two squares on transitioning from one square to another - this the grid structure is maintained and there is a playful use of positive and negative shapes. 

The shapes themselves seem to respond to each other. Some can be interpreted for example as stylised vessel forms. Others appear more organic, resembling a kidney or a hand or a rudimentary body. 

Overall the combination of bold colours, tonal contrast and the balance of the various elements make this an eye-catching print. 

His use of colour in the  Swimmers series for me seems reminiscent of 1960's to 1970's psychedelia. These linocuts and lithographs are again on a square format. The colours are very bold and bright. They are a combination of figuration and abstract design elements. Water is suggested by circles, rippled lines and small spirals. The roof of the swimming pool is suggested by a converging grid pattern. 

Devereux-Barker employs  forced or distorted perspective in these prints with with arms, legs or feet often arranged diagonally or in a bold central position which makes for dynamic compositions which seem fitting for the movement depicted. The swimmers' hands and feet appear disproportionately large as a result of this distortion. This also plays on the fact that successful swimmers often have large hands and feet. His print 'A Certain Mr Phelps' portrays the multi-olympic champion swimmer Michael Phelps as having enormous hands extended in front of him. Each hand appears large than his torso. 

There are also a number of linocut still lives on his website. These also have altered perspective and are partially abstracted, they employ bold primary and secondary colours. Often for example, the perspective of the table top is altered or the ellipses of vessels are not true ellipses. This approach is reminiscent of Picasso's linocut still lives. 

From this artist I have learnt that it is possible to use very bold colour choices in linocut and this can make for great impact in the final image. Also I find his use of altered perspective very interesting and that could be something to experiment with. 

Scarlette Homeshaw

Click here to see examples of the artist's work on her website

My tutor suggested that I look at the work of Scarlette Homeshaw. This was great because I have had the good fortune to see Scarlette's work first hand and to meet the artist when I attended a linocut course at West Yorkshire Print Workshop. 

Scarlette, a previous winner of the flourish award for excellence in printmaking is currently based in West Yorkshire. She is inspired by the local architecture and industrial heritage. She uses photographic references to create her prints (I think she takes the photographs herself), but she does not slavishly reproduce the photographs, especially when it comes to the colour scheme. 

Scarlette converse her photographic references to grayscale images using a photocopier so that she will be influenced only by the tonal values but not by the colours of the original source. She elects colours freely and also adds patterning which sometimes departs significantly from the photographic source.

Her prints vary in size and format and may have 16-20 layers to them and she rarely uses black. She takes great pleasure in mixing up jewel-like bright colours using lithographic ink. Her imaginative colour schemes are very attractive. 

During the course she showed us her method of registration which involves using a simple registration sheet with an outline of the plate size and an outline of the paper size and always aligning the paper and the plate to a selected corner. I found this immensely difficult and was very nervous about dropping the paper onto the plate as it always seemed to shift slightly from where I had intended it to go. I am in awe of her ability to achieve great registration over so many layers with this straightforward technique. 

I found her technique of using a greyscale image to identify areas of similar tonal values and  ignoring the original colour scheme both practical and liberating and will continue to use this technique going forwards. 

References:

https://www.daledevereuxbarker.co.uk/linocuts

https://www.scarlette-homeshaw.com/yorkshire-collection

Research Point: Clare Curtis and Mark Hearld

Research point

Now look at the work of Clare Curtis or Mark Hearld, both contemporary printmakers, and look closely at how their prints are created. What makes them work? Are there any techniques you could re-use? Make notes in your learning log.

I have decided to look at the work of both artists but will concentrate more on Mark Hearld. This is partly because I was able to find more information about this artist and partly because his subject matter includes animals which chimes with my own interests. 

Mark Hearld

I found a video in which the artist talks about his practice. Click here to view "Mark Hearld" an introduction on You Tube

Hearld's subject matter is primarily concerned with the flora and fauna of the British countryside. His work show clear evidence of the influence of mid 20th century artists such as Edward Bawden, Eric Ravilious and John Piper. In the video, we learn that this was further reinforced by his tutors at Glasgow School of Art and the Royal Academy. One of his tutors, John Norris Wood, was taught by Edward Bawden. (1)

I found the artist's use of collage particularly interesting. He enjoys the graphic quality in the use of college and he talks about finding visual equivalents for elements in his composition by chance. He says that working in collage has informed his printmaking because he works in layers and it encourages him to 'think in layers'.. This then becomes useful when combining elements in his lithography. He also has a fascination for objects and talks about placing different objects together as a sort of 3-d collage. He also designs functional objects such as plates and fabric, partly because he likes objects and artefacts and partly because he wants his art to be accessible to those who can't afford to buy a painting or original print.

