[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking.

Baren Digest               Friday, 6 August 1999       Volume 08 : Number 652

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From: Barbara Mason <bemason@concentric.net>
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 23:14:35 -0700
Subject: [Baren 5186] tone overlay 

Julio,
I do mainly viscosity monotypes with oil based litho ink and I do a lot
of what you are talking about, one color making two or two colors making
three. I mix about 1/2 transparent base with the ink so it is pretty
transparent and the colors really change when printed over one another.
I have made up many trial papers, using  dots of 10 colors and then
printing strips of color over them with a rainbow roll. I was eventually
able to see what would happen to almost every color with every other
color printed over it. Some colors died and did not mix well, some were
wonderful. It is a trial and error thing and the more you work with the
ink and the colors the easier it gets.

If you are using oil based ink, I suggest laying your drawing down, then
laying a piece of mylar over the top.Do not use the mylar that says
"accepts ink" as it will be hard to wipe the ink off. Roll the first
color on, removeing it where you do not want it. When it is perfect,
cover it with a second sheet of mylar to trap your inked shapes inside.
Lay a third sheet of mylar down over the top of these two, roll out your
second color and repeat the process as many times as you have colors you
want to use. You will see how the colors will look over one another and
get a fair idea of how they will look printed. This will not be exact as
the ink seems to change when printed and mixed, but it should give you a
templet for each color. I am sure there are other ways to do this, but
each printmaker struggles along and invents what works for them, and
this has worked for me. I have also used wax paper, but it is not as
transparent as mylar, so it is harder to see your layers underneath.

For water based work you can use a similar technique. Sand the mylar
lightly and buff up with gum arabic like a litho plate. Lay the mylar
over the drawing and paint with watercolor. Dry completely. Do the next
color on a second sheet of sanded and buffed mylar and repeat for as
many colors as you need, making sure to dry each color thoroughly before
going onto the next plate. If this is not clear let me know. It always
seems easier to do it than to write it down. I hope this will help you,
it is fairly easy to see what will happen using this technique and will
save you cutting too many extra plates. You could do this same thing
with stencils, rolling one color over another through a cutout, but it
would be harder to get your templet for each color.

Best Regards
Barbara

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From: Barbara Mason <bemason@concentric.net>
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 23:18:45 -0700
Subject: [Baren 5187] Welcome Barnaby 

Welcome to the baren,
Graham Scholes has the brushes in Victoria, Canada and can also get you
wonderful pigment.....How much is your kingdom worth?
Barbara,
Portland, Or USA

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From: barnaby.smith@immi.gov.au
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 16:33:28 +1000
Subject: [Baren 5188] Re: Welcome Barnaby 

Barbara   My kingdom is modest and diminishing with the expense of art materials
- - I shall attempt to take this up with Graham.  Thank you.        BS

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From: John Ryrie <j.ryrie@pgrad.unimelb.edu.au>
Date: Fri, 06 Aug 1999 17:50:53 +1000
Subject: [Baren 5189] Re: Welcome Barnaby 

Barnaby welcome from Melbourne.
I would also be interested in finding Japanese woodcut equipment in Australia.
Also could someone tell me, dose the Print exchange #3 have a theme?
John Ryrie

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End of Baren Digest V8 #652
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