My first workshop instructing drypoint

[bridog]

Hi everyone

wrapped up the 3rd and final session of a three pt. workshop I held in drypoint at a local gallery.
It went very well, the participants worked with drypoint tools on plexiglass and produced a nice array of images. I received great feedback, the group wants me to give another workshop soon
I also gave them demonstrations in chine colle application, relief roll on plate and many tips to help overcome problems.
They also got use of my press to run their small editions with (another bonus of purchasing a smaller portable press.)
attaching two images I printed as part of demostration
the hands study is a new larger plate version of an image I posted last week

[boundstaffpress]

Very nice work. Congratulations on the positive response. It sure does feel good to get that feedback.

Your images are beautiful

[bridog]

thanks Justin

I enjoy doing these kind of workshops. It is a great feeling when you know others are excited and anxious to reveal that very first print

[Barbara Art]

Nice prints! I especially like the trees-in-sunshine. And I wish I could have taken the workshop, too.
Barbara

[Diane Cutter]

Congratulations, Brian, proud to know you! I love the fact that you are giving workshops and putting a fire for printmaking in people's bellies!

I think our medium is one with the most mystery due to the perceived need for a press and acid baths. A lot of studio trained artists may have dabbled while in school but felt they couldn't go beyond because of the inherent cost (press) and danger (acids) of the past way of working. We will get more printmakers as the medium becomes less toxic, thanks to artists who also teach!

Diane

[cityscape painter]

Brian-Ditto to what Diane said. I think it is wonderful that you are teaching workshops! I love both of these images. The hands printed on the black are very striking. Great job.
Pamela

[muwahaha]

Congratulations on the success of your workshop. I am curious if those that participated had done much printing before and if any were new to any type of printing. I like this version of the hands study - I like the tonal range of shading on the piano keys you acheived.
Ivan

[wmlholt]

Great stuff Brian. Always nice to see artists passing on their knowledge to others. What type of small press are you using?

[bridog]

thanks again all
Pamela - was inspired by a musician friend of mine, she had invited me over for lunch and played a Debussy compositon while I did sketches and such. With this piece I was also trying to accentuate the idea of black/white, just like the keys on the piano. Got the idea to print white line on black...just for something a little different
Ivan- some of the participants had a bit of experience (intaglio), some with relief and 1 or 2 both but not too much experience with drypoint method using plexiglass. Also chine colle and colour relief roll were new to all.
wmlholt- I have my trusty little Blick 906 press with a 36" x 12.75" phenolic bed and the 3 felts
I fastened her to a good solid piece of pine with nut/bolt/washers thru the feet. (countersunk a 1/4 inch deep well so the bolt head is below surface of the bottom of the piece of pine and sits flat on table top. Then I secure it to edge of a table surface with grip clamps.

[laika]

very nice! i particularly like the trees print.

sounds like everyone benefitted from the workshop.

[chris g]

lovely how do you get so much texture and depth of colour?

[bridog]

thanks chris
I drew into the plastic using a good sharp steel carbide needle and using tightly spaced lines. I wanted to also try a bit of subtle cross contour. I think some of this sense of detail originates from lots of time spent on drawings when I was younger.

Here is another version of the image. This one utilizes a 2 plate processs (same plate but inked 2 two ways and printed twice).
I first rolled black ink across surface of the plate with a rubber roller and ran this and a registered piece of dry Arches 88 through the press.
Then I allowed ink to dry for 72 hours. I then inked the plate again with white ink into the line, re-registered the plate and paper through press to produce this black rectangle with line work on white paper. The white printed a bit subtler than the first version but still conveys an interesting mood.

[Inlite]

I hope this isnt a dumb question but how did you get such a dark black in the piano piece? (not in the hands but the solid background) all the drypoint Ive seen never gets as dark as that. Is it really fine crosshatching or is the plate selectively wiped? I havent tried drypoint yet but the more I see the more I want to do.

[bridog]

Originally Posted by Inlite

I hope this isnt a dumb question but how did you get such a dark black in the piano piece? (not in the hands but the solid background) all the drypoint Ive seen never gets as dark as that. Is it really fine crosshatching or is the plate selectively wiped? I havent tried drypoint yet but the more I see the more I want to do.

thanks
actually the background black was printed first as a solid dark rectangle of ink on the printing paper. A few days later I then wiped white oil ink into the plate that had the drypoint markings and this was registered to the black rectangle and printed on top of that dark shape. In essence I guess you could say that it was printed in negative instead of black line on a white background. If one were to use a solid black thin paper they might even be able to print a white line intaglio onto dark or cut and collage it to the paper a la chine colle.

I have been able to achieve some fairly dark areas in some of my other drypoint studies by what I can only term vigorous scribbling with a diamond point needle into the surface. The surface is so disturbed in these areas it tends to hold a pretty good amount of ink and print dark.
I tried to upload a resized image but there are some things preventing uploads in WC this morning (unfortunately this appears to be happening more frequently)
In the meantime if you are interested here is a link below to view a few more drypoint studies of mine that originate from a plexi based plate. Two in particular are Late Afternoon the Woods and Bunchberrry Dogwood found on page 3 under "galleries". Click on the title text above the thumbnail image and it will open to a bit larger view. Thanks
www.brianholden.ca