Psst… want to see my etchings? Drypoint on a budget

I’ve been experimenting with drypoint printing technique – I had to search out my college notes to review the technique I first learnt there. I’m developing drypoint on a budget, so no special press or acrylic plates. Drypoint for the uninitiated is where a design is etched into a suitable material (typically perspex) before filling the resulting grooves with ink, wiping off the excess and then printing onto paper. Further prints can be taken by reinking the plate and repeating the printing process until the burrs from the etching flatten and the ink no longer stays in the grooves.

Here are four individual prints of my first go, printed on different papers. Technically, I don’t think drypoint prints are normally coloured after printing but I have used a light touch with some coloured pencils to augment the final card.

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Zenspired Monograms

At the beginning of the year I decided to join in one of these ‘pay it forward’ type of messages that flew round Facebook during January. I don’t know if any of the five that are about to receive the actual versions of the following works follow my blog – if they do, their surprise will be lessened, but hopefully the anticipation heightened! I’ve spent roughly 2-3 hours on each of the Strathmore Tiles 4″X4″(Toned Gray), drawing each with Pigma Micron pens, Signo white gel pens and shading with Stabilo Aquarellable white and black pencils. The style was inspired by the book, Zenspirations by Joanne Fink.

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