I am going to concentrate here on his use of linocut by looking at two specific linocuts - I have annotated reproductions of these in my sketchbook:

'Garden Birds' (seen here, reproduced on the art angels website) is made in two colours plus black' plus the white of the paper. It appears to be a multi-plate print although I'm not sure whether it's three plates or two plates with variable inking. The two colours are pale blue and a pale beige which contrast well with the black ink. 
The composition is quite busy with lots of detail but it works well. The two birds are the main focal points, in particular their eyes. One is located in the lower and left third of the composition, the other is located at the junction of the upper right third. Secondary focal pints are the eggs in the nest and the house. 

Lots of diagonals make for quite a dynamic composition. Reading from the lower left hand corner, the diagonal of the direction of the gaze of the lower bird as well as the branch on which it is standing, move the eye up towards the other bird. The second bird's feet lead to the nest and the eggs and then the curve of the nest leads the eye diagonally back towards the house.  The line of the bird's tail leads away into the tree and then back via flying birds and curved lines in the sky round the whole composition to the starting point in the lower left again. 
There are several diagonal lines which lead your eye from the lower bird up towards the house. These diagonals serve to create perspective and the relative sizes of the birds and the house create some depth to the composition. 
Hearld employs many different kinds of marks to create texture and tonal contrast . there is a good balance of tonal values with the foreground being more black with negative shapes carved out of it for leaves and flowers and the sky being relatively light with black trees in silhouette on the skyline. 

"The Rooster', seen here on the St Jude's Prints website is a relatively large print (705x550mm - so larger than A2). It appears to be a two block linocut using a relatively bright blue and black. The composition os almost circular: the eye is drawn all around the print:

The gentle diagonal of the fence draws the eye across . The smaller V of the background fence stops the eye from exiting at the right side and directs you back to the rooster's eye. The rooster's gaze and the elegant curves of his tail feathers bring the eye diagonally up and back towards the left (the curve of the railway carriage's roof also stops your eye from exiting at the upper right hand corner). The arc of a bird's flight and curved lines in the sky further continue the route to the upper left hand corner. From here, the line continues down the stem of the tall plant in the left extremity of the print and the strong curve of the junction between the path and the vegetation swoops the eye back to restart the circle with the fence. 

There are many different types of marks here. Tiny short lines represent grass. Curves represent the feathers on the rooster's chest. . Circular gouges represent the stones on the path. Many fine parallel lines add interest and total values In the sky and behind the tall plant. He also plays with positive and negative carving to add interest to the vegetation , the tree and the  feathers. 

Once again, he uses relative sizes of the rooster to the geese, cat, hen and chicks as well as the shed in the background, to give an impression of depth. 
I would very much like to see this work in person because a small image on a computer screen of a large scale work doesn't give the full effect. 

Clare Curtis

Click here to visit the artist's website for examples of her work

Clare Curtis ia a printmaker and illustrator and many of her prints are concerned with horticultural subjects. She uses stylised forms for plants and her compositions and colour schemes appear to be carefully planned. Her colour schemes, even using contrast between complementary colours have a harmony to them and the balance of tonal values is also pleasing. 

The combination of stylised horticultural subject matter with the harmonious colours show some similarity with the work of Angie Lewin.

Although both Angie Lewin and Clare Curtis produce work that I am not immediately drawn to (maybe it's the subject matter and the carefully planned decorative nature of them that puts me off I'm not really sure why I don't respond to these as I do to other prints), I can clearly see the expertise involved and appreciate why these artists are so popular. I have made notes on some of Clare's prints in my sketchbook.

