dpstudiolab

A Sculptor Prints

The last time I made a print was for an instructional lesson when I worked for an art supply store. We each had to take the lead on a certain aspect of the items we sold. As a sculptor, I did mold making and the like, as a painter another coworker showed us different techniques in oils, watercolors & acrylics. Naturally, the then student of printmaking chose to show us a modern version of printmaking that was supposed to replace boxwood cutting. Boxwood is a very fine grained wood, and is scarce these days so printmakers, wither through accident or purpose came up with a type of plastic that can be carved or sanded much in the same way. As it goes, after a little carving I took a Dremel to the surface.

Be that as it may, the process of printing didn’t take much, just a roll through a massive press at Wash U. In St. Louis. I say massive because the bed had to be at least 12 long, and we were only using 5”x5” squares. Overkill, I thought.

So some years go by, and I’m training for art certification to teach secondary education and have to take a printmaking course to fulfill the fact that I never have had a printmaking course. The course was enjoyable enough, and I gleaned a lot from the different processes. 1. Collagraphs take a lot of elbow grease, and are not on the top of my list. 2. Waterless Lithography and Screen Printing are substantial favorites. (more…)