20:20 Print Exchange
The sorting for the 20:20 Print Exchange is happening this week. The 20:20 is a national print exchange organised by Hot Bed Press whereby printmakers from studios across the UK each submit an edition of 25 prints measuring 20cm x 20cm. The prints are then sorted and each participant gets a random selection of prints back. Last year over 300 people submitted prints – I won’t reveal how many people have entered this year but it’s a LOT more…
My 20:20 entry is a three colour screenprint entitled ‘Print Manufactury’, created from a drawing I did of the Hot Bed Press studio building. The base white colour and the blue door were both created using paper stencils cut from newsprint. The third and final layer of black was from a photo-emulsion screen.
Here’s the original drawing…
And here’s the final screenprint. I used Somerset Grey paper so I could apply a white background for the building. I wanted it to be a completely self-contained image on the paper so removed anything outside the building that might ground it – for example the pavements, streetlights and surrounding buildings.
The Complete Printmaker – Etching
I’ve been learning etching on my course at Hot Bed Press and I absolutely LOVE it. I’m quite surprised as I didn’t think it would be my thing but I think the quality of the line you get is beautiful and it’s very forgiving (especially to my drawings!).
Here’s the original photo I worked from – it’s a view of Manchester Town Hall from Charlotte Street.
Here’s a pencil drawing of the image. I’ll probably re-use this for some other prints – possibly drypoint and maybe a linocut. Note the miscalculation on the size of the Town Hall compared to the photo.
Here’s the first print from the etched plate. I was quite pleased with it apart from a few wonky bits where I’ve had to draw it back to front on the plate. Also, there is a lot of foul bite – the marks and scratches on the plate where there was damage to the hard ground – but I quite like this.
This is the same plate with aquatint. The only part of the print which should be white is the sky and a few details, so I was really disappointed that the buildings were so light. I obviously didn’t leave the plate in long enough on the first dip. But – first go – so not too bad!
Linocut – first attempt!
Here’s my first attempt at a linocut.., though to be honest, it was on japanese vinyl, which is a whole lot easier to cut. Next attempt is a reduction lino of the same image – hmmm – wish me luck!
It’s all gone course-tastic at Symons Towers
I’m busy doing two courses at the moment (see previous three posts) and am rushed off my feet trying to squeeze in all the work from the annual ‘its the end of the financial year and you have to finish this project now!’ rush. So blogs-a-plenty to come but for the meantime, I’m going to stick to what I’m doing on my two brilliant, if a bit disparate, courses: ‘Advanced Certificate in Garden Design’ and ‘The Complete Printmaker’.
Week Two and Three on The Complete Printmaker looked at Drypoint and Carborundum. I discovered a love of dremelling to make my drypoint plates. Here’s a couple I produced of some sea birds – the Avocet and the Sanderling. I’ll post the actual prints once they’ve dried off – they’re very similar (but the other way round!).
Line drawings of my cameras
As part of my printmaking course, I’m creating a series of prints of cameras using different techniques. As we started the course with trace monoprinting, I got into doing line drawings of the cameras I own and now I can’t seem to stop. Here are a few of them. I’ll post the actual prints once completed.
Praktica Novex KAF
Panasonic Lumix FS-14
Boots 415 Disc Camera
Canon Ixus 430