There are many techniques I can try to emulate in these printmakers' work. One of the techniques I am particularly keen to try out is using collage to plan my Lino-cuts. I had already considered doing this because I saw the 'Matisse Cut Outs' exhibition at Tate Modern a few years ago and the fact that Matisse used collage to plan his compositions for paintings struck me as a good idea. Composition is something that I struggle with and  I also have a tendency to run out of  patience with doing lots of thumbnail sketches to try to work it out. Being able to move pre-cut elements about seems like a more flexible and immediate way to proceed. This seems particularly suited to linocut because I can plan colour layers by using papers coloured with gouache or acrylic paint. I am definitely going to try this. 

Looking at these artists has made me think more about what the elements of a successful composition may be and also about the importance of achieving a balance of tonal values and colours. This will help me to keep these factors in mind as I move forwards. 

My tutor also suggested that I look at the work of Dale Devereux Baker and Scarlette Homeshaw. I will make a separate post about these artists 

References:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byG6w2qaWnw

Drypoint Workshop at Artison in Masham

I recently attended a one day drypoint workshop taught by Hester Cox at Artison in Masham. Hester was a great teacher - her explanations were clear and in depth and she was patient and encouraging to all of us - most of us were complete beginners with the technique. 

I had chosen to try out drypoint because I enjoy drawing and this technique seems to be a way of incorporating lots of ways of mark making into my work.

Hester provided us with a resource sheet describing the technique and also with lots of reference material - examples of works in drypoint and also drypoint with chine collé were spread around the benches at the side of the room and she also provided links to the websites of numerous artists working in drypoint: 

Of the artists listed, I have selected a few whose work particularly interests me:

Bridget Farmer.

I love the simplicity of Farmer's drypoint prints. The quality of the line is delicious and flowing like that obtained with rapid continuous line drawing. Some of her designs are quite minimal such as her three finches - she has simplified the forms in a very satisfying way - excluding extraneous details. Others such as her coot (which is actually an etching rather than a drypoint) cotton multiple vigorous  lines to suggest the form. Wonderful. 

Lars Nyberg

This artist's use of drypoint is much finer - some of his drawings resemble botanical or scientific drawings. Many of his drypoints feature a single tree or plant surrounded by open and almost featureless space. These make me feel slightly melancholy as they seem to speak of solitude or loneliness. 

Mikael Kihlman

Kihlman uses many different printing modalities in his work including drypoint. His drypoints are very heavily worked which is contrast to the two other artists above. In many of his works the mark making covers almost the whole of the plate - he creates a dark atmosphere in which patches of light stand out dramatically. Reflections of the sky on the surface of puddles against a dark pavement are particularly evocative. The dramatic difference between the work of these three artists shows the versatility of this medium - there is a lot to learn and try here. 

Mary Cassatt
Cassatt was a American Artist who worked in France through most of her adult life and exhibited along with the impressionists. Like the other impressionists, many of her works depict people going about their everyday activities - capturing a moment in time. Her work is special because it mainly depicts women doing everyday things such as caring for children or hanging out the washing: Subjects which would not have been considered suitable for 'high art' before this period. Her drypoints are charming and are a suitable medium for conveying the fleeting nature of the moments she captured with the energy contained in its lines. 

Olivia Lomenech Gill
I have included Gill here because I admire the energy of her linework - particularly in her depiction of animals. I also find her use of Chine collé interesting - she has used pages from books as well as brown paper - this gives me more ideas. 

Catherine McDonald's work has a satisfying velvety inky blackness about it which I really love. Her silhouetted landscapes with telegraph poles have an air of mystery and again isolation about them. 

Hester first gave a us each a small piece of drypoint plastic to experiment on and try to make as many types of mark as possible. I thoroughly enjoyed this. I mainly used the drypoint needle provided but also had a try at using a roulette and a diamond tipped needle which gave texture and a different quality of line - the diamond tipped needle was easier to mark the plate with - especially for curved lines. 

The subject matter for the day was to be birds. I had brought some photographs with me for inspiration. I decided to use a photograph of a juvenile black heron having a 'bad hair day'. I really like this quirky looking character. I had already had a couple of tries at drawing this bird freehand without a resounding success so although it felt a bit like cheating I simply placed the photograph under the clear plastic and drew from the photograph. I spent a lot of time hatching to create the very dark tone of the lower part of his body. I was quite pleased with the marks I had made although I felt overall that the composition was a bit imbalanced with everything in the top part of the paper and very little to balance it lower down. I hadn't quite known what to do with his feet as they were missing from my cropped photograph so I'd just randomly put him in water with ripples around his legs but it hadn't occurred to me to put any semblance of shadows into the water. 

