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Printmaking

Unexpected Encounters in the Desert

I have finished another semester at TAFE. I particularly enjoyed my printmaking course, this time learning both intaglio and relief printmaking techniques. The print above has been created using a metal etching technique. A metal plate is coated with bitumen, then a design is scratched into it to and the plate is placed in acid. The acid eats into the exposed metal where the bitumen has been scratched away, thus etching lines. Larger tonal surfaces can be achieved by a similar technique of painting bitumen onto the plate. To create the print, ink is rubbed into the plate and it is then placed facing upwards on the press, with wet paper placed over it, before running it through the printing press. This technique is known as “intaglio” printmaking.

Go West

It’s gold and glittery… I have been entered the fantastic world of woodblock printing. The print above depicts my hometown Perth, Western Australia. I have added  topographical lines and golden shading to the printed image using posca paint markers. I initially intended to use the woodblock below for the topographical patterns, but found that due to the thickness of the lines it works better as a separate image.