Tamarind PPTP Print Work

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I spent academic year 2014-2015 participating in Tamarind Institute’s Professional Printer Training Program– an intensive, immersive experience delving into the extremely technical aspects of traditional lithography and the fine art of collaborative printing. We studied chemistry, ink modification, roller control, paper preparation and handling, printing strategies, layering and image making options, color matching, alternative materials, print curation and the history of fine art prints in relation to collaborative lithography. The first semester of the program required a dedicated 50-60 hours of work in the studio working on technical assignments learning to control materials and methods with fine precision and sophistication.These images represent numerous tests and exercises completed during Fall 2014.

Project 1: Crayon Bands-- Korn's crayons layered and etched on stone, 15" x 20" Somerset warm white paper, edition of 12, 1 BAT, 1 Trial Proof
Project 1: Crayon Bands– Korn’s crayons layered and etched on stone, 15″ x 20″ Somerset warm white paper, edition of 12, 1 BAT, 1 Trial Proof
Project 2: Crayon Bands-- Korn's crayons layered and etched on ball grain aluminum plate, 15" x 20" Somerset warm white paper, edition of 12, 1 BAT, 1 Trial Proof
Project 2: Crayon Bands– Korn’s crayons layered and etched on ball grain aluminum plate, 15″ x 20″ Somerset warm white paper, edition of 12, 1 BAT, 1 Trial Proof
Project 3: Counter Etch and Additions on Stone-- roller control feathering in flats while maintaining detail in drawings, 15" x 20" Somerset warm white paper, edition of 12, 1 BAT, 3 TPs printed in different black inks
Project 3: Counter Etch and Additions on Stone– roller control feathering in flats while maintaining detail in drawings, 15″ x 20″ Somerset warm white paper, edition of 12, 1 BAT, 3 TPs printed in different black inks
Project 4: Counter Etch and Additions on Stone-- roller control feathering in flats while maintaining detail in drawings, 15" x 20" Somerset warm white paper, edition of 12, 1 BAT, 3 TPs printed in different black inks (this was one of the few prints where the ink did not bronze on the drying rack)
Project 4: Counter Etch and Additions on Stone– roller control feathering in flats while maintaining detail in drawings, 15″ x 20″ Somerset warm white paper, edition of 12, 1 BAT, 3 TPs printed in different black inks
Project 5: Tusche Wash Test on Stone-- After completing a test on the water quality for tusche, this was a test on stone using Charbonnel High Grade, Charbonnel Stick, Charbonnel Coverflex, Korn's Stick, and Stones Paste, 15" x 22" Somerset, 12 impressions, 1 BAT, 1 TP
Project 5: Tusche Wash Test on Stone– After completing a test on the water quality for tusche, this was a test on stone using Charbonnel High Grade, Charbonnel Stick, Charbonnel Coverflex, Korn’s Stick, and Stones Paste, 15″ x 22″ Somerset, 12 impressions, 1 BAT, 1 TP
best water tusche reticulation and concentration (Charbonnel High Grade) on stone from previous test
best water tusche reticulation and concentration (Charbonnel High Grade) on stone from previous test
Project 6: Tusche Wash Test on ball grain aluminum plate-- could not keep the plate from oxidizing, hence the terrible reticulation--test using Charbonnel High Grade, Charbonnel Stick, Charbonnel Coverflex, Korn's Stick, and Stones Paste, 15" x 22" Somerset, 12 impressions, 1 BAT, 1 TP
Project 6: Tusche Wash Test on ball grain aluminum plate– could not keep the plate from oxidizing, hence the terrible reticulation–test using Charbonnel High Grade, Charbonnel Stick, Charbonnel Coverflex, Korn’s Stick, and Stones Paste, 15″ x 22″ Somerset, 12 impressions, 1 BAT, 1 TP
Project 05, continued: Miscellaneous tests on stone: lo shu (failed), water tusche (more control--still not great), and solvent tusches (lithotine was too greasy and alcohol, which worked but I burned the top square while etching improperly), 15" x 22" Somerset, 12 impressions, 1 TP, 1 BAT
Project 05, continued: Miscellaneous tests on stone: lo shu (failed), water tusche (more control–still not great), and solvent tusches (lithotine was too greasy and alcohol, which worked but I burned the top square while etching improperly), 15″ x 22″ Somerset, 12 impressions, 1 TP, 1 BAT
