Some time ago I wrote a post about starting out in block printmaking.  (a.k.a. “relief printmaking,” the category that includes woodblock prints and linoleum block prints, as well as certain experimental techniques such as cardboard cuts…)  Sunday June 22nd I conducted a block printmaking demo at Utrecht-  The time is ripe to pass on some more block printing advice. ( If you are just starting out making block prints, I recommend you first read the blog entry of March 9th 2008, “Starting out in Block Printing.” )

Suppose you have experimented with single-color linoleum block prints, and you would really like to incorporate more color into your images.  There are a number of ways to go about this.  Let’s not neglect the obvious route: you could hand-color your images using watercolors or gouache. (This is time consuming, some might say tedious, but some artists get very good results with hand-colored prints. It can also be a good way of seeing the same image in multiple color schemes.) You could also cut stencils to mask out certain areas of your image, and use your brayer to roll ink directly on to your print. Or you could use a small brayer to hand-ink certain portions of your linoleum block, and thus get more than one color from a single block. (This technique works best either on blocks where the different areas of color are well separated from one another, or else on blocks where  precision is not necessary.)  The Expressionist artist Edvard Munch used to cut a block of wood into pieces like a jigsaw puzzle, ink each piece separately, then reassemble them and print them all at once.  He achieved very bold, powerful results with that method. 

However, the traditional means for achieving multiple colors in a block print is by carving a separate block for each color that will be used, and printing them one layered over the other. (This does not have to be as complicated as it sounds.) If you would like to try this technique, I would suggest that you start simply.  Just two colors, used together, can often produce a very dramatic look. (Later, if you choose to, you can do exceedingly complicated prints with a dozen colors! Myself, I keep things simple and use no more than four colors.) 

When you are working with multiple colors, registration (making sure your images are lined up correctly) becomes very important.  To avoid headaches, you want to plan for it from the beginning.  Make sure that your blocks are the same size, because if they are a little bit off it will be difficult to register them. (If you should happen to have blocks that are mismatched, you at least have to find one side that matches, and consistently line them up from that side.)  If one of your blocks will be a line drawing and the other will be a colored background, carve the line drawing first.  (If neither of your blocks is a line drawing per se, just carve the block that has the greatest amount of “information” on it.)  The first block then serves as a guide for the second block:  When the first block is completely carved, ink it up and make a proof of it and make sure it looks the way you want it to.  Then, make a very inky proof onto thin paper.  Carefully lay that proof face down onto your blank, uncarved block.  Burnish it thoroughly with your baren or spoon- when you lift the paper you will find that the ink has transfered to the blank block.  That image will be your guide so that you know what to carve away and what to leave.

How do you know if your prints are lined up correctly?  Well, you need to make yourself a registration guide.  Traditional Japanese printmakers used to use blocks that were larger than the paper that they were printing on, and would carve notches directly on the block that indicated where the paper should be placed.  Other printmakers make various forms of registration guides… sometimes just lines traced on paper, sometimes substantial wooden frames with pins or clamps to hold the paper in place.  I have a version of a registration frame that is low-tech and devilishly simple.  (I like to say it is “top secret” and “copyrighted” but I teach it to just about every printmaker I meet.)  All you need is:

a piece of cardboard (the size of the paper that you are printing on or a little bit larger)  

an X-acto knife (and a metal-edged ruler to serve as a cutting guide.)

a pair of bulldog clips

The cardboard is exactly the size of your printmaking paper.  Cut a hole in it that is exactly the size of your printmaking block, exactly where you want it to be placed on your paper.  That way, when you ink your block and set it in place, it will not slide or go anywhere.  You clamp your paper in place with the bulldog clips, so it will not slide or go anywhere either.  Then–here’s the extra-tricky part–you can print two blocks in quick succession without ever unclamping the paper. Just gently lift the paper, remove one block, replace it with the second inked block, and lay the paper back down. Burnish your second block with your baren, lift the paper again, and–congratulations!–you have a two color print.

Happy printmaking!

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Alexis Babayan

Basic Screen Printing Technique 

Preparing the image: 

The silk screen can be prepared in a number of ways:  For a very simple design, where you don’t intend to make very many prints, you can cut out a stencil directly out of frisket film (or similar material) and adhere it to your screen.   The downside to this technique is that the stencil will only last for a small edition… it will be destroyed when you clean off and reclaim the screen. 

