Month: July 2020

Schmincke Gloss Medium can be used to add a glossy finish to your prints. We tested the medium in a few different ways to see how the results that can be achieved.

Gloss Medium can be added into Schmincke inks to produce a finish with a sheen that is more like an oil-based ink. Combining ink with and without Gloss Medium in a multi-layered print could create interesting textures.

We also tested printing the Gloss Medium over the top of prints. In the image below, we printed undiluted Gloss Medium which is uncoloured over the top of a plain black print. The results (although hard to photograph!) create an interesting finish with contrasts between the matte and glossy surfaces.

We also tried printing a flat layer of gloss medium underneath a print. The colourless Gloss Medium creates a slightly sheeny finish to the paper to peep through gaps in prints. This works well under Schmincke Ink as well as Caligo Safewash ink.

Want to have a go? Gloss Medium can be found here with the Schmincke Inks.

I’m a Bristol based illustrator and designer with a love of bold colour. I am an advocate for diverse representation, challenging taboos and stereotypes. My work comments on recurring social issues in modern society.

How and where did you learn to print?

I learnt to print in Bristol during my time on UWE’s illustration course. The print rooms were just downstairs from my studio so I was able to nip down and spend the day experimenting. Often I won’t come out of the studio with “perfect” prints but instead ideas, tests and happy accidents that I can feed into my work outside of the print room.

Why printmaking?

For me printmaking has always been about experimentation. Blocking out that time to just play with techniques, colours and shape. I use a lot of cut collage work that heavily relies on bold shapes. Moving my screen directly around the bed to create different compositions was a fun way to capture how I work. My work has moved on in recent months from printmaking, but I think I’ve learnt a lot from it, such as the use of a limited palette, and an open mindedness to play.

Where do you work?

I’m currently back home in Oxfordshire but hoping to be back in Bristol very soon. For now I’ve set up a little studio in the spare room where I can still keep busy creating and generating ideas.

Describe a typical day in your studio.

Each day varies but I like starting the day with idea generation and sketchbook work as I tend to feel the most free in the mornings. Before moving onto things I’ve got to finish up that day.

What inspires you?

I take a lot of inspiration from Matisse’s collages and Noma Bar’s use of negative space. I also take a lot of inspiration from the things going on around me as I take a hands-on approach to both the making and the research of my projects.

What have you made that you are most proud of?

I’m a big advocate for representing social issues within my work. One of the pieces I felt was really brought to life with print techniques was my ‘Periods without Privilege series’, focusing on period poverty. It was a mixture of blind embossed period pads with collagraphed narratives and statistics into each pad. I loved experimenting with the different textures made using mono screen printing which I later used to collage with. Using a limited palette really made me utilise texture and shape more.

Where can we see your work? Where do you sell?

My full portfolio is on bethsuzanna.com, which I’m hoping to launch an online shop on very soon!

What will we be seeing from you next?

Bold, colourful and uplifting work that makes complex issues easy to digest in a playful manner!

Do you have any advice for other printmakers and creatives?

I’d always say to other creatives to make the work that you care about and that excites you. When doing this it’s easy to keep feeling inspired and motivated. For me my work comes from a place of genuine interest or experience, creating honest representations and elevating voices. When you marry this with the experimentation and play that comes naturally to you as a creative, your work will keep evolving!

Follow Beth on Instagram and Twitter or head over to her website.

We are really pleased to add rose gold to our textile foil collection. Foils add an extra shine to fabrics and work particularly well on dark coloured cloth. Read on for an easy screen printing foil project.

Start by cutting a paper stencil. 80gsm copy paper works perfectly – this is a great use of scrap paper. make sure the design fits easily within the size of the screen. We are using a small 20 x 20 cm screen. 43T mesh is perfect for printing foil adhesive. For this small screen, we are not taping the edges, just making sure the paper stencil is larger than the mesh area. If using a large screen, tape the edges so there is no gap between the stencil and the frame.

You can use a combination of stencils and masks to create the design. The paper does not need to be all one piece. Here, we are using a stencil with an infill piece to create a thin line design.

Pin the fabric onto a slightly padded surface. We are using black cotton. Lay down the stencil and then the screen on top. Pour a line of foil adhesive at the top of the screen, slightly wider than the design.

Use a squeegee at a 45′ angle to drag the adhesive down the screen. Repeat, pressing more firmly this time. We want to lay down more adhesive than we normally would with ink.

Continue to add prints to your fabric whilst the first prints dry. Do not print too much fabric at a time or the adhesive will become too dry by the time you start foiling. When finished printing, scrape any excess adhesive from the mesh and peel the stencil from the screen. Wash the screen in cool water immediately as we don’t want any adhesive drying in the mesh.

Wait for 15 minutes or until the adhesive is just touch dry. Lay the foil shiny side up on the print. Lay a sheet of grease-proof paper over the top and then iron for around 30 seconds.

