This blog includes all the work I am producing for my online printmaking course: Diploma in Fine Art Printmaking which I started in February 2017 and I am st!ill doing this course – it’s now July 2018. I’ve exhibited 3 prints so far this year: one in Teesside, one in Trowbridge, Wiltshire and one in the Arts Depot in north London
Having spent many years doing photography I want to be more creative and printmaking is a good way to do that – it is not easy and requies you to really think about how to create an image.
The Course contents are as follows:
- Module 1: Studio Space and Materials : I have created a studio space in my office where I also teach English so I have to be clean and organised and I cannot leave prints drying when I am teaching! I need to buy a print drying rack next. I have a nice space to work and store prints in a small plan chest from Ikea, but soon I will need a new plan chest and who knows where I will store it!
I was bought a wall mounted drying rack for Christmas and I have created space in my studio/office for it. No more hanging prints up with pegs on string.
- Module 2: Drawing for Print, Research and Study : More on this starting in January 2018 when a group of about 500 of us start the sketchbook challenge for 30 days.
- Module 3: Monoprinting 1 : In this unit I made large decorated papers for book covers, using various tools, printmaking ink and I also used the paper to cover books
- Monoprinting 4: Monoprinting 2: I used some of the prints to make a bookwork
Module 4: Multi colour Monoprinting : see slide show above
- Module 5: Collograph and Found Object Painting : I haven’t really had a go at this yet as I need to go to the print studio to print these. I will be doing more of this in 2018 as I now have a membership to a print studio. Now in 2018 I have access to a studio and have produced two major collographs; one of which is on show this year.
- Module 6: Linocut
- Module 7: Woodcut : this is a two plate woodcut, the background was printed first and then the tree was printed on top by hand, no press
The Tree That Wanted to Fly: Two plate woodcut
I am not very good at colour in prints. I find black and white easier! I will have to start painting the image before I decide on which inks to print.
I will be ptinting the tree on top in black. I think it needs some green in the base and some more depth in the sky – maybe some navy blue. The wood I am using is sold at Intaglio printmaking shop in London and is easy to cut and does not blunt your tools, it has two sides you can use both. It is also thin and prints okay but it soaks up the ink. I am using Zerkall and Lotkha paper. Later I’ll try some japanese papers which they sell at Intaglio.
- Module 8: Advanced Relief Printing: Lino Prints: single colour, multi plate prints and reduction prints
- Module 9: Experimental Relief Printmaking : not done yet
- Module 10: Drypoint
- Module 11: Screen Printing : not done yet, I don’t like this process!
- Module 12: Wood Engraving : not done yet. I have done some wood cuts but I don’t have the tools to do engraving and they are too expensive
- Module 13: Presenting your prints and what’s next?
- Assignments
Gandha's Creativity Blog 