Making a Polymer Plate for Photogravure (video)

A plate-making overview.


based on the workflow in the book
Making Photogravures with Polymer Plates

Game Lights on a Winter Night

photogravure (polymer)

working proof (first print, needs some cleaning)

4" x 6"

Foggy moon behind the trees

photogravure (polymer)

4"x6"

working proof (some grit from sanding still on the surface of the plate, the edges are not totally smooth for editioning yet; essentially it's one of the first two prints to see if the plate is good.  The tone in the sky will be much smoother once the plate is cleaned.) 

Captain Awesome

paper plane

4" x 6" photogravure

Raven

4" x 6" photogravure

Snow Angel

4" x 6" photogravure

Dam Stairs (updated)

This is the first version of this photogravure (km73 polymer).  It's a little flat for my taste so I have reworked the digital version.  I like how dark it is, and think that the problem is that I applied the normal adjustment curve to an image that doesn't have many subtle gradients.  I think that the new transparency will have very little adjustment curve (just a bit to keep a separation between 80 & 90%).  High contrast and scratchy is the aesthetic of this industrial image so the characteristics of the sensitive KM73 plate will be perfect for it.

 

-------------------------------------

Update August 1, 2013

 

Different transparency, different UV exposure unit with different times, different (new) plate makes lots of difference....  ; )

 

This is good because the original capture (and what pulled me to take the photo) showed the linear highlights that danced around a dingy environment.  It was like an low-key HDR image right in front of me, in real life, without a bunch of digital tweaking.  I suppose that industrial settings can do that.

 

Daisies or Black Eyed Susans?

The fun with monochrome is that you really have to know the difference between the two while not relying on color differences.  

Rudbeckia Hirta

Inking a la squeegee

Multi-color intaglio prints that use only one plate require extra care to prepare, wipe, and print.  Normally this is associated with inking "a la poupee" ("with the doll"), in which each color is applied with small hand-made "dolls" of tarlatan; one for each color.  I prefer to use squeegee cutoffs; whether they are cardboard or plastic.  So, since this water lilly was not prepared with little tarlatan dolls, but with little pieces of squeegee, then I consider it inked "a la squeegee".  

White Water Lily
(nymphaea odorata, nymphaea tuberosa)

Did You Hear?

or some such reference to a tree falling in the woods.......   (not quite sure what to name this intaglio polymer photogravure print)

A tree falling in the woods makes me think of the internet (bear with me a moment here).  A solitary tree, when it falls (or is felled), will make a noise.  The philosophical question is about whether or not anyone notices the noise, thus has their attention drawn to the event of the tree falling.  Imagine a deep forest, with many trees, and very few distractions.  Surely you'd hear a tree falling.  Now imagine the internet.  Millions of people are "heard" everyday, but do they really exist?  Or, is the white noise loud enough to deafen everyone else to the sound of a single tree falling?  I suppose if one were to pay close attention, then the tree would be noticed.

So, the book.  I'm waiting for some supplies to arrive this week.  While I wait, I'm going into the woods for a few days.  I might as well listen to the trees for a while, before I am called back to the cacophony of "civilization" that houses my studio space.  A step away from documenting and writing about this (polymer) photogravure process will give me the time to remember some things that I may find the need to include.  It will also allow me the space to figure out which steps are superfluous and which are important to think about and have while learning this process.  When I think about it now, this will be a good thing.

photomechanical printing book update

Working hard to keep this first edition affordable, I think that I can keep the price to $20 (or less, depending on the final edit size).

Instruction photos that are finished:
*  Photoshop and printing a transparency with an inkjet printer
*  Exposing the KM73 plate to a stochastic screen, image transparency, washout and heat setting.
*  Preparing plate, paper, and ink for printing.
*  Printing
*  Cleanup

I need to re-shoot some processes at the end of this week:
*  Finding a base exposure time for the stochastic screen and transparency.
*  Home made step wedge to make workflow-specific adjustment curves.
*  Some problem plates for a troubleshooting section.

One decision that I have to make soon:
*  What is the title of the book?

"Altered" show

October 5 - 31
http://www.submitartimages.com/show/6/gallery/

at Open Shutter Gallery
735 Main Avenue
Durango, CO 81301

Juried by Mark Sink

I won't be there for the opening reception
(October 5 from 5 - 9 pm),
but I'm happy to be included in the show at such a great gallery,
and psyched that I'll be in town a week later,
so will be able to see all the beautiful work that was selected.

(here is the photogravure of mine that will be included
titled "Winter Canyon"

Washington Printmakers Gallery

15th Annual National Small Works show
August 1 - 26, 2012
http://washingtonprintmakers.com/exhibitions/2012/15th-annual-national-small-works
accepted two of my sepia photogravures this year:
"Havasu" and "Winter Canyon"
http://artandwater.smugmug.com/Other/Grand-Canyon-Gravure/23034401_vqCsZB#!i=1853015620&k=nNj2Qww

Opening Reception on Saturday, August 4 at 1pm


"Winter Canyon"

25 days left

for the Grand Canyon Gravure project.

Backers who participate on the $75 level can choose
from several options of hand-made cyanotypes
that have a direct connection to the photogravures.

The images are approx. 8x10 on 11x14 inch paper,
greatly opening up your framing options,
and making it easier to protect and enjoy your art collection.

(these are just two examples of the choices you'll have when you decide to participate)

more can be see at the 0:49 mark of this YouTube video http://youtu.be/GSiUtzT5Kz4

The 12 completed gravures

The cyanotype choices

Stone Voices

"The ease of digital photography, with its ability to collect thousands of images rapidly, seems as personal as the thousands of "friends" in the online world. My exploration of historical photographic processes have let me slow down and work with images that are like close friends. The photogravure process demands thorough knowledge of several different workflows, most of which are manual, intimate techniques of creating an image. The process is slow, and allows time for me to get to know the image like a good friend. The final steps of inking, wiping, and printing are like a pat on the back, a handshake, and the revelation of something that only a close relationship can give."