I really should have gone back and worked into the plate to alleviate this but the day was nearly at an end (the hatching had been time consuming - as well as the numerous stops for coffee and cake and a delicious lunch!). I really wanted to try the chine collé using some of the coloured papers that Hester had brought along. Time was running out so my effort at this was somewhat haphazard. I also used too much glue which squished through the tissue and made quite a mess without actually sticking the paper to the print properly. - this is something to try again at a later date. Hester suggested getting some reversible PVA glue - this means you can pre-glue your chine collé and allow it to dry before using it. The glue becomes tacky again on contact with the damp paper and sticks without the gluey mess everywhere!

I thoroughly enjoyed the day and came away with lots of ideas of further things to try such as using DIY tools or even a soldering iron to make marks on the plate as well as dying my own chine collé papers and using reversible PVA. 

Research Point: Texture

Find some contemporary printmakers who rely heavily on texture in the prints. What sort of textures have they used to create effects? How well has it worked?

For the purposes of this research point I will confine my research to monoprints. It is clear that there are many other textured forms of printmaking but I need to keep it narrow to stop this becoming an unmanageably large research point. 

Howard Jeffs

Howard Jeffs uses many different forms of printmaking in his work. His most recent work is using lino etching but I am only going to consider his monoprints here. 

The artist states that he works very quickly and spontaneously around a theme. He discards many of the resulting prints. He will also add more ink over the ghost image after the first pass of a plate through the press in order to develop an image further. He is enthusiastic about monoprinting because of the freedom it gives to experiment (1)

Click on the links below to see examples of Jeffs' monoprints online. 

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHKabv5TG-B6uPNMPgYLDTeROx2DiO5r4Eq-OL53ZA9QDTwJoAwTPiFGyMuXSMaNPIWlisshjKKpW9LgTgSBYC9fuIW-ZLpNkzGcgWx11uxYF5zmLUo-tTAEttnDBh860bAdhlNoDjws/s1600/No-9-Sunflowers-on-Edge-of-.jpg

In the first image above I think I can spot marks made by a fine spray of solvent as well as dry brush marks and marks made by scraping away ink with a sharp implement.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjliDeVRDS1IcoIQvic-ItBkn-ji0ZsThA-gu9CHiEGSTPl6_N8Jkt4FGekvqxC4Bw9DYPmxJhckWigJIhPJuo77OHIS9SJuhlDJA1RY7sWulgewaW2OL4-dqKmGVhJ2N7X5TUoQDVBBX4/s1600/Howard+jeffs.jpg 

In this image of a starry sky, the cloudy subtle marks in the sky are made using solvent. The stars themselves are made by sprinkling magnesium powder over the blue ink before printing. 

http://bathartistprintmakers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Howard-Jeffs-Wild-Grass-Field-France-Monotype-58-x-75-cms3.jpg

In the image of the grassland with a red sky I suspect actual grasses may have been used as masks. There is use of solvent again to create a cloud in the sky as well as a granular texture between the grasses at ground level which I cannot determine how he has achieved. 

The first image of sunflowers reminds me very much of work by Anslem Kiefer Click Here to see and example of Kiefer's work on the Guggenheim museum's website. The sunflowers are dark against a more colourful background. The coloured layer will have been printed first and then the plate re-inked with the very dark ink - this was then worked into subtractively allowing the bright base layer to show through where the ink has been wiped and scraped away.

Tim Southall 

Click Here to see a selection of monotypes on the artist's website Individual works or a slideshow of his works can be viewed by clicking on an image. 

I first encountered Southall's work when I visited the National Original Print Exhibition at Bankside Gallery. His monotype 'Miramar' was displayed and can also be viewed on his website via the link above. He is also a painter and I think that this is in evidence in his approach to the monotypes - they are 'painterly' in nature. 

The prints appear that they may have been made in multiple layers and they are rich in texture and colour. They appear to be inspired by landscapes but are not emphatic in their description. They remind me of the concept of the sublime: That is the feeling of awe or almost fear in the presence of nature or landscape - this is also exemplified by works such as Turner's 'Snow Storm' shown below. 

