drypoint explorations

Exploring along the rocks
dry point print with hand colouring
2024
artist proof 

Luna Moth
drypoint
2025

working on copper for the first time, plate progress so far

The past couple of months I have been spending time focusing on the creation of more drypoint based prints, using both unconventional and traditional surfaces to draw into using etching needles and blades.

The print with the red fox was made from a square shape plate cut from tetra-pak packaging. It was cut from the front panel from a larger than juice box sized container that was originally used for keeping coffee in. The shiny silver interior surface is the side that is used. I realized that the thin plate could be problematic getting ink transfer during printing. A fellow printmaker suggested the plate could be attached onto a mount board. The plate was spray adhesive mounted onto an equal size piece of scrap mat board I have saved in a tote.

I made the drawing in fine line marker on the surface of the plate (by looking at the original pencil sketch I had made and repeating the image sketching freehand. I didn't put in fine detail though at this initial stage. I first wanted to get main shapes established then work in and out from these regions of the image.

 I then not only over the fine marker line with the drypoint needle but also started doing the detailing with a diamond tip needle and another I made from a this small sewing needle with an attached handle.

drawing on plate (reverse image) made visible

by wiping akua ink into the lines

progression with drypoint marking and then etching ink

was wiped into the recessed line

first proof on paper 

Luna Moth began as a sketch on paper that I then set under a thin piece of  2mm clear acrylic sheet and used as a guide for incising the surface with drypoint needles and tip of a scalpel and x-acto blade. It was printed on 250 gm white rag with Cranfield Safewash carbon black ink. 

At the present time I have been doing transfer of a fine point marker study in my coil sketchbook onto the surface of a small polished copper plate. Copper is new to me. My experience back in intaglio etching class in art college was with zinc plate. I am enjoying the process and have been using a very small scrap piece to practice and refine the drypoint markings I would like to use.

I will follow up this post again soon with photos and observations when I have printed the plate. 

kayaking theme - drypoint

 

Kayaking
drypoint with additional hand colouring
9 x 9.5 cm
2024
edition size of 20

Above is pictured a new work which again explores a activity that is near and dear to me, that being kayaking and also canoeing.

It is a study of the relationship between the paddler and their surroundings and the view you might experience from out on the water.

I used a square piece of thin acrylic plate (it is used for covering art in frames instead of heavier glass) and the thickness is about half of what standard plexiglass (perspex for you followers of my blog from outside N. America). I cut the plate myself using a special cutting knife used to score and snap plastic. I then very carefully filed the edges to a 45 degree bevel (using a moderately toothy file) and then ran a piece of extra fine emery nail file to remove any striations in the bevel left by the metal file.

The surface markings on the plate were a combination of direct line drawing and textural dot detailing created using stiple of the etching needle tip (most apparent in the foreground). 

I wiped the plate using Cranfield safewash carbon black relief printing ink. The work was printed onto a piece of 250 gm Arches white rag using an etching press with felt blankets and manually advancing the press bed with the plate and paper under the pressure of the set top roller.

print on paper just off press bed post-printing

tetra-pak for drypoint printmaking

Larger size coffee tetra-pak container 

I have accumulated a good collection of newer tetra-pak coffee containers over the past couple of years. Although I am not a coffee drinker myself my better half consumes several cups of the brew daily and favours a particular brand that is packaged in these large containers. 

I discovered a larger container on the market being used by some supermarket chains to replace plastic or metal coffee tins. These are an ideal source for tetra-pak plates that can give you a slightly larger area than those cut from the containers that are used for liquids.

I figured out a way to dissect the containers after the ground coffee was exhausted so decided to post a photo image tutorial of the process I use to create a range of plate sizes from the foil and paperboard interior surface. It can be a bit tricky as the container has rounded continuous corners. But I was able to dissect the packaging using some simple logic and careful steady cutting.

Tip: do your cutting on a surface that isn't going to be an issue if cut marks show up in it. I used a self-healing cutting mat.

The photos are in sequence and illustrate how to cut plates from this type of container.

1. Using a sharp retractable knife or scissors cut away the pull lid that is attached on the left side. This doesn't have the foil liner for this so you can either use it for other artistic purposes or put into recycle bin. 

2. unfold the curled in edge on the bottom of the container.  

3. Carefully cut and remove the bottom piece (that is lined with foil on the underside). 

This can be used for a small square print plate.

4. cut along the seam on the side of the container

5. Now for the tricky part. This requires a bit of patience and skillful cutting.

Don't apply too much pressure while pushing down on the container as you don't want to inflict creasing into the sections you are intending to use. I cut a section at a time and set each one aside until the entire container has been dissected.

6. Once you have all the sections cut away you can focus on trimming away the pieces where the lid on top and bottom were joined to the container body.

7. I chose to square off all the edges. The single container yielded 2 larger plates, one mid size and a smaller square and 2 narrower rectangular pieces. The largest plate measures 12.5 x 16 cm.

