TRADITIONAL INTAGLIO PRINTMAKING on copper plates
Intaglio describes any printmaking technique in which the image is produced by incising into the printing plate. Intaglio Printmaking refers to a printing method in which the printing elements are all below the plate surface, having been cut, scratched, engraved, or etched into the plate.
We offer Introductory, Intermediate and Advanced Courses in different forms of Intaglio Printmaking.
INDIRECT TECHNIQUES ON COPPER PLATES
DIRECT TECHNIQUES ON COPPER (non toxic methods)
PRINTING PROCESSES
INDIRECT TECHNIQUES ON COPPER PLATES
Hard Ground Etching (Beginners)
Line Drawing
First steps on copper plates
This course is ideal for complete beginners willing to learn step by step the intaglio printmaking process.
3 Days
Aquatint (Basic)
Tonal effects on gray scale