Project 06, continued: Miscellaneous tests on plate: lo shu (success!), water tusche (more control), and solvent tusches (lithotine was too greasy and alcohol, which worked but I burned the top square while etching improperly), 15" x 22" Somerset, 12 impressions, 1 TP, 1 BAT
Project 06, continued: Miscellaneous tests on plate: lo shu (success!), water tusche (more control), and solvent tusches (lithotine was too greasy and alcohol, which worked but I burned the top square while etching improperly), 15″ x 22″ Somerset, 12 impressions, 1 TP, 1 BAT
Collaboration I-- image drawn by Danielle Blevins using tusche I prepared, rubbing crayon and Korn's, 12 impressions, 1 BAT, 2 TPs (one of which became the ATP), 15" x 22" -- the printing base failed on this stone, so I actually had to switch bases and print from shellac instead of gum arabic.
Collaboration I– image drawn by Danielle Blevins using tusche I prepared, rubbing crayon and Korn’s, 12 impressions, 1 BAT, 2 TPs (one of which became the ATP), 15″ x 22″ — the printing base failed on this stone, so I actually had to switch bases and print from shellac instead of gum arabic.
Collaboration II-- image by Candice Corgan using toner wash and toner transfer on ball grain plates, printed on a white flat, 15" x 22" using punch registration, 1 TP, 2 CTP (one becomes ATP), BAT, 12 impressions, 3 runs
Collaboration II– image by Candice Corgan using toner wash and toner transfer on ball grain plates, printed on a white flat, 15″ x 22″ using punch registration, 1 TP, 2 CTP (one becomes ATP), BAT, 12 impressions, 3 runs
Project 9: Layering Ink Films-- 22" x 30" print using both stone and plate integrating a blend roll with a ruling pen margin. I used gum stop out and spray paint on stone, with a toner wash key layer. This was a back breaker. 2 TP, 1 CTP, BAT, edition of 12 with tare, printing on uncalendered paper.
Project 9: Layering Ink Films– 22″ x 30″ print using both stone and plate integrating a blend roll with a ruling pen margin. I used gum stop out and spray paint on stone, with a toner wash key layer. This was a back breaker. 2 TP, 1 CTP, BAT, edition of 12 with tare, printing on uncalendered paper.
Collaboration III: Transfer paper, silver leaf, pigment dusting-- not a true collaboration because we all made our images ourselves. This was a fun project that combined the three techniques listed above, 1 TP, 2 CTP, BAT, 12 impressions, 4 runs
Collaboration III: Transfer paper, silver leaf, pigment dusting– not a true collaboration because we all made our images ourselves. This was a fun project that combined the three techniques listed above, 15″ x 22″, Rives Tan, 1 TP, 2 CTP, BAT, 12 impressions, 4 runs
Project 10: Maniere Noire-- created a 2-up image on stone using different methods for flats, proofed, worked reductively into the stone, etched accordingly, printed one with chine colle. This was absolutely my least favorite assignment as one of my fields failed; BAT, 2 TPs, 12 impressions.
Project 10: Maniere Noire– created a 2-up image on stone using different methods for flats, proofed, worked reductively into the stone, etched accordingly, printed one with chine colle. This was absolutely my least favorite assignment as one of my fields failed; BAT, 2 TPs, 12 impressions.
Project 12: "Kitchen Sink" Egg Albumen on Stone, Xerox transfer, Acrylic reversal printed in Red, yellow and blue to create a true black and a billiard green, punch registration, 3 runs, 12 TPs on different white rag paper, 3 runs (my favorite project)
Project 12: “Kitchen Sink” Egg Albumen on Stone, Xerox transfer, Acrylic reversal printed in Red, yellow and blue to create a true black and a billiard green, punch registration, 3 runs, 12 TPs on different white rag paper, 3 runs (my favorite project)
Project 13: CMYK using photolitho plates, waterless lithography and pronto plates-- the same image was processed and printed using the techniques listed above. No noticeable difference in their printing other than the pronto plates broke down very quickly, 6"x 8" image size on Arches 88, 2 TP, BAT, 10 impressions, 4 runs, each (excluding pronto)
Project 13: CMYK using photolitho plates, waterless lithography and pronto plates– the same image was processed and printed using the techniques listed above. No noticeable difference in their printing other than the pronto plates broke down very quickly, 6″x 8″ image size on Arches 88, 2 TP, BAT, 10 impressions, 4 runs, each (excluding pronto)

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