I wrote that when I sent my images in to Stone Voices for (hopeful) participation in the "Inspired By Joy" Summer Issue. I like the premise of the art and literary journal, starting with their tag line (mission statement?), "Connecting Art and Spirit". Each issue is a (mostly) juried competition in which visual artists send in their work with a statement, then writers create work based on the journey the visual work inspires. The collaboration is remote, but the connection is real.

Hopefully someone is inspired enough by my work to write something wonderful.

(I don't think that my work has a link off any of the pages yet, but I was playing with Google Images and what do you know?... there they were, waiting to inspire writers who enter the juried competition)

disclaimer (clarification by expansion): I do enjoy digital photography. I participate heavily. My comments are an explanation of WHY I have been drawn to an older process. Slowing down has a different aesthetic than the fast-paced, instant-gratification world that surrounds us. And, I won't say that it is more or less beautiful. It's just that the beauty is different.

Here is the full gallery with all the artists for writers' viewing.

How To make a plate with photopolymer for safe(er) aquatint printing

(the original drawing was made by Marie Roberts bitterwonder.com)

I'm looking for feedback on this photo sequence.
So you need another photo to make the process clear?
What questions do you have about any photo?
Leave a comment and I'll get back to you (and this will help me fine tune how to teach this process)

woodcut, etching, or drawing...

this, obviously, is a drawing. I often draw with printmaking techniques in mind; not so much as an intention to make a study for a print, but woodcuts and etchings are a favorite medium of mine because of the resulting aesthetic. Therefore, the techniques are in the back of my mind when drawing.

James in color

since it was designed as a black and white wood cut originally it has a "colorized" effect to it. I enjoy the difference between design problems in black and white versus color. What really works for me is the awkwardness that exists between these two approaches when they are smashed together. I see it a lot in the advertising and design world (tons of overlap in those two worlds), and I suspect it's because our ability to reproduce "natural" colors has become so exceptionally easy and many people have great affinity for either older technology or a more rough aethetic. Just look at the continuing popularity of Andy Warhol's screen prints. Their beauty is in their appearance of awkwardness, and the implication that the artist only cared just enough to slap them togehter (though I strongly suspect Andy knew what he was doing more than he cared to talk about)




This one is my favorite of the four. No particular reason other than I like the colors.

I only made four because I was seeing how much I could get away with, adding multiple plates to the process, without betting too technical. I feel that the more reliable I get with color matching, and registration, the closer I get to becoming a human "production machine". This form of printmaking lends itself to (and was invented to) make production runs of images that look the same. But, I enjoy playing with the space between one-of-a-kind image making, and mass-produced replication.

t shirts are fun to make

so I thought I'd crank out a screen with my friend's kayak company logo on it and make myself a new shirt
I'll make some more of these for my friends with whatever colors they want.
There are also some ready-made ready to go shirts at the online store

my use of printmaking terminology

the world of printmaking can seem vague and mysterious to many people. What is a print? That's the easy part. It's just something that has been printed. So what makes prints different from each other? The printmaking techniques and the amount of prints actually made are the major considerations. Here are some that I use.

ETCHING is a process in which something "bites" into a plate to create small pockets (usually lines) in which printing ink is placed. Usually this is done with some kind of acid on a metal plate. The plate goes through an inking process, then run through a press to actually press the ink onto a piece of paper.

AQUATINT is a special etching process in which rosin is melted onto the metal plate to create an acid resistent layer. Since the rosin is spread across the plate like dust, the acid burns into the metal (in the spaces between the tiny flecks of melted rosin) with a grainy effect. This allows the printmaker to create field of a tone instead of just lines.

BLOCK PRINT is a print made from a block of wood, linoleum, styrofoam, or any substance that can be carved/cut and have ink applied to it for printing. The ink, in this case, is spread on top of the surface (and not allowed to get into the carved out sections) before being either run through a press with paper. A more traditional method of printing with a block is to just lay the paper on top of the printed block and rub the paper by hand to make sure the ink is evenly transferred to the paper.

EDITION a group of prints from the same plate/block (or set of plates/blocks) that make the same image

OPEN EDITION is an edition that has an undetermined number of prints in it. In theory, an printmaker could make prints in an open edition until the printing block/plate is worn out. In actual practice is usually means that an artist will make prints until he/she is tired of making them or the public demand diminishes. Sometimes blocks do break, and there is a very limited life span for metal plates.

CLOSED or LIMITED EDITION is an edition in which a limited number of prints are made. An artist could make two prints, or two thousand, depending on the durability of the plate/block and how much time the artist could invest in printing the same image. But, the edition is still "limited" to a certain number of prints and "closed" when that number is determined and printed. At that point the printing block/plate is either destroyed or modified in a way that more prints cannot be made with it.

IMAGE SIZE this is the size of the printed image. Often there is extra paper surrounding the image during the printmaking process which is not included in the size of the image. Often, prints are framed with the surrounding "extra" paper still in tact because it presents a pleasant border around the image. Usually the artist's signature is within this border so that it does not interfere with the image itself.
As an example, I have just printed a series of images of a wave,and the actual inked/printed part measures about 5 inches by 5 inches. It has been printed on 11 inch by 14 inch paper. The paper has been trimmed down to be 9 inches by 9 inches so that it can fit inside a square frame. When framed the 5 x 5 image is in the center of a 9 x 9 piece of paper. It leaves a nice 2 inch border around the printed image.