ORIGINAL PRINTS

“I prefer to print small editions of usually no more than 20, especially if I’m using a large image. All of the prints may be slightly different depending on the pressure of the press.”

In drypoint and carborundum printmaking, the areas in the plate which are to hold ink are covered with a mixture of carborundum – a gritty sand-like substance – and glue. When dry that area retains ink and gives a rich velvety surface which can be drawn into or disturbed. The artist can also draw directly into the plate using a sharp pointed steel tool which leaves a mark but also pushes up a furrow, similar to ploughing. When the plate is inked and wiped, both the inscribed mark and the furrow hold the ink, printing as a thick, soft line.

Carborundum is a technique where a mix of acrylic binders and carborundum grit are painted on to the surface of a plate and then inked as a intaglio plate. Its raised texture typically gives a deep tone, rich colour and strong emboss into the paper. It is a extremely versatile and very painterly, creating a rich printed imagery. I believe it is the closest a printmaker can get to painting and offers great scope for sculptural and graphic treatments. The grit is available in several grades – fine, medium and coarse – each giving different effects.

Drypoint is an intaglio technique where the image is drawn directly into the plate using a sharp drypoint tool. The resuilting incised line has ridges of metal either side giving the characteristic rich blurred line.