• Snow Storm - Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth
• • JMW Turner 1842 Oil on Canvas

Southall's work is also reminiscent of stormy seas or glowing sunsets. 

In terms of texture it is possible to identify some of the sources from looking closely at the works. In 'Fate Unfolds' and 'Animal Uprising' he appears to have used threads and a loosely woven fabric such as the scrim used by printmakers for wiping etching plates. 

In 'The Tempest' is that a  woven onion bag or a piece of fishing net?. On 'Downpour' I suspect he might have placed ink diluted with solvent at the top of the plate and then tilted it to allow it to dribble down. On ' Ripples in the Sand' it is possible he may have used a palette knife or a piece of cardboard in a squeegee-like motion to create those ripples. I'm not sure I have gleaned the techniques successfully but there is plenty of food for thought and techniques to try out here. 

Theresa Gadsby-Bourner

In contrast to the violence and agitation of many of Southall's works, Gadsby-Bourner's works are quieter and more tranquil.
Click Here to see some of the artist's monoprints or her website 

Many of her prints have compositions of horizontal blocks of colour like horizons in a pastoral landscape but also with vertical components which could be reeds or grasses. This combination of horizontal and vertical with only occasional diagonals and the balance of colours in the composition which seems to be instinctive give a pleasing restful feel to the works. 

In many of her monoprints there is a granular texture or an appearance a bit like ice-crystals or frosted glass. The appearance is similar to that which is obtained when salt is sprinkled onto wet watercolour paint. I wonder whether this is achieved in some kind of similar way - sprinkling something on which absorbs and lifts the ink from the plate. Alternatively it could be that a very fine spray of solvent has been misted over oil-based ink and the effect of the solvent arrested quite rapidly. 

Morgan Doyle

Morgan Doyle appears to be a very prolific artist. Visiting his website there are many many drawings and paintings as well as series after series of monoprints. Click here to link to the Artist's website

Some of his work appears to be based on the urban landscape but may others are completely abstract. The artist has used multiple colours and techniques in most of the abstract works. He has manipulated the ink with solvent as well as scraping and pulling it about. He seems to also work with inks of different viscosities as well as impressing textures into the ink. 

Anne Moore

Produces decorative textured monotypes. Click here to link to examples of monotypes on the artist's website

 They made using mutiple layers of ink. They frequently have very well balanced use of colour giving a pleasing aesthetic. They are highly textured. In some cases linocut elements are included. In others everyday objects can be detected such as bubblewrap and possibly corrugated card. 

References

(1) Jeffs, H in Printmakers' Secrets by Anthony Dyson. Bloomsbury Visual Arts, London 2009 - reprinted 2016

Image Sources

(1) http://www.tate.org.uk/art/images/work/N/N00/N00530_10.jpg

Research Point: Back drawing

Find some printmaking artists who us back drawing. Examine how they use it and evaluate it. Does it work well? What can you learn from it? 

Paul Klee

As I have already stated in the previous exercise, I first encountered back drawing as a technique under the name 'oil transfer' when I visited the Paul Klee exhibition on an OCA study list back in 2014. My write up of the exhibition can be viewed by clicking here. For the purpose of this research point I will confine myself to his back drawn images. I have chosen three examples which I saw 'in the flesh' at the exhibition although Klee produced many more back drawn works. 

(1)Paul Klee 'City Between Realms' (City in the Intermediate Realm)
1921 Oil transfer and watercolour on paper

'City Between Realms' is in landscape format and it is apparent that the oil transfer was from a plate or piece of paper which was smaller then the finished monoprint because there are quite a lot of accidental marks from the printing ink and these stop abruptly where the edge of the plate must have been and are contained well within the margins of the paper. Klee has used watercolour in shades of yellow ochre and a dark green/grey with the darker areas towards the edge of the paper such that the drawing is contained in a bright halo. His line work is impressively precise and fine. This suggests the paper must be relatively thin. However, Klee would have had to use paper sufficiently strong to stand up to the use of watercolour. He must have used a fine instrument to draw with. There are also quite a lot of straight lines - I can't believe that he would have used a ruler to draw these as it would have left a mark where it was pressed down. It is most likely that he created the oil transfer drawing before adding the watercolour because he has embellished certain shapes within the drawing with light washes of the grey and the ochre. 

