Saturday, August 15, 2009

Hat Rack - Collagraph with watercolour

Original collagraph print with watercolour - 10.5 x 25 cms


Original collagraph print with watercolour - 10.5 x 25 cmsOriginal collagraph print with watercolour - 10.5 x 25 cms

The plate for this collograph was carved out of a piece of thick cardboard then sealed with Acrylic Gloss Medium and Varnish. Each print was hand-wiped with oil-based ink and then run through an etching press.


Hand painted limited edition of three different hand-coloured prints
Printed in black oil based Charbonnel etching ink on
Fabriano 100% cotton paper 17.5 x 33 cms

This is my first collagraph. I was inspired by the beautiful prints of artist/printmaker Belinda del Pesco who so generously shares her collagraph technique on her blog here.

The coat/hat stand we bought at a street market here in Tuscany. The hat is a white panama from Venice. After sketching the hat on the stand, I scanned my drawing and reduced it in size before tracing onto the cardboard plate. I've used some of my favourite colour combinations - Magenta/Sepia, Quinacridone Gold/Indigo and French Ultramarine Blue/Burnt Sienna to paint the hats.

17 comments:

Joan Sandford-Cook said...

Oh, so clever of you . How you take on new techniques with such gusto and wonderful results asounds me. Love the image... I could almost see you using the hat stand for a game of high rise hoopla down the hall using hats instead of hoops. !!! Mad as ever!

Unknown said...

Robyn, they are lovely. Sorry I have not been around much. But girl when I am you are so inspiring! I'll be back in the groove of blogging soon.
Take care.

mARTa said...

I wish I could come play with you!!!! These are wonderful!

belindadelpesco.com said...

WOW! These are just BEAUTIFUL! They look like exquisite little etchings! What a wonderfully soft touch you have. Was it fun? were you pleased as you pulled the first print from the plate? How cool that you jumped in, imagination whirling! Bravo to you, my friend! More, more, more!

Robyn Sinclair said...

Joan - thank you.
Toni - thank you also
Marta - thank you too.

With three kind comments from from great friends under my belt, not to mention a very positive response from HWEM and thankfully, no comment from Dermott, along the lines of 'that's an ideal object against which to cock my leg', I will confess I am exceedingly pleased with these prints. I don't often get the chance to say that. :)

Robyn Sinclair said...

Belinda - thank you Dear Teacher! There will be an apple on your desk in the morning.

Yes, I was thrilled when I pulled the first print. But there were a few worries in the beginning. For a start I inked the plate with an old soft brush from my electric toothbrush, then I couldn't effectively wipe the etching ink from the surface of the plate. In the end I used Baby Wipes! They worked. I love the texture on the surface of the plate.
Next I have to try adding stuff to a collagraph. See what you've started!

Lin said...

tHESE ARE ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL! I love the fine ironwork -- and that hat is fabulous!! BRAVA, Robyn! Another new technique exquisitely learned and mastered!

Dana said...

Fantastic Robyn! I am going to have to check into this. Sounds like lots of fun with great results. Love your color combos.

sue said...

These are just beautiful! I really love them. I think I'll have to try that one day. Your results are exquisite!

Caroline said...

How super these prints are Robyn - I am amazed at how finely you've managed to carve the board. I'd say you've scored 10 out of 10 here!!

Robyn Sinclair said...

Lin - Ciao!! Thank you :) Of course you don't see the failures!

Dana - I'm sure you'd love this technique. I could see it working beautifully with calligraphy.

Sue - Thank you. That's lovely :)

Caroline - Frankly, I was amazed myself ;) Thank you.

Dana said...

Robyn, can this be done with a letterpress printer? I have a tabletop press. ...or where would you recommend one go to begin learning this technique? It looks like so much fun...but might have to be a winter activity for me...after wedding season. :)

Robyn Sinclair said...

Dana - I'm afraid I don't have the technical knowledge to guide you. I've never used a letterpress. I use an old bookbinding press to print small linocuts and I sometimes hand-rub linocuts. The differences between a lino cut and this collagraph is that the ink in on the surface of the lino plate and that responds to direct pressure from above. With this collagraph the ink is in the gaps below the surface of the plate and needs the great pressure of being rolled through the etching press to force the damp paper down into the depressions where it can pick up the ink.

You could try a local printmaking course - which is a wonderful experience anyway. But why don't you check out Belinda del Pesco's blog (link in post above) - search for 'collographs' and maybe even ask Belinda about presses.

I'd love to hear how you go.

Dana said...

I will do that, Robyn. I am getting ahead of myself here and need to do some research. I will see if a course is offered this fall in my town.
Thanks for introducing it to me!

caseytoussaint said...

I had never heard of colograph before, but you've piqued my interest. These would look wonderful framed and hung as a series - in a hallway maybe? Truly elegant, Robyn!

Robyn Sinclair said...

Casey - Welcome back! Thank you for liking these prints. I've had a nagging feeling they could be a bit 'greeting card' - I'm trusting they're not, now you like them :)

Have to set the table for dinner now but hoping some holiday sketches are about to appear on your blog.

Nancy Van Blaricom said...

Beautiful and intriguing. Thanks for the link to Belind's tutorial.

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