general printmaking

Tutors: Penny Brewill and Alison McCormick

Tuesday evenings (ten places)

21st September - 16th November 7.00 PM –9.30 PM

This introductory course explores a variety of printmaking techniques, including drypoint, etching, collagraphs, monotypes and monoprints, tailored to individual needs. Includes a one session half-term break.

the techniques

Etching is an intaglio process in which a drawing is made onto a metal plate through an acid-resistant ground using an etching needle. The exposed areas of the plate are then ‘bitten’ in an acid bath, creating incised lines that will hold ink when the surface of the plate is wiped clean. The image is printed onto dampened paper through an etching press.

Drypoint is an intaglio process in which the incised lines of the metal or Perspex plate are scratched directly, using a very sharp needle instead of by etching in acid. Very often, these scratches leave an ink-holding burr, giving drypoint prints their unique line quality.

A collagraph is the printed result of a collage, where a variety of materials are glued onto a thin base and printed as a combination relief/intaglio plate. Card is usually used for the base, the surface layers of which can be peeled to obtain a rough surface which holds the ink

A monotype is a unique, ‘one-off’ print. There are a variety of techniques in this process, but usually, ink is painted onto a plate and then transferred to paper through an etching press. With a monotype, there is no fixed matrix (such as on an etching plate), making it impossible to achieve an exact duplicate.

Monoprint - A print that has been achieved by a combination of monotype and one or more traditional techniques. Because of the monotype treatment, colour and texture may vary from print to print, but the fixed matrix aspect of the process allows the image to be editioned. Sometimes labelled as ‘Variable Edition’, or ‘V.E.’