The subject of the drawing consist of simplified architectural forms. A circle at the top right may represent the sun. There are shapes which look like bells on bell towers as well as several 'tombstone' shapes in vertical and horizontal orientation. In the top one third of the drawing there are crucifix shapes. Dark zig-zag arrows point upwards and more prominently downwards. Do they point towards heaven and hell?

(2)Paul Klee 'Comedy' 1921 Oil Transfer and watercolour
on paper

I like the collection of elongated part-humanoid creatures in Klee's 'Comedy'. This again is in landscape format, the creatures appearing to be in procession across the page. As well as the finely executed lines, in this drawing, Klee has used small marks to introduce a textural element. There is a lot more transfer of oil around the figures in this one which can be clearly seen where the background wash is lighter at the bottom and the top of the page. This adds even more of a textural element to the drawing and clearly shows the texture of the paper itself with its laid lines. This makes me wonder whether Klee has chosen the darker background wash with lighter tones on the figures to prevent the figures from getting lost amongst the accidental marks. The graduated dark green was reaches its darkest at the upper 1/2-1/3rd of the paper which focuses the viewer's attention here due to the highest contrast and the heads/faces of the players being here. The figures are accentuated in white, pale yellow and pale grey. The interplay between the dark background and pale figures certainly serves to accentuate the figures. Most of the figures are in vertical orientation but one seems to be lying down with another standing on top - have they fallen and are being trampled or are they acrobats performing a stunt?

(3)Paul Klee 'Ghost of a Genius' 1922
Oil Transfer and Watercolour on Paper

'Ghost of a Genius' is in portrait format and depicts a single figure. The line work is characteristically fine and there is less accidental transfer in this drawing. Maybe he had refined his technique somewhat or maybe this is deliberate so the figure looks isolated within a blank space.  The background wash is a dull putty colour with the figure in shades of pale yellow with pale blue eyes. 

Is this a self portrait? It looks a bit like Klee as can be seen from the photograph shown below. The large head with receding hairline and the small pointed beard give a striking resemblance. The figure has a puppet-like quality with its oversized head and mitten-like hands. Did Klee feel like a puppet or was he just attracted to puppet forms (he used to make puppets) (1). The figure appears melancholy with a dejected tilt of the head and eyes - maybe he feels 'washed up' and is recalling past triumph? 

I was trying to work out what was going on with the figure's nose and Adam's apple area there are several parallel lines in the nose area - it struck me that they look like the frets or strings of a guitar or a violin (the latter being more likely as Klee was also a musician and played the violin)(1). In fact the whole of the figure's head could be read as the body of a violin with the chin rest on his forehead and the strings in his nose area. The neck of the violin becomes the violin's neck. Klee was inspired by music in his visual art. 

(4)Photograph of Paul Klee 1911

I was drawn to Klee's backdrawn monoprints when I first saw them but now that I have attempted to do some myself I am even more impressed by the fineness of the lines he managed to achieve. The watercolour is not just an afterthought but an integral part of these drawings and adds to their impact. When I saw the exhibition, I thought that this was a technique invented by Klee but having done some more research I now think that he may have adapted the technique from work by Gaugin. 

Paul Gauguin 

Gauguin is credited with having invited this technique during his period spent living and working in Tahiti around 1899.(2) We know how Gauguin produced these monotypes because he described the process in a letter to his patron in 1902. He produced about 89 drawings using this technique between 1899 and 1903. Some were simple sketches while others were large and resolved drawings (such as the examples shown here)

He was using a printmanking technique but did not have access to large printing plates or a press where he was working. He therefore applied oil paint or printing ink onto a large piece of paper which essentially takes the place of a plate. He would then place a second sheet of paper over this and draw onto that piece of paper. He drew with hard graphite and soft coloured pencil and he noted that the harder the point and the thinner the paper, the finer the line he could achieve. He often used more than one colour of ink - starting with black for the main and most distinct line work. He would then replace the coated sheet of paper with one coated in a different coloured ink before continuing to draw. (2) (3) In the Tahitian woman image below (Figure 5) the marks in olive green/brown are much softer than the black lines.  

