This past weekend at Art Intersection we held a 2 day photogravure printing workshop with Karen Hymer. We had a talented group of students, some with experience in this process and others with none at all. Thank you to Karen Hymer for teaching this workshop!
Over the course of 2 days the students learned each step in the photogravure process which included exposing their positive under UV light onto a photopolymer plate. After the plate was exposed and the imaged was etched in, they coated with ink and learned different processes for wiping and removing the ink.
Karen Hymer explained that using the correct wiping techniques creates great contrast and highlights in the final print. Using your photograph as a guide, you can determine which areas need strong shadows and which parts you want more highlight.
Next, our 1870s etching press was used to stamp the plate onto wet paper creating a beautiful one of a kind print embossed into the beautiful art paper.
Students explored different mixtures of ink which created different colors, changing the outcome of contrast and highlight, as well as different types of paper.
We have new workshops at Art Intersection nearly every month, don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn a new unique process! Our next workshop is Tri-Color Gum Printing with Diana Bloomfield!
This one day workshop of photopolymer gravure making was packed full of eager to learn students. This trial-and-error process allowed students to created magnificent and unique prints that captured the eye.
This alternative printmaking process translates photographic detail into ink on paper, allowing for more creative freedom, and resulting in unparalleled beauty.
Photogravure Learn the art of photopolymer gravure printing in this one-day workshop! Using light-sensitive steel-backed Solarplates, participants will create 4 x 5 gravure etching prints from their photographs. This environmentally friendly process translates photographic detail into ink on paper with unparalleled beauty.
No prior experience with printmaking is required. All necessary aspects of printmaking will be discussed including choosing inks, papers, and wiping material. Wiping and inking techniques will be covered. Be prepared to marvel at the way your photograph is transformed through ink on paper!
The making of digital positives will be discussed, but for the workshop itself, please send one color or black and white image file (300 dpi at 10” on the long side) to be made into a digital positive prior to the workshop. An email with details will be provided once you are registered.
All materials for this workshop are included in the registration fee.
Here is a brief outline of the process that will be presented in this workshop:
Starting with your digital photograph, a 4 x 5 transparency positive will be made
The positive is then laid on top of the light sensitive polymer plate and exposed to UV light
Washing the plate in water etches the image onto the plate
Once hardened, the plate is hand inked using water-soluble intaglio inks
The inked plate is then run through an etching press onto dampened paper
You take home 3 photogravure prints of your image
About Karen Hymer For the past five years Karen Hymer, an artist and educator based out of Silver City, New Mexico, has ventured into the world of printmaking – exploring imagery in the form of photopolymer gravures. Her current work explores the effects of time on the human body and various plant life. Hymer’s richly detailed photogravures emphasize the interplay of texture, pattern, light and shadow in muted earth tones. The decontextualized close-ups of the body and decaying plants reveal a poetic beauty in these often-over-looked subjects.