Wednesday 20 February 2013

Collagraph prints - Take 2.

Or that could read:  Take two collagraph prints!    I made two more print blocks on much thinner card, this time using the back of a cereal packet.

Once again I didn't get the results I expected or really wanted, but I think they could be improved with a colour wash or some other work done on them.

I am finding it quite difficult to gauge the right consistency of paint.   Using it straight from the tube is too thick and adding even a small amount of water seems to make it too runny.  I also think that this card is far too thin  even with a piece of felt as padding.   There is card out there somewhere which is perfect - I just have to find it!

I quite like the lefthand one below, even though so little of the paint has been transferred.

My favourites are the two below, made with one of my previous blocks on heavier card and printed onto painted calico.   The heavier card definitely works best and these will be perfect for stitching onto.
The search continues!

11 comments:

Carol Q said...

Looks like a lot of experimenting is needed to achieve the result you want Heather. Hope you're enjoying it too!

Heather said...

Yes, I am Carol. Apart from the paint under the finger nails and on the kitchen work tops! I'm a messy worker.

Maggie Grey said...

Heather, are you using acrylics with extender? It gives more time to apply the paint and then remove the top layer. Also, padding with several layers of felt, cut to the size of the plate, can help when printing. Some good results coming from your experiments. Also, the plates improve with use.

Ro Bruhn said...

I love what you've created Heather. There's so much texture it's hard to tell which is the print and the plate.

Julie said...

You're getting some good marks Heather. Yes, we used extender with acrylic paint when I did some collagraphy some years ago, I had forgotten. Glad you're enjoying it all. I like the one where little paint has transferred. You can always add colour or more layers when its dry.

sharon young said...

I love the plates your making, such a beautiful distressed look. Have you thought of going to your local art shop and buying a selection of mount board in different thicknesses.
Also I wonder if oil based printing ink or even water based might be better than acrylic as it takes much longer to dry. I always find it far better with Lino printing.

WendyK said...

Great effort Heather, I must admit to trying it once, and then giving up. You have inspired me to try again. I go to the framing shops, and ask them for a bag of their scraps, and the price is usually very good. It's usually the bits they cut out of the mounts for the pictures.

Maggi said...

Enjoy experimenting. There are some lovely results even though you are not happy yet.

Linda Vincent said...

Good to see you're having fun Heather! I love getting messy with stuff like that. Your results are exciting....keep going!

The Weaver of Grass said...

I do like the subtlety of the colours Heather.

ferinn said...

The blocks look luscious on their own.have you tried using scrim to push the ink into the block and using damp paper to print?This is what you do when etching,collograph is similar.