Drawing directly on the back of the overlying sheet has two effects. The first is that there are two drawings on the sheet. The verso drawing is a finely and carefully executed drawing in soft coloured pencil and in graphite. The recto drawing is the oil transfer drawing which is much more dark and mysterious. There is always a certain element of chance in the production of such an image and accidental marks add to the appeal of this to me. The darkness and grainy texture of the oil transfer image on the recto side seems much more in keeping with the dark, mysterious and apparently primitive subject matter and to my eyes, therefore is a more successful drawing than the verso. 

The second effect of drawing directly on the back of the sheet is that it helps avoid problems with registration - I might try this!

(5) Paul Gauguin 'Tahitian Woman with Evil Spirit' c 1900 Verso: Graphite and coloured pencil; Recto:
Oil transfer drawing

The subjects of the first two drawings here are a female figure, naked to the waist and a second male figure with a mask or stylised features with horns. The male figure represents an evil spirit - perhaps a christian devil or a figure from Polynesian myth. The female figure's gaze doesn't reveal emotion - she does not appear overtly fearful. Gaugin based the head of the evil spirit on a wooden sculpture he had already created. The woman in figure 5 came from a photograph of a woman from Tonga. (2)

(6)Paul Gauguin 'Tahitian Woman with Evil Spirit' c 1900
Oil transfer drawing

In figure 7 'Changement de Residence' cher are four figures, three of which are clearly female and the other of which has its back to us, the gender of which I cant determine. The female figure furthest to the left averts her eyes and turns her head away and has her hands together either in an attitude of prayer or applause. The next figure has her eyes downcast. A nude female figure rides a horse - her eyes are also cast down but her gaze seems directed towards the figure with their back to us. The figure whose face we cannot see has their hand raised perhaps in a gesture of leave-taking, waving goodbye? The downcast or averted gazes of the three female figures suggest great sadness or perhaps shame.

The palettes of this drawing is darker than the two above. Perhaps this is deliberate to illustrate the gloomy subject matter of parting? The line work as before is in black but there is extensive use of shading with transferred dark brown ink. There is also a lighter orangey brown shade but I suspect that this is not another colour of ink but leakage of oil into the paper - perhaps he used oil paint for this one? To my eyes, this is somewhat less successful than the two drawings above as the excess of dark brown ink makes the figures more difficult to distinguish. On further research I have found that Gaugin made other versions of this subject in woodcut and also a more preliminary looking sketch in oil transfer in which the figures are distinguished more easily

(7) Paul Gauguin 'Changement du Residence' 1902 Oil transfer
drawing

The crouching Tahitian woman is a motif seen more than once in the work of Gaugin. It seems to emphasise his concept of primitivism with the woman crouching unselfconsciously naked. This iteration in oil transfer seems to have been rapidly and energetically executed. On this occasion, the black lines are thick, velvety and prominent as are the lines that represent shadow. The orangey brown marks which describe the shadow on the shoulders, down the spine and around the buttocks and lower back are fainter and thinner hatching lines which must have been created with a much finer and harder drawing tool. 

(8)Paul Gauguin 'Crouching Tahitian Woman' 1901-1902
Oil transfer drawing 

Tracey Emin

Emin has used backdrawn monoprints extensively among her many other means of self expression. Her drawings are rapidly executed to which this monoprint technique is ideally suited. Her lines are straggly and sometimes jerky suggesting a nervous energy and the back drawing suits this style. 

Most of Emin's work is autobiographical and this includes her 'monoprint diary'. The drawings refer to occurrences in her daily life. They are sometimes drawn on lined notebook paper or file paper. (4)

'Sad Shower' Click here to view on the artist's website  shows the artist as a small isolated figure  standing dejectedly with downturned eyes and slumped shoulder under a trickle of water. 

Many of her monoprints cotton a mixture of print and text. For example 'Terribly Wrong' Click here to view on the Tate Website which perhaps refers to one of Emin's well publicised abortions or a misscarriage. There are echoes of Frida Kahlo also here who covered similar subject matter. Emin's handwriting is irregular and there are often misspellings and letters reversed. 

