UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #41

“Scene for Screen – “Day” and “Night” (previous blogs #39 and #40).

(Intaglio Prints and Sketches - Ink and Pencil)  

Size 16x14cm

ABOUT THIS ARTWORKS:

The intaglio prints seen here were done from the two drawings I did on a trip to Cape York, Qld. which is the most northerly point in Australia.    I adapted these drawings so that the aluminium plate used for the print was balanced and in reverse, so that when printed onto paper, it resembled the sketches. 

I am not a print maker and the print process was an exercise conducted at a workshop given by Judith Rosenberg.  This image had already been used for the screen “Day and Night”.  Like most of my artwork, I approach it as an exercise from which I will extend my knowledge and understanding of art making.

For those who are unfamiliar with intaglio printing I include here a copy from Wikipedia on the subject:

Intaglio is a family of printmaking techniques in which the image is incised into a surface, known as the matrix or plate, and the incised line or area holds the ink. Normally, copper or zinc plates are used as a surface, and the incisions are created by etching, engraving, drypoint, aquatint or mezzotint. Collographs may also be printed as intaglio plates.

In the form of intaglio printing called etching, the plate is covered in a resin ground or an acid-resistant wax material. Using an etching needle, or a similar tool, the image is engraved into the ground, revealing the plate underneath. The plate is then dipped into acid. The acid bites into the surface of the plate where it was exposed. Biting is a printmaking term to describe the acid's etching, or incising, of the image.  After the plate is sufficiently bitten, the plate is removed from the acid bath, and the ground is removed to prepare for the next step in printing.

Artistic techniques used in the artworks:

These sketches and prints demonstrate the art making process - drawing from nature through to creating other art forms.  I cannot emphasise more the benefits of drawing from nature.    Apart from honing one’s drawing skills, it also is a meditation where I am with the natural world in the Now.  

In posts #39 and #40, I discussed the different artistic techniques used to create this image such as materials, texture, composition, light and shade and colour.  Therefore I won’t repeat them again here.

Next week I may have a very BIG SUPRISE for you.  I promise you ... it is BIG!!

http://www.buderimartstudio.com