Baren Digest Sunday, 2 February 2003 Volume 22 : Number 2115 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michael Morris" Date: Sat, 1 Feb 2003 13:06:15 -0000 Subject: [Baren 20599] Re: exasperated and printing Best wishes Steve , From Mike in England. We over here can write to our M.P. but you at least are making an effort.Keep up your good work. God Bless, Mike from Manchester - -----Original Message----- From: Stephen Goddard To: PRINTS-L#raven.cc.ku.edu ; baren#ml.asahi-net.or.jp Date: 01 February 2003 08:28 Subject: [Baren 20597] exasperated and printing >Well, at the risk of violating my own suggestions (to prints-l) and >offending I don't know whom, maybe someone, I'll just share that I have >been making prints tonight, in the form of spray painted stencils to be >used in the weekly peace rally tomorrow in front of the town hall here in >Lawrence. We filled both lanes of the main street a few weeks ago, and >pretty well overwhelmed the local authorities, and to the almost unanimous >support of drivers-by. These rallies have been standard Saturday fare for >about a year. For those of us who are citizens of the U.S. and feel >terribly under-represented by our (not really) elected officials and the >press there is not much more to do that is legal than crank out some >posters and be visible. Thank you Mr. Mandela for encouraging us to stay >the course. So far the edition is five (ten if you count both sides of the >signs) -- four with words, one with just images (for me). > >Steve > ------------------------------ From: Cucamongie#aol.com Date: Sat, 1 Feb 2003 10:05:59 EST Subject: [Baren 20600] Jean's question re Akua Jean Eger, it's Akua Kolor that you can roll onto a block. It also works for hanga (brushing the color on the block) or for monoprinting, etc. The intaglio ink that Susan Rostow (the one who makes Akua Kolor) makes is used for inking plates used for etching, etc. You can find out a lot about how their inks are used at their website. http://waterbasedinks.com/ I'm not so fond of the results of their intaglio ink so far - at least how it works on solarplates, but perhaps others have used a more recent batch of this, which is supposed to be improved. As for using gloves for printing, I can only tell you that it works well for me, it keeps my hands clean and my paper clean to work that way. If another way works better for you, go for it, but I think it's unnecessarily negative to blanketly say something is a bad idea when it's really a subjective matter. Happy printing, and to each his own! Sarah ------------------------------ From: Barbara Mason Date: Sat, 1 Feb 2003 08:13:00 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Baren 20601] Re: Baren Digest V22 #2113 Jean, I have been using this ink for several weeks now and it is just wonderful. You can certainly roll it anywhere and it works well, on wood, lino, metal, polymer plate... There is a transparent base that allows the ink to be thinned without changing the texture. I have also mixed the Akua Kolor monotype ink with it and that worked also, although it did change the texture slightly. You would have the best luck if you rolled it on very thinly, too much ink is a problem both with waterbased inks and oil. Better to print twice than to have too much ink. Best to all, Barbara >Jean Eger Womack wrote:Is it >the Akua Intaglio that one can roll on to a woodblock instead of >Speedball? How are the blending properties of that ink? see >http://www.waterbasedinks.com >Jean Womack ------------------------------ From: "marilynn smih" Date: Sat, 01 Feb 2003 08:16:13 -0800 Subject: [Baren 20602] Re: Baren Digest V22 #2114 Dan, I have done a series of black and white prints and than decided to carve the block into a reduction print with success. I have always considered it a completely seperate series as it looks very different and is always also on a different paper. I have also done as you stated and ran my block in a solid color, some where along the way, and thought of it also as a competely seperate series all its own. They are certainly vastly different from each other so I have never thought one was making an error doing this. If I am wrong than I have been led astray, oh me oh my. Marilynn in sorta sunny Baja and also from Nahcotta, wa. ------------------------------ From: Charles Morgan Date: Sat, 01 Feb 2003 08:18:34 -0800 Subject: [Baren 20603] Re: using gloves When using oil based inks, I always wear disposable nitrile gloves when inking. After inking, I put the plate on the press if using a press, or I put it down on an ink free table. Then I take off the gloves like peeling off socks ... they come off inside out, all the ink on the inside. Then I get the paper with clean hands and print. After hanging the new print, I put the gloves back on in order to move the plate to the inking station and start over. To put the gloves back on, I push the fingers back down through the wrist hole and then blow into the wrist hole like blowing up a balloon. I then just pull the gloves on ... If the gloves get damp inside (as they eventually will just from the moisture in your breath), it is hard to get them on. So I keep baby powder on hand and simply dust my hands from time to time. This way I always have clean hands. By the way, I also keep paper towels close by. The oil based ink is very easy to wipe off the nitrile gloves with just a paper towel. For water based inks, I just keep a damp cloth close by. I am always careful to wipe off the slightest trace of ink as soon as I get any on my hands. Everyone has to evolve their own way of working ... this is what works for me. Cheers .... Charles At 10:05 AM 2/1/03 -0500, you wrote: >As for using gloves for printing, I can only tell you that it works well for >me, it keeps my hands clean and my paper clean to work that way. ------------------------------ From: Sharri LaPierre Date: Sat, 1 Feb 2003 16:12:53 -0800 Subject: [Baren 20605] Re: Baren Digest V22 #2114 Re: printing with gloves: Somehow I have never found this to be a problem! Though I confess to not needing them when printing relief - there is no need for your hands to get inky when using oil based pigments - hanga, however, is a different story - then I have pigment to my eyebrows. But, when printing intaglio with oil based inks I slip the gloves on and off in a flash. The secret is baby powder. If your hands are dry, the gloves go on and off in a heartbeat and your hands are always clean to handle paper. Also, if you put a little baby powder on your hands it helps to keep your paper clean and now allow oil from your skin to come in contact with the paper. At any rate, veggie oil does a wonderful job of cleaning everything needed in oil based printing; brayers, counter tops, press beds, whatever. Follow with a swipe of rubbing alcohol to cut the grease (not on brayers) and you have a pretty much non toxic studio. This has been common practice for about 20 years - I can't believe there are still people sniffing solvents! Thanks to all who have been sending sheep and goats and to Julio for sheep, horse and snake - I hit a bonanza today. Such a treat! They are all wonderful, and completely painless, additions to the family. And, thanx to Maria for the imprimatur to proof those puzzle blocks, now we can sleep again :-) Sharri ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V22 #2115 *****************************