You can also paint your design onto your screen by hand, using Speedball Screen Drawing Fluid (Utrecht item # 48663) in combination with Screen Filler (Utrecht item # 48662.) Brush your design on with the Drawing Fluid, the way you want it to appear.  Allow it to dry, then apply Screen Filler and squeegee it evenly across the entire screen.  After the Screen Filler has dried, you wash away the Drawing Fluid by spraying the screen with cold water.  The Screen Filler remains, and acts as your stencil.  (See package labels or Screen Printing book for more detailed instructions.)

However, most artists prefer to use a Photo Emulsion technique to transfer an image to the screen. (A popular kit is the Diazo system, item # 55897) The source material for your screen print could be either a drawing or photograph.

Paul drew his original image with markers, scanned it, and did the color separations on the computer. 

You basically need to create a photographic positive.  The image can be printed out on transparency films at a copy shop… or, for a cheap alternative you can photocopy your image onto regular paper, and then rub the paper with vegetable oil.  This makes the paper translucent and the ink darker.  You can use that as your film when exposing your image onto your screen.

To use photographic emulsion, you need a dark place to work with access to running water.  For most people, this means the bathroom.  You need a red light bulb from the hardware store.  Replace the light bulb in the bathroom with the red light.   (If the bathroom is windowless, that’s good.  If not, block out the window with foil and tape.)  The red light will let you see what you’re doing without affecting the photo emulsion.

Take your photo emulsion, take a spoon or a palette knife, and tap out a line of emulsion across the face of your screen.  Squeegee the emulsion across the screen and let it dry in the dark.  This can take between half an hour and half a day (an hour on average.)  If you have a fan blowing on your screen, it will dry faster.  The emulsion is usually glossy when wet, matte when dry- hold up to the red light and see.  When the emulsion is dry, put the film positive on the bottom of the screen, BACKWARDS.  (So that when you look at it through the top of the screen, it will be FORWARDS.)

Use absolutely transparent tape to keep the film in place. (Otherwise the tape will show up in your image.)

You are ready to burn the screen.  The simplest form of “exposure unit” is to take one of those clamp-on lamps from the hardware store, rig it to face downwards, and set up your screen underneath it.  The Speedball photo emulsion recommends you use a 150 watt bulb or a 250 watt photoflood bulb.  (For other brands of emulsion you may need 500 watts or more.)  Lay your screen face downwards.  Paul lays a piece of glass on top of his screen which holds the image in place, “sandwiched” completely flat against the screen.  You may need to experiment to find the correct exposure time with your bulb and set-up.  The Speedball screen printing manual recommends an exposure time of between 45 minutes and 1 hr. 30 minutes when using a 150 watt bulb, or between 10 and 20 minutes when using a 250 watt photoflood bulb. (In professional screen printing shops, they often use a more sensitive emulsion that exposes much more quickly, but has less margin for error.  With the less sensitive emulsion, you can walk through the sun to wash your screen off without ruining it, and you have a certain amount of “insurance” against accidental exposure to light during the screen preparation process.)

Once your screen is exposed, take the glass off, gently pull the film and tape off, and put your film in a folder in case you need it again.  Put the exposed screen under the shower and gently rinse it off. Use lukewarm (NOT HOT) water.  Wherever your black lines or graphics were on the film, the emulsion should rinse off.  Hold to the red light and make sure it is fully rinsed- any little dots will affect your print.  After the screen is rinsed, it’s okay to be in the light.  You essentially have burnt your stencil onto the screen. 

Allow your screen to dry.  It usually dries faster outside, in the light and air.  (Or if you are in a hurry, you can force it to dry with a hair dryer.)

After it’s dry, you’re ready to print. 

Printing: 

Tape off around the edges of your frame with masking tape- this will make it much easier to clean later.

It is difficult to hold down the screen and smoothly squeegee the ink across at the same time. Most artists set up some form of “screen printing unit” to make the process go more smoothly.  The unit consists of a smooth board with hinges that allow you to lift your silkscreen up between prints.  This allows you to switch out your printing paper without throwing off your registration or getting your ink everywhere!  If you are making small or medium size prints, Speedball makes an all-in-one 10 x 14″ screen print unit (item # 55896) that includes a silkscreen, backing board and hinges. It also has a little “kick stand” that you can use to prop up your screen while you are putting in a new sheet of paper.  Or you can use the Jiffy Frame Hinge Clamps (item #58224) which can accept any size of silkscreen. (This is what Paul is using in the pictures.)

