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Acrylics on wood panel, Part 2

December 17th, 2014 | Add your Feedback (2) share on twitter share on facebook ^_^...

Night forest No.1, Session 2

This is the second part. For part one please see Acrylics on wood panel, Part 1.

Using glazing techniques on wood panels, there is no way to overpaint or fix outlines later, so it’s a good idea let the panel rest at least overnight or better a couple of days.

I started the second session by following the outlines with Fluid Acrylics in black and white.

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7) Following outlines with Fluid Acrylics (black and white) thinned with Acrylics Flow Release. (Use with care!)

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8) Setting lights and shadows in black and white glazing layers. Repeat in layers.

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9) Slowly adding more glazing layers in colours. Repeat in layers and sand in between. “Fix” with thin glazing layers using Polymer Medium (Gloss)

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10) Once happy with the overall colour and shape it’s time to add the final outlines using Fluid Acrylics in black and white. I add these in layers as well until the final highlights stand out.  

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11) Again, let it rest for a week or so.

12) Decide on final glazing or varnish.

Tada! Done.

Acrylics on wood panel, Part 1

December 3rd, 2014 | Add your Feedback (2) share on twitter share on facebook ^_^...

Night forest No.1, Session 1

This is the first part. For part two please see Acrylics on wood panel, Part 2.

It’s not really session 1. There was much sketching and revising on paper beforehand. But this is not what this post is about ^_^.* I am not even sure what this post is about (to be honest) … other than this strange thing that happens when you re-start.

There were many things getting in my (creative) way since “The Fox and the Wolf“—the House, the new studio, winter, work… stuff…

And then one late afternoon there is all of a sudden an empty canvas – well, in my case a recycled plywood panel, but that sounds less … not “poetic”, this is not a poem, … less “something” – in front of you, your tools are arranged around you (and yes, that really important glazing medium has dried out, but on this afternoon it’s not the end of the world), and the image hovers just around the edges of your consciousness, and you know it’s that time.

Time to enter the Night Forest and see what the guys are up to…

1) Recycled plywood board, sanded and cleaned, leaving ‘uneven patches’ (layers of old stains).

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2) Base layers using Fluid Acrylics thinned with GAC-500 Extends Fluid Acrylics (Golden – there is not much else available in New Zealand… ). Let each layer dry completely, before applying the next one**.

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2a) Adding glazing layers using Polymer Medium (gloss)

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3) Turn panel from time to time to paint back with Gesso to avoid bending

4) More layers until the starlit night just shines through…

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5) Transfer outline onto panel.

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6) Knowing when it is time to step back and go to bed…

… to be continued soon …

 

*) There is never a session 1 in (my) creative process anyways. There are just loose ends floating around, and if I am lucky I can catch one… But this is not what this post is about either.

**) Writing useless blogpost between the layers dry is optional…

In the (new) minu Print Studio #2

April 8th, 2014 | Add your Feedback (0) share on twitter share on facebook ^_^...

My first experiments with mono print (…it was high time to try something new). Once you get a handle on the inks this is fun, and no press needed!

mono print photo walk through

Printing shadow rabbit – mono print, 1 colour

There are quite a few different mono print techniques. The term mono print defines that only one print is taken from the plate; it does not define the way you get the ink on the plate (or the paper). I chose to ‘paint’ onto a perspex sheet and to transfer the print onto the paper using a roller.

1) Choosing the ink

It took me a while to make it work*. You have to work on the plate for some time and the thin layer of ink draws quickly. I tried a couple of different inks and paints, in the end I used screen printing ink (water based) and thinned it with screen printing medium (the medium extends the time you can work on the plate). The screen printing ink can be rolled, painted and wiped away easily.

You can also use open acrylics and an open thinner, in a way that’s the same thing…

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In the (new) minu Print Studio #1

April 1st, 2014 | Add your Feedback (3) share on twitter share on facebook ^_^...

If you didn’t print for a while it is very likely that your first attempt might not work out the way you planned. Especially if you start in a new printing environment. So I successfully procrastinated my first print session in the studio until today. (Plus I only found the spokes for  my printing press yesterday… in a box labelled ‘bits and bobs’… *sigh.)

Anyway! Today was the day and what better than to print some Wolfs.

Printing Wolfs – 3 colour drypoint in one go.

1) Set-up workspace and review notes (precondition: you actually took notes during the proofs or first part of the edition ^_^…)

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How to: Multi Colour Drypoint Etching – One Plate, One Go

May 14th, 2010 | Add your Feedback (2) share on twitter share on facebook ^_^...

This is a follow up post on my tutorial about Drypoint etchings (…›‘How To: Drypoint on Perspex (Plexi-glass)’ ). This post describes how to apply different ink layers onto one plate to print various colours in one go. I use this technique in the ‘Afternoon Tea’ and ‘Miyu’ series. The plate is inked using Charbonel oil based etching inks, the plate is pulled using a professional etching press on Hahnemühle etching paper and now … the interesting bit ^_^ …

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Miyu Shhh… No. 6

First colour layer

The plate is prepared like discribed in ‘#1 Transferring the artwork onto the plate’ keeping in mind that various colours will be used. For the Miyu prints all the lines should be black, so I cover the plate with black ink first, making sure that the ink reaches down into the incised lines. I carefully wipe the surface ink from the plate using gauze.

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How To: Drypoint on Perspex (Plexi-glass)

November 24th, 2009 | Add your Feedback (22) share on twitter share on facebook ^_^...

There a million different approaches to drypoint printmaking. This post describes one approach. There are different schools and different characters. Rumor has it that you can’t print with water based colours and a book press. Actually I can ^_^…

This post was first published on The Lighthouse Kepper’s Cat (my general musings) on January 15th, 2009.

Background: Relief and intaglio printmaking

Traditional printmaking techniques like drypoint or etching enables an artist or print maker to print a certain amount of prints (edition) from a handmade plate. The plates are inked and the ink is transfered from either the surface (relief printmaking e.g. woodcut or linocut) or the incised lines (intaglio printmaking e.g. etching or drypoint) onto paper using a printing press.

In drypoint printmaking an image is incised into a plate with a hard-pointed “needle”. Traditionally the plate was copper, but today plexi-glass is commonly used.

#8 Ink Setup

Advantages of using Perspex or Plexiglas

  • The Material is cheaper than copper or zinc plates.
  • The plates are easily cut into the right size.
  • You can see your sketch through the plate.
  • You can see the inked areas through the plate.

Three Steps

Intaglio printmaking processes follows three steps.

  • #1 ‘Transferring’ the artwork onto the plate
  • #2 Inking and wiping
  • #3 Printing the artwork onto paper

Materials needed

For step#1 Transferring…

  • Your Sketch :-)
  • 2mm clear Perspex or Plexiglas
  • Ruler and cutting knife
  • Sandpaper or a file
  • Marker (fine line)
  • Etching needle

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