What is a Print? Moma Website

Interactive step by step guide to understanding the process of etching, woodcut, lithography and, serigraphy. Send this along to your family in case they still have ABSOLUTELY what printmaking is.


http://www.moma.org/interactives/projects/2001/whatisaprint/print.html

Lift-Ground & Soft-Ground Etching

This week we explored the additive technique of sugar lift to draw on our plates, lift those areas away (in warm water) and aquatint them. We also investigated soft-ground techniques, mostly running textures through the press, with slightly less pressure than we use for printing. Click the details for extreme close-up views of the plate texture

Above: Lift-Ground with soft "wash" effects from sandpaper near bottom

Above: Dawn's 20 minute Soft-Ground etch

Above: My 50 minute Soft-Ground etch

Picasso States

The book Picasso The Engraver by Brigitte Baer gives the reader rare insight into the creative process of the artist. It is inspiring for any printmaker working with intaglio to see the lengths Picasso went to in order to flesh out his imagery. State after state the plate is etched, aquatinted, burnished, and scraped with as many as 20 or 30 states existing between the initial and final print.

For more insight into Picasso's creative process see the film, The Mystery Of Picasso (1956):

More Tools More Marks: Where to buy

Don't feel limited by what the local art store sells with regards to drawing tools for etching. I encourage each of you to find more online (see links below) or make your own. Take a look at the various shapes and sizes of needles, roulettes and wire brushes in the photo below. Remember all you need to do is to scratch the ground off the plate, the acid does the rest.


image source: http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquaforte

A nice set of tools available from Takach Press:
http://www.takachpress.com/servlet/the-Engraving-Tools-cln-Intaglio-Set/Categories
Here are some roulettes for sale at Graphic Chemical:
http://www.graphicchemical.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=86&cat=Roulettes
More roulettes available at Renaissance Graphics:
http://www.printmaking-materials.com/products/tools/69
Another Great selection of printmaking tools can be found at Edward C Lyons:
http://www.eclyons.com/


Take a look at the range of tools (bought and homemade) at http://www.hollymorrison.com/html/platemaking/tools.html

Morandi: Value Through Line

An artist more known for his paintings than his etchings, Giorgio Morandi produced a wonderful range of intaglio prints that demonstrate the way cross hatching lines can create tone, form and depth. Click the images below to see high resolution details for a closer look at the line-work.

Etching & Aquatint

We will talk about the possibilities and challenges of working with aquatint this week. Below are some of the images we looked at last week. You should be familiar with each of these artists.


Paul Klee, Comedian (Komiker) from the series Inventions (Inventionen), 1904. Etching and aquatint, plate: 6 x 6 5/8"
Click here to see more Klee etchings at MoMA


Max Klinger, Abduction ("End of the dream"), from A Glove (Paraphrase of the Finding of a Glove), 1878/1880, etching and aquatint on chine collé (state I/II)


Francisco Goya, La Tauromaquia, c. 1815


Otto Dix, Meal time in the Trenches, 1923-24