Paul sprays some Super 77 adhesive spray (item # 40278 ) onto the base of his screen printing unit to keep the paper from moving around during the printing process.  When printing onto paper, a little goes a long way- one spray will last you for many prints.  When printing onto fabric (making T-shirts) you will need to re-spray the adhesive for each shirt. To make sure that all your prints are registered (i.e. lined up) the way you want them to be, tape off a guide that shows you where to place your paper for each print.

This becomes especially crucial if you have multiple colors that you need to register together!  (It is recommended that you have a registration mark or guide to aid in the placement of your second color screen.  If you are just eyeballing it, you are sure to get the “crafty” look- i.e, your image will be slightly out of sync, so choose a design where that will be okay.)

If you are making fine art prints or posters, and want to make a custom ink color, Golden makes a Silkscreen Medium (item # 68743, 32 oz jar) that you can combine with any acrylic paint to make it suitable for screen printing.  (The medium slows the drying time and makes the paint more fluid, so it’s the right consistency to go through your screen.  Unfortunately, it’s not suitable for screen printing onto fabric.)  For general screen printing purposes, Speedball and Permaset Aqua also make lines of water-based screen printing inks.

Use a palette knife or spoon to lay down a line of ink at the top of your screen.  Squeegee the ink across in one smooth motion.  If you stop or hesitate at all you’ll see lines in your finished print.  For some prints (such as white ink on a dark background) you may need multiple “hits” to make it opaque enough.

Allow your prints to dry.  (We used a clothesline as a drying rack.) 

You will want to clean your screen immediately after printing so that the ink does not dry in the mesh.  Thoroughly spray the screen with water.  Ideally you have a setup where you can hose your screen down.

Text by Alexis Babayan with technical advice by Paul Barron

Original Screen Print artwork by Paul Barron

Photos by Alexis Babayan, taken at Screen Print Demo, Utrecht Art Supplies Berkeley

Printmaker, artist and Utrecht associate Paul Barron will be giving a screen printing demonstration at the Berkeley store on Sunday April 27th–that’s right, tomorrow!  He will be demonstrating basic screen printing technique and multi-color registration… the technique used to make posters, shirts, fine art, and more!  The event is free.  Just stop by the store between 2 and 4pm, and ask Paul for answers to all your burning screen printing questions.

Printmakers and aspiring printmakers take note: The day of the event, all screen printing paper will be 20% off with the purchase of 5 or more sheets, and all printmaking materials will be 15% off.

Old Holland is like the Cadillac of oil paints. They have a very high concentration of pigment, very finely ground, in a beautiful range of colors. They run more expensive than the other oil paints we carry, but the artists who use them say they’re definately worth it. Right now there is a promotion going on to sweeten the deal: If you purchase three 40ml tubes of Old Holland paint, you receive a free 40ml tube of their titanium white. (fine print: this offer is good in stores only, while supplies last.)

Gamblin is doing their own promotion right now: The 15th annual Torrit Grey Painting Competition. For those of you in the know: Every year the Gamblin paint factory cleans out its air filtration system (which contains tiny particles of every color they make) and takes the resulting mix of pigment to make a batch of paint. Because it contains a little of everything, it comes out more or less grey. Then they give away the tubes of grey paint for free, and they sponsor a contest to see what people can create using just the grey, plus white and black. We have just received our Torrit Grey tubes, and they are free with purchase of 3 Gamblin paints.

For more details, ask in the store or check out Gamblin’s website at: http://www.gamblincolors.com

* * *

Not to be outdone, Utrecht is doing a promotion with our own brand of oil and acrylic paints: If you buy a 37ml tube of our oil Titanium white or a 2 oz tube of our acrylic Titanium white, you get a 21ml sample of one of our oil or acrylic colors. (while supplies last. We currently have samples of phthalo blue, zinc yellow, and alizarin crimson in oil, and phthalo blue, hansa yellow, and quinacridone red in acrylic.) Utrecht makes high quality paints with a heavy pigment load. Some people assume that because they are our “house brand” they must be “student grade,” but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Try them out and you’ll see for yourself.