When the foil has cooled, peel the sheet away from the fabric. If the design is fairly small or sparse, you can then lay the same sheet down over another area and continue to use it. Be aware, that there are now gaps in the foil sheet so be mindful of this when placing it down.

The fabric is now washable in cool water (up to approximately 40’C).

For this project you will need:

• Textile Foil in Rose Gold
• Foil Adhesive
• Aluminium 43T Screen
• Squeegee
• Copy Paper
• Fabric
• Scissors
• Padded Surface
• Pins
• Iron
• Grease-proof paper

 Hi. My name is Helen Bulmer and I am a printmaker living in Nottingham.

Describe your printmaking process.

I start with a sketch or photograph then play around with it until I’m happy with the composition. I spend quite a long time on this part. I draw it onto lino with a permanent marker to form a key block and then use a second block for the reduction. I plan the colours using gouache which I like as it is opaque so I can paint over an area easily if I feel a colour isn’t working. I usually use about 7 colours in total and print from the lightest colour finishing with the key block which will be in a dark colour though not necessarily black. Maybe purple or prussian blue which are my current favourites. I find the hardest part is getting the registration accurate.

How and where did you learn to print?

I first printed when I did screenprinting for my A level Art which I loved doing. I then completed a degree in Graphic Design during which I worked in a range of printmaking techniques although not lino! My lino printing is largely self–taught and I subsequently developed skills through my work as an Art teacher teaching mono, relief and screen print as part of our art courses.

Why printmaking?

I enjoy the process of developing a drawing into a print and the different stages that the image goes through as it becomes more stylised and simplified. I love the tactile nature of carving the lino which is quite  meditative and is probably my favourite part of the process. I always look forward to starting on a new design and as soon as I finish I’m itching to start on another. I enjoy the technical side of the process and working out how to solve problems as they arise. It’s also about that element of surprise when you pull back the paper and the print is revealed. It is only at the end when all the elements are combined that I can really see what I have produced.

Where do you work?

I’m lucky to have a workroom (bedroom) where I can leave everything out. I tend to do the planning, designing and cutting in here. I do my printing in the kitchen where I have access to water and more surface space. I have a small etching  press which has taken up permanent residence on the dining table and my drying prints are usually festooned around the room.

Describe a typical day in your studio.

I don’t have a typical day.  I always have a print on the go but the ink layers take days to dry even though I use a cobalt drier to help speed up the process. While I’m waiting I will work on one of my new designs which could be in a variety of different stages. If I see some flowers or a group of objects that look interesting I will spend time drawing or I could be planning, carving, working out colourways. As I do the messy printing in the kitchen I tend to fit my work around what else is going on.

How long have you been printmaking?

 In various ways for about 40 years! I got a lot of satisfaction from sharing printmaking techniques with my pupils, which they really enjoyed, but didn’t have the time to think about doing anything myself. It was only after I finished working that I felt I had the time and space to start to develop my own work.

What inspires you?

Mainly still life and the combination of shapes and colours in a group of objects. I’ve amassed a collection of jugs over the years and always have flowers and foliage in the house. I particularly love tulips and decorative patterned textiles and am inspired by the way Matisse uses colour and pattern. Sometimes its just an accidental combination of objects and shapes that attracts me. I also love the work of printmakers from the Grosvenor School of Art and was inspired by last years exhibition at Dulwich Gallery.

What is your favourite printmaking product?

I’ve been collecting my kit gradually over the last few years and wouldn’t want to be without any of it. My favourite product has to be my Pfeil cutters which are comfortable and lovely to handle and a revelation after having used basic equipment for so long. My best discovery has been Ternes Burton pins and tabs which are brilliant for accurate registration. I always use Caligo Safewash Inks as the colours are vibrant and they are easy to mix. The big advantage is that they are water washable which makes clearing up safer and chemical free.

 What have you made that you are most proud of?

I am always excited about each new print until I start to experience difficulties  and then my mind wanders to the next one and the excitement starts again!

Where can we see your work? Where do you sell?

I regularly post work in progress on Instagram and exhibit and sell at local events, fairs and shops. I had a number of events planned for this year which are obviously not now happening so looking forward to 2021!

What will we be seeing from you next?

I have been experimenting with repeat pattern design and am keen to develop some of my designs as repeats which I plan to have digitally printed and use on soft furnishings.

More flowers!

Do you have any advice for other printmakers and creatives?

 Don’t give up and always finish a print. It’s easy to be discouraged when things don’t worked out as planned but persevere and complete the print. Although you might achieve a different outcome to the one intended it could be a pleasant surprise and someone else might like it!

For more from Helen, head over to Instagram: @proofprintpress

I am a painter and printmaker living in Norwich. My work is about journeys; those that I take and the journey that the artwork has been on
in my studio. The textures, colours and structures of each environment dictate the development of my artwork which whilst predominately abstract are based on fleeting images, imagination and experiences. Whilst I harness a range of printmaking techniques for my works in paper I do not make editions or reproduction. Each piece is created individually as a result of incorporating elements of risk and experimentation, my creative process produces unique pieces, more akin to painting than printmaking.

