These processes focus on using drawn or painted marks to produce intaglio plates. Sugar lift is a traditional method for achieving a direct painted mark on a plate. We will expand on that idea using pencils, oil pastels, and oil paint to make marks onto the plate. It is also possible to incorporate imagery made by other methods like relief or monotype by offsetting the ink onto our intaglio plates before grounding. What we draw as black, will print as black.
Unlike traditional lift grounds, our varnish will be aqueous so our oily marks will resist and lift away before etching. We will be making our own acrylic ground that can also be used with a needle, like a traditional hard ground.
The lift processes work well on any metal but we will be using aluminum and a relatively new etchant made from copper sulfate and salt. Aluminum has the unique property of aquatinting itself, removing the need for dusting rosin.
These processes and materials broaden the printmaker’s visual language while being safe and inexpensive
| Caran d’Ache – Grafstone – 6B | Prismacolor – Premier |
| Koh-i-Noor – Progresso – 9B | Faber Castell – Polychromos |
| Lyra – Graphite Crayon – 9B | Derwent – Coloursoft |
| Caran d’Ache – Grafwood – 9B | Caran d’Ache – Pablo |
| Staedtler – Mars Lumograph – 6B | Derwent – Lightfast |
| Tombow – Mono – 2B | Lyra – Rembrandt Polycolor |
| Cretacolor – Fine Art Graphite – 8B | Erengi – oil pastel |
| Faber Castell – Pitt Matt – 14B | Winsor & Newton – Winton – trace monotype |
| Caran d’Ache – Grafcube – 9B | Winsor & Newton – Winton – offset monotype |
| Pentel – Mechanical lead 0.5mm – 4B |
Ground
- 2 parts Liquitex High Gloss Varnish
- 3 parts Liquitex Pouring Medium
- 5 parts Distilled Water
Method
- The ground is poured onto the plate and the plate stood vertical for around one minute to drain, then laid flat to dry.
- The plate is then heated to around 100 degrees F for 15-20 minutes
- Drawing materials are lifted away with Gamsol, scrubbing with brushes and paper towels.
- Plate is then heated again 15-20 minutes.
- Plate etched in copper sulfate etchant 20 minutes.