Our Try Me table is up and running, so you can join with other Utrecht customers and staff in making a collaborative painting!

Watch this space, and I will post our results.

Using Interactive Artists’ Acrylics:

When I first saw the Atelier Interactive paints I was intrigued but skeptical. They are a new formula of acrylics that not only can stay workable for longer, but can be re-activated after they have dried.

(With traditional acrylics, once they have dried, that’s it. You can layer new colors on top of an existing layer, but you can’t blend directly into the old layer, and it is difficult if not impossible to remove paint after it has dried.)

Last night, I finally tried working with the Atelier Interactives. I jumped right into it and made two complete small paintings. (I had two 4 x 6 inch canvases that seemed the perfect size for experimenting on.) I was excited about the prospect of scratching back into the paint after it had dried. And I had an idea of doing night scenes, with yellow-orange glowing through a blue black background.

I prepared my two canvases with a base coat of a warm orange color.

After the paint had dried, I put down a layer of the Binder Medium as an isolation coat.

(Note: don’t be impatient. At first I tried putting the Binder Medium down while the first coat was still tacky. This caused an unpleasant clumping effect. I wiped that area off, let it dry, and tried again. No harm done.)

For the first canvas, I began sketching in my subject matter (the glowing sign for a corner store in my neighborhood.) I used a photo that I took for reference. The dark color is ultramarine blue with a little brown in it.

I have a fondness for signs. Beautiful or ugly, they are a big part of the urban landscape.

Then I added more detail (and more colors.) I created some texture by scratching back into the paint with a scratchboard tool. (see ATM sign)

While I waited for that layer to fully dry, I started work on the second painting.

I covered that canvas entirely with a blue layer:

While the paint was still tender, I began drawing into it with a small wooden “stylus” (basically a short dowel which had been sharpened to a blunt point.) My idea was to have a tree glowing against a dark background, as if caught in a spotlight.

As the paint dried more, I added more texture with a scratchboard tool (gently, so as not to remove more paint than I wanted.) I wet areas that had fully dried, and was able to easily remove the paint with a rag. This created the texture of the leaves. A small dab of the “Unlocking Formula” was enough to completeley re-wet the dried paint, so that it was easy to wipe away. (The layer of “Binder Medium” that I had applied previously kept the orange paint in the previous layer from being re-activated as well.)

Back to the liquor store painting:

I added more highlights, and lettering on the sign. I was unsatisfied with the lettering at first, but it wiped off easily with a wet rag, and I tried again. I scratched away some more details with my trusty scratchboard knife. (I enjoy this painting style because it is similar to carving.)

The finished painting:

“Family portrait” of the two paintings, with the materials used to create them:

All artwork and text by Alexis Babayan

You can see more of my art at: http://flickr.com/photos/babayan

Water sprayer: for moistening acrylic paints so they don’t dry too quickly. (This can be used for traditional acrylics as well as the Interactive Acrylics.)

Unlocking Formula: for re-activating dried Interactive Acrylic paints, so that they can be easily wiped away or blended into. (This formula is specific to their brand of acrylics.) It can be applied with a brush (for small areas) or a water sprayer (for larger areas.)

Binder Medium: for forming an isolation coat to protect a layer of paint (so that the layer on top can be manipulated without damaging the previous layer.) It also can be used as a glaze to thin paints and produce a glossy finish.

For more info on the Atelier Interactive paints, you can visit their website at:

http://www.chromaonline.com

Starting out in Block Printmaking:

I am completely biased towards this subject: I adore block printmaking. (a.k.a “relief printmaking”) Block printing is the most primitive means of “mass producing” images. The basic technology of it goes back to the Middle Ages (or even earlier.) You carve away the areas that you want to be white. What is left raised will pick up the ink and print as black (or your chosen color.) It tends to produce very bold, graphic effects, although it can also be very sophisticated. Woodblock and linoleum block prints use the same basic technique, the main difference being that wood has a grain and linoleum does not. Most beginners start with lino because it is easier to carve and more widely available. (I work with both, depending on what effect I am going for and which one is handy at the time. Linoleum is easier to work with than wood for designs that include many fine details and curving lines. Wood will encourage you to carve in a certain direction, while linoleum is equally carvable in all directions. The appeal of wood is in its grain and texture.)