Here are two test prints I made off a couple of the tetra-pak plates. I used an etching needle on both. Akua prussian blue intaglio ink was wiped back on the horizontal plate shown on top in the photo below. The other plate I trimmed the edges in spots to give it more of a free form. Akua pthalo blue and green were wiped into the surface then both plates were printed using an etching press onto Magnani 250 gsm dampened cotton rag paper.

New magnification lamp and a couple new prints

the work table where I engrave with tools & new magnification lamp 

I recently treated myself to an early Christmas present after doing some online research for a new portable magnification lamp after the older unit I had been using stop working.

Came across this model (attached to my engraving work table in the above photo) in online retailer Amazon 

It met all the criteria I was seeking (those being a minimum 10X magnification, good price point, portability, LED lamp (this one offered 5 types of light settings and these could be dimmed or the brightness intensified depending on the need). It also included free shipping which was a plus. The unit came with an adapter to plug into a conventional wall plug and could also be connected directly into a computer or other USB port to power it.

What a treat it is to work now with 10x magnification through the lens. The older lamp magnifier was only 5X. 

The small engraved wood relief print shown below was created using the new lamp to engrave a block from a drawing that I adapted to a small piece of boxwood end-grain. 

"Kindness"
relief print from engraved wood block

sketch using fine point marker pen

tracing on vellum (reverse orientation) & image transfer to block surface 

block, leather sandbag and engraving tools

this photo shows the block size compared
to the size of the palm of my hand

print on paper, block on registration sheet on my press bed.
The white bars (laminated mdf cut offs) are used as runners
that help balance the top roller during printing.
These are very close in height to the boxwood block

Both prints reflect the theme of winter. The first of the two new print images I made (see below) was a linocut. It is a study based on an afternoon of snowshoeing that I participated in several seasons back. Both prints were printed onto Somerset velvet warm white 250 gm rag paper. I used Cranfield safewash black relief printing ink and both images were printed using an etching press roller. 

A special registration set up was made on the press bed that allowed me to use the press usually delegated for intaglio processes but to print both relief based surfaces.

Winter trail
linocut 

both images are available for purchase through my Etsy shop

continuation with relief based engraving

 

Wild Blueberries
hand-coloured resingrave relief print

During the summer I had some opportunities to continue adapting some of my small sketches onto both real end-grain wood surface (maple) and some older blocks of synthetic resingrave. 

Wild blueberries was based on my experiences in my region of the world where the mid to late summer these plants native to this region produce a lot of berries that the local fauna and many humans feast on. I also wanted to develop my skills with the engraving tools to create texture, lines and shapes in the composition that would be interesting and have a visual impact.

pencil sketch made on surface of a 6 x 9 cm (2.4 x 3.5 inches) rectangular resingrave block

permanent black marker traced over top of the pencil marks

inked rolled onto block surface to reveal progress while engraving

further engraving progress 

final proof in black oil based relief printing ink made onto 250 gsm white cotton rag paper

I also created three more engravings using 1.27 (1/2 inch) thick maple end-grain blocks that were gifted to me by a master engraver friend.

Two of these became exclusive hand-printed cards for my parents as a gift from me to them in honour of their 65th wedding anniversary. I printed and hand-coloured 10 of each design. The blueberries theme was repeated in a smaller print. I also used a rural landscape sketch made during a previous visit to the region where they reside. The blueberries would remind them of an earlier time in their lives when they met in this region and as a child was an annual tradition to head outdoors in August to pick berries for pies from nearby wilderness locales. 

pencil sketch on maple end-grain. I shaved back the top and right side edge to square the image.

dusting baby powder onto the surface to reveal engraving markings

black oil ink proof on paper

hand-coloured print 

Wellington County hand-coloured engraving 

engraved block progress proof

Dogwood
engraving with hand colouring

Completing an engraving started in 2009

View
single colour engraving (from resingrave block)
image size: 4.5 x 6 cm (1 5/8 x 2 3/8 in)

 I was recently organizing some of my artist materials to a more centralized storage system and happened upon a small sized block of resingrave (synthetic coating that is fused in a thin layer to a mdf substrate that makes it type set height). On the surface of the block was a sketch I had made of a sparrow balanced on top of several wildflower branch heads. The block itself measures 4.5 x 6 cm.

At the time I had only progressed to the rough sketch and decided this might be too small for an image to continue. But as fate would have it other things soon took priority and the block was set aside and then put into storage. Last week I was going to begin another new work but when I discovered the block I decided to focus instead on it. I had since that time acquired a good full spectrum combo lamp-5X magnification swing arm unit that allows me to work on blocks that would become small detail engravings.

In the above photo the sketch was traced over using a waterproof fine liner marker. The top area surrounding the bird (sparrow) has been cut away using several engraving blades.

The block is set on a leather sand bag while engraving which allows me to turn both it and block and raises it to a good visible working height under my magnification lamp.. 

block with background cleared
and the early stages of adding details 

print from the open edition with addition
of wash & pigment using a small paint brush

I will print this as an open edition. Some of these will also find a little colour added to them