Printmaking Workshop

Printmaking Workshop

Following on from the print introduction, we were invited to do an advanced printmaking workshop that took place over several weeks. Each week we experimented with different techniques that we could then take further into our studio work or exhibition. Starting off with the basics we etched a design and pressed it threw the roller, very basic but a good way of reproducing a drawing or experimenting with a design before printing. On the second week we moved on to intaglio where we had to make textures and use found items to get a relief pattern after it being pressed. I found this method to be a  good use of recycling and meant unused items find a new purpose. For example I made an abstract collage out of the small wooden pieces that come along with canvas's that I never find use for. They came out showing texture through the grain and would be ideal to experiment with further. However, as with all experimenting somethings don't work out, I tried using scrunched up newspaper to create texture, but it didn't come out as I expected. The next week we finally experimented with print screening. Going through the process and all the options we could take further into our studio work. From using foils to layers and velvet, there are so many ways of recreating the same piece. before the next week we were asked to draw or find an image to print using the techniques we had learnt over the weeks. Going along with the theme of water mythology for the exhibition I saw this as an opportunity to begin making and testing out ideas. In response I created this sea goddess that I then produced and repeated on the print screens with different colours, backgrounds, layers and metalics which then gave it the appearance of it being valuable, as if it was hand painted by worshipers, like in many religions. Creating illustrations of their gods in golds and rare materials shows their importance. It gave me the idea to transfer the Goddess on to a detailed book that I found in an antics store, but the result didn't show off the details in the piece so kept all my experiments and I'm planning on exhibiting them as a collection.