Part I- Planning your design and preparing your block

You need:

Sketching materials

Linoleum block

Carving tools

Tracing paper (optional)

Drawing ink (optional)

Bold, high-contrast designs tend to work best. Any shading will have to be through hatching. Delicate black-on-white line work is the most difficult to achieve, because you need to carve away on either side of the line. (White-on-black lines are a piece of cake.)

Experiment!

I like to coat my wood or linoleum blocks with a wash of ink and let it dry before I start carving. That way, each cut shows up clearly against the dark background, and it is much easier to visualize how the finished print will look. Linoleum has a slick surface and doesn’t always like to take the ink wash, which can tend to bead up. It helps to wipe it clean with a wet rag or paper towel. Higgins Black Magic ink works well.

Don’t forget that your image is going to print in reverse. (The print will be a mirror image of the block.) This is particularly important if you are including text in your image. It helps to sketch out your design on tracing paper and then flip it over. You can also take your block-in-progress and hold it up to a mirror, to make sure that your design looks as good in reverse as you think it will.

Linoleum gets a bit softer and easier to carve when it is warm. It helps to blow on it with a hot hair dryer.

Tools: at a bare minimum, you need a v-shaped blade for carving out fine lines, a wider u-shaped blade for clearing large areas, and a straight knife (similar to an X-acto.)

Speedball makes a lino cutter set with a handle and 5 interchangeable blades which is a good way to start out. If you get into woodblock carving as well as lino carving, you may want to get a set of more durable woodcut tools that can be re-sharpened. (Avoid the very small sets that are intended for whittling or craft work. Get something specifically intended for woodblock carving.)

Above: Left to right, v-tools made by Edward C. Lyons (set of 5 tools, Utrecht item #44232) Loew-Cornell (set of 5 tools, item #44233), and Speedball (handle and 5 blades, item #55826)

Part II: Printing your block

You need: A brayer (a soft rubber roller) for applying your ink. (They are available in sizes from 1.5 to 6 inches. 4 inches is good size for most purposes.)

An inking plate (Anything smooth and flat will work. A glass palette is excellent.)

A palette knife or ink knife (recommended for spreading the ink on your inking plate.)

A baren or spoon for applying pressure

Paper (the ideal for hand printmaking is something that is both thin and sturdy. I like Rives Lightweight or mulberry paper. Newsprint or sketch paper can be used for trial proofs.)

Block printing ink (both water- and oil- based inks are available. Water based inks dry more quickly and are easier to clean up. Oil based inks stay workable longer, but require mineral spirits or another solvent for cleanup.)

Spread your ink on your inking plate and roll it out with your brayer. You will know it is ready when it looks even and makes a “thwwwwk” kissing sound as you roll the brayer across. Roll the ink onto your block, making sure that all important areas are covered.

Move the block to a clean surface. Lay your sheet of printing paper onto the block. With a spoon or baren, thoroughly burnish the back side of the printing paper. The nice thing about using a thinner printing paper is that you can see where your ink is picking up. When you are finished burnishing, carefully lift the paper. Congratulations! You have a print! (Now repeat, if you can make several prints all the same you will have an edition!)

Part III: Registration

If you are making a simple one-color print, you can probably just eyeball it, but where registration is important, it is useful to make a registration guide. This shows where your block is positioned in relation to your paper, and enables you to combine multiple blocks in one image. (You can remove one block and put in a second color block, in full confidence that they will be in sync.) I make a simple registration guide out of cardboard. I cut the cardboard to the size of my paper and cut an opening in the board the size of my block. That way I know my block will not slide or go anywhere. After I lay my paper over the block, I clip it down with bulldog clips, so I know it will not go anywhere either. When the first block is printed, I do not unclip the paper… instead I gently lift it, remove the first block and put in the second inked block. That way the two blocks can’t help but line up. It’s a nearly foolproof system. Congratulations! You, too, can be a block printing master.

Sincerely,

Alexis Babayan

Shameless self-promotion: You can check out my woodcuts, linocuts, and other artwork at www.flickr.com/photos/babayan

Detail: the carved linoleum block

Proof of the carved linoleum block

(art copyright A. Babayan 2007)