Yesterday, I went along for another print session at The Ropewalk. My main aim was to print the second image for what will become the ‘Lincolnshire Coast‘ series of prints. In the previous post on this, I showed how the printing plate was made. Here, it’s all about the print.
Going back to the first principles of collagraphs, you may remember that the representation of light and dark tone is all about texture For this kind of plate, around half of which is rough textured (to print darker) and half smooth (to print lighter), the first inking of a new plate always takes a while. This is because I’m feeling my way around these contrasting textures with the inking cloth (scrim). At first,Ā I ink the plate, using only black.Ā As I apply the ink, at first the plate looks a little messy, as I have to spread ink over pretty much everything on the plate.
Gradually though, as I wipe over the smoother areas, the tones and textures begin to reveal themselves. Finally, as more ink is wiped away, the fine hairline cracks left by the use of crackle gel when the plate was made, come through. At this point, I know that the plate is nearly ready to print.
And, here’s are the print!…
Looking at a new print is a strange sensation. This is particularly true when you have not been sure exactly how it might look. Initially, on the press,Ā I wasn’t sure if I liked it had ‘worked’ or related to the first print in the series. I now know that my reservations were because I was literally too close to it on press. Once I hung the print onĀ the drying rack and stepped back to view, only then did I see itsĀ true tonal and textural qualities.
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Hi Sinclair, I haven’t been receiving blog updates from your blog for ages !!?? and landed on here for some other reason ……..also – I want to ask you about two issues to see whether you and I can solve two longstanding ongoing quests in collagraph printmaking ? I will email you separately about that. Hope I can find an email address for you as I prefer to engage with you in that way in case I need to attach images etc. Please do get in touch aine@ainescannell.com
BUT ON READING THE ABOVE — I can not help but ask, if by now, you are using a STENCIL BRUSH to ‘ink up’ your usually quite textured collagraph plates?