Printmaking

For these types of prints, a greasy drawing implement (in this case, a litho crayon) is used to draw the image. That image is then etched into the stone with acid. Before ink is rolled on with a brayer to print, the stone is wet with gum arabic to repel the ink so that it only sticks to the etched part of the stone where the greasy drawing was applied.

For this print, the image is created using a tusche wash that is painted onto the stone. It is an ink meant for lithography and the effect can be similar to watercolour. You can see in the top half how depth was created by adding more concentrated pigment for the darker tones. Just like the other litho, the image is then etched into the stone with acid.

Screen print, also known as silkscreen, is a popular form of printmaking! For this image, I coated multiple screens in photo emulsion and exposed each with a different part of the image. The drawings on the clear acetate sheets block the UV light, and will wash out of the mesh screen. The exposed emulsion hardens and won’t transfer ink! Separate screens are usually created for each colour in a complex print.