In a few of her monoprints I have also found references to religious imagery for example 'Woman with Child Scroll' 1991 Seen here on the artist's website. In her drawing technique and the aesthetic of her figures I can also see the influence of Egon Schiele. 

There may also be direct reference to the work of other artists for example this untitled monoprint from 1991 with its embracing figures seeming to levitate and indeterminate figures and shapes around them reminds me strongly of Chagall - but maybe I am over interpreting. 

Backdrawing certainly suits Emin's raw style of working and subject matter. It is suited to rapid execution which is also a benefit for such a prolific artist. 

Richard Downs 

Is a contemporary American artist who works in a variety of media including sculpture, painting and monoprint. 

His monoprints seem to mainly depict couples who are connected in some way or embracing. There are all executed in black and red ink and the red rim of ink around the margins of the paper reminds me very much of Klee's drawings with his watercolour haloes. The couples themselves vary in terms of their degree of abstraction. 

from fairly straightforward simple figure drawings to more abstracted consisting of simple shapes but still recognisable as human - in this latter print, the two faces in profile almost merge to become one and they are also joined by the infinity symbol of hair on top of their heads. Suggesting that their connectedness has gone further than being a couple but each has lost their individual identity. 

The more abstracted images may reflect Downs's interest in Russian constructivism. 

I particularly like the regularity of the parallel lines or dots he uses in the area of the hair - I wonder haw he achieves such precision in these areas - perhaps he uses some kind of tool which draws multiple marks at the same time.

Michela Sorrentino 

Is a Canadian artist. I came across her 2012 series of monoprints by chance when researching monoprints online. 

These monoprints are monochrome and contain lots of repetitive mark making wait subjects ranging from a Shamen's tools to cellular structures. I love this style of working. She manages to achieve quite fine lines by using thin handmade paper. 

I think I am drawn to this work because I thoroughly enjoy Radom doodling and repetitive mark making as a meditative process - for example my random sketchbook doodle shown below. 

What I learnt

• It is possible to achieve finer drawing than I have manages so far
• I am not limited by the size of my plates as I could try rolling ink onto paper in the way that Gaugin and Klee did
• Drawing directly onto the back of thin paper may help produce finer lines and will also eliminate the problem of poor registration when working in multiple layers
• Harder drawing implements with produce fine lines and softer ones produce less distinct lines. 
• As well as rapid sketches it is also possible to produce more finished or resolved drawings

Things to do and try

• Drawing directly on the back of Japanese paper
• Using paper coated in ink instead of a plate
• Drawing on a larger scale
• Drawing in multiple colours in layers
• Mark making with various implements 
• planning and executing a more resolved drawing

References

(1)Friedewald, Boris. Paul Klee: Life and Work  (Prestel 2011).
(2)https://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2014/04/16/metamorphoses-paul-gauguins-oil-transfer-drawings/
(3)https://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2014/gauguin/techniques
(4)http://www.traceyeminstudio.com/homepage/
(5)http://www.downs-art.com/?section=gallery&gallery_id=29
(6)http://www.michelasorrentino.com/w-2012.html

Image Souces

(1)https://www.pubhist.com/works/20/large/paul_klee_city_intermediate_realm.jpg

(2)http://www.tate.org.uk/art/images/work/N/N05/N05657_10.jpg

(3)https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Paul_Klee_-_Gespenst_eines_Genies_(Ghost_of_a_Genius)_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

(4)https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Paul_Klee_1911.jpg

(5)https://www.moma.org/wp/inside_out/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Gauguin_Tahitian_Woman.jpg

(6)https://www.moma.org/d/assets/W1siZiIsIjIwMTUvMTAvMjEvMTgxM3ZwNGg2aF9nYXVndWludGFoaXRpYW53b21hbi5qcGciXSxbInAiLCJjb252ZXJ0IiwiLXJlc2l6ZSAyMDAweDIwMDBeIC1ncmF2aXR5IENlbnRlciAtZXh0ZW50IDIwMDB4MjAwMCJdXQ/gauguintahitianwoman.jpg?sha=db1dc165bf7c20a7

(7)http://www.simondickinson.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/GAUGUIN-Changement-R.jpg

(8)http://1uyxqn3lzdsa2ytyzj1asxmmmpt.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Gauguin-Crouching-Tahitian-Woman-recto.jpg