Printmaking Classes - Solar Plates

I am two classes into my printmaking course both focussing on using a solar plate to create a print plate.  The first session was to make a relief plate and print and the second an intaglio print.

Relief Print

I came with everything that was on the requirements list but no folio of drawings or images. There was some momentary panic when I realised that I did not have an image to work with, however, in situations like this I revert to drawing a leaf. 

I was a little confused about what to colour and what to leave white. You start with a drawing, then create the plate using a special light box and then print by inking the plate. The areas that are black in the drawing are eaten away in the light box and do not print.

The first prints were blue and orange,

the next print combined both inks and I added a leaf to the inked plate which masked the ink underneath, however, the texture of the plate still prints.

This is a ghost print, the inked plate is used to print again, exhausting or removing the last of the ink. The finished print is lighter as there is less ink.

Intaglio Print

I was better prepared for this session, plenty of images to choose from and a better understanding of the process. 

With the intaglio process the image appears as you see it, the black of drawing will print unlike the relief print where the opposite occurs.

The second print is darker as more ink is trapped in the plate

Being better prepared and more confident with the process I had time to make two more plates.

The first prints

And the second of this bird.

A ghost print onto a page from an old book, next time I will re ink the plate for a stronger image.