Describe your printmaking process.

 I work across three printmaking processes, collagraphy which is building a plate with textures to hold the ink, drypoint which is creating lines in perspex that hold the ink and monotype, simply inking a plate, manipulating t and taking a print. I often combine all three on one piece.

How and where did you learn to print?

At Cambridge University as part of my PGCE and once I started teaching I would treat myself every summer to a week long course at Gainsborough House in Suffolk. Over the years I was taught by many great printmakers including Dale Deveraux Barker and Michael Caro. I have never stopped learning, or teaching printmaking.

Why printmaking?

I don’t like to know what is going to happen. At the point I can predict the results I get bored! So, for me the moment of lifting the paper from the plate is always an exciting one. For that reason I don’t make editions, each print is a one-off. A single piece of paper may have three process on it, and I often hand colour the prints or add collage elements so it would be impossible to repeat! In many ways my prints can be seen as paintings, built in layers each layer responding to what has gone before. I love how something will happen in a print that influences my paintings and vice versa, it’s like a conversation that goes back and forth.

Where do you work?

I have a studio near my apartment in Norwich, a short walk along the river. I have worked from home but I like to keep the mess contained. My studio is large enough for me to be able to run workshops and is a light and airy space. I have travelled and moved house a lot of times but the priority has always been a space to be able to work in, often more important than where I’m sleeping!

Describe a typical day in your studio.

I aim to get there by 9am. I then spend the morning working, stopping for a cup of tea about 11am. I paint as well as print so there is always something to do, and with both media I work in a series. I go back to my apartment for lunch around 2pm. The afternoon is either spent catching up with emails and paperwork, or looking at photos I have taken of the mornings results and considering my next moves, like chess! I go back to the studio about 5pm to spend an hour or two tidying up and set out work for the next day. My aim it to make it so when I return the next day I am straight in, without having to think or plan or get distracted.

How long have you been printmaking?

I first discovered printmaking when I did my postgraduate teaching certificate at Cambridge University so 30 years. Before that I was mostly painting.

What inspires you?

Anything with interesting textures and strong shapes. I’m currently studying for my MA and have been exploring themes around abandonment so I’m looking at textures of old buildings and things I find on my travels, drawing around objects, taking rubbings of parts of buildings, gathering ideas.

What is your favourite printmaking product?

Not really a printmaking product but I love ceramic tile adhesive. I use it to create textured plates for printing on an etching press or craft die cutter (Xcut Xpress). I can mould it, score into it, sand it and varnish it…and it survives the inking and printing process. Suzie Mackenzie included a section about my work in her new book.

In terms of ink my favourite is Akua Intaglio as it never dries on the plate, or skins in the pot. This means I can spend a day inking lots of plates, then go back the next day with clean hands to print them. Its just the right consistency for both collagraphy and drypoint.

What have you made that you are most proud of?

I am most proud of the series of prints I created as a response to the Cornish coastline. I was at a point which we all have of being in between projects, feeling unsure of my direction. I went to Cornwall for a residency at Brisons Voer. Having packed the car with a mountain of equipment and driven down there I was faced with a calm blue sea and idyllic landscape…and panicked! I almost turned around and drove home. I’m a city girl at heart and whilst I love being in a rural environment it doesn’t feed into my work and I was very unsure of what I would do. But I calmed down, took a walk and turned around to find the most amazing colours, shapes and textures of the Cornish geology. That was it, I was in! The prints I made as a response to that environment have been some of the best I have made. They are confident, loose, free and painterly.

Where can we see your work? Where do you sell?

I find selling prints in galleries not cost effective. The prints are made on deckled edge paper and hang on a signed mount, this means frames I use have to leave space for the paper and are specially made. Paying commission to a gallery on a framed print leaves me with just enough to cover the cost of making it! As a result I now only sell my prints either online through my website or at specialist print fairs such as Norwich Print Fair, or through Open Studios. If I am having a solo show of paintings I include prints as they relate to each other, People quite like that my prints are only available from me and over the years I have built a group of collectors who understand my work.

What will we be seeing from you next?

I’m currently working on a series of paintings and prints based on the knots and ropes, textures and colours of old fishing boats. I have been teaching workshops in Collagraphy, Monotype and Drypoint for many years. I recently started teaching online and have nearly 2k subscribers to my YouTube channel already! As a result I will be launching some more online workshops. I love teaching, and people seem to like my depth of knowledge and experience, its also nice to be able to reach people all over the globe!

Do you have any advice for other printmakers and creatives?

Work on something everyday, even if it’s just gathering a few supplies, that way you will be in contact with your creative self, to be kind to yourself when things don’t go well, and finally to avoid making things that other people like, but you are bored with! I have met so many printmakers who say “I love your approach but this is what I’m known for so have to stick with it”.

For more from Sally Hirst:

www.sallyhirst.co.uk
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