more printing: collagraph

I forgot to update on the last of my "Introduction to Printmaking" classes, largely because I wasn't particularly thrilled by the outcome. It's no great secret that I am more wannabe illustrator than having any real pretensions to being a fine artist, and hence am really not very good with anything too abstract*.



So I wasn't too enamoured of this particular technique, collagraph, as it's mostly good for textural abstract or semi-abstract pieces. This is my favorite of the five that I made (it's one panel of this group of four) but I'm not crazy about it. I like the gloomy atmosphere but annoyed that I haven't cleaned enough ink off of the plate before printing. Of course the second imprint didn't have enough ink and I didn't feel enthusiastic enough about the image to try for a third impression.

It's quite a long-winded technique for a relief** printing method: a block is made up by collaging textural materials (I used PVA glue, carborundum grit, sandpaper, paper cutouts, vinyl wallpaper and dead leaves) onto mounting board. The collage is then coated in shellac to waterproof it and left to dry for a week. Ink is then applied to the block and rubbed off to leave the high areas white and is retained by the low areas. Damp paper is then applied to the top and the whole thing run through the press to lift the ink from the low areas. So it took me a fortnight to get these. It is possible to get actually nice results using this technique if you know what you are doing, but I don't think I'll be trying it again in a hurry.

*i.e. isn't a picture of a beetle
** actually I'm not really sure if this is relief or intaglio or a mix of the two...