The various processes
I use to create my prints
Wood Engraving
Wood engraving is the simplest and one of the most exquisite forms of printmaking. The print is made, first, by engraving the reversed design or picture to be printed into the mirror-smooth surface of a block of end grain wood. Boxwood is best, though cheaper alternatives such as lemonwood and engraving plastic are now used.
The block is rolled up with ink (on its top surface) and printed onto paper. The cuts that were made into the wood therefore come out as white, the remaining top surface which gets inked, as black; the artist is, in effect, drawing with light – with a white mark as opposed to the black mark that comes from a pencil, brush or pen. Most wood engravings tend to be closely worked and relatively small because the tools used are finely pointed
Example of a wood engraving
'he Shambles, York' is included in the 87th Annual Exhibition by the Society of Wood Engravers.
Venues.
February 4th -23rd Bankside Gallery, London
1st March - 21st April MAKE Southwest, Bovey Tracey
6th May - 16th August Kirkby Gallery, Merseyside
18th October - 8th November Zillah Bell Gallery, Thirsk
All prints will be available from the SWE website:-
Etching
Etching is an intaglio printmaking process in which lines or areas are incised using acid into a metal plate in order to hold the ink. In etching, the plate can be made of iron, copper, or zinc. To prepare the plate for etching, it is first polished to remove all scratches and imperfections from the surface. When the surface is completely smooth, it is covered evenly with a layer of acid-resistant varnish or wax, which is called the ground
Using a blunt stylus called an etching needle, the printmaker gently scratches away parts of the ground following the design, thereby exposing the metal beneath. Once the entire design has been drawn into the ground, the plate is lowered into a bath of Nitric Acid. The length of time the plate is emersed in acid the deeper the incision. Using an acid resistant paint certain areas or lines can be 'stopped out', the plate is dipped again and any lines exposed will be bitten deeper and so hold more ink.
The next process is called aquatint. A fine layer of resin is laid on the plates surface, heat is applied to the underside and the resin will melt and stick to the plate. Using 'stop out varnish' any areas that are to remain white are 'stopped out', once dry the plate is dipped in the acid. This process is often carried out several times at varying lengths of time to create the tonal quality the artist requires on the image. The plate is now ready to print.
Once cleaned of resin, the plate is now polished. And is ready for printing.
In an intaglio process, the ink is retained in the incised lines. A cloth ball, cardboard tab, or equivalent material is used to gently spread ink across the whole face of the plate; the same material is used to remove most of the excess ink from the surface. The plate is further cleaned using a tarlatan rag (heavily starched cheesecloth).
As a last measure, printmakers often use the sides of their hand to wipe away the last bits of ink. In certain cases, a printmaker can choose not to clean the plate entirely, but to leave a thin layer of ink on the plate to create tone.
An etching press looks a little like an old washing mangle, a large metal plank (bed) is fed between two rollers, by winding the handle the 'bed' moves between the rollers. Once inked the plate is laid face up on the bed of the press, damp handmade paper is placed over the plate, three felt blankets are next placed over the paper and printing commences. Once through the press, the blankets are peeled back to view the print, blankets help force the paper into the minute incisions, the image has now been transferred to the paper.
One characteristic of an etching is that the printing process leaves a 'plate mark', indentions in the paper the exact shape of the etched plate.
The plate has to be re inked by hand every time.
Lino prints
Linocut, also known as lino-print, lino-printing or linoleum art, is a printmaking technique, a variant of woodcut in which a sheet of linoleum (sometimes mounted on a wooden block) is used for a relief surface. A design is cut into the linoleum surface with a sharp knife, V-shaped burin, with the raised (uncarved) areas representing a reversal (mirror image) of the parts to show printed. The linoleum sheet is inked with a roller and then impressed onto paper or fabric. The actual printing can be done by hand or with a printing press.
Multi coloured lino-prints are created by using several sheets of lino, each inked in different colours and printed, often overprinting one colour on top of another.
Printing Press
Michael owns four printing presses from the 19th Century which he uses to print his etchings, lino prints and wood engravings. One of them ( shown above) This particular press (above) was made in 1869 by Harrild & Sons. Originally purchased by the Failsworth Free Press just outside of Manchester. He purchased this press in 2014 and is a table top folio foulscap, Albion press, he is the third owner of the press.
'Keepers cottage' an example of an etching
An example of a lino print.
Editions
An edition is a number of prints struck from one plate. A limited edition is a fixed number of pieces produced on the understanding that no further copies will be produced later. The Artist before commencing printing will set the edition number to be printed. These are normally signed and numbered by the artist to show the unique number of that impression and the total edition size.Signing the edition, underneath the print, the edition number on the left, followed by the title of the work and finally on the right-hand side the artist's signature. So, 20 /50 denotes that the particular print being viewed is the twentieth print in an edition of fifty.
A.P. or Artist's proof, this is usually 10% of the total edition. Historically, these artist's proofs were the artists own copies to distribute to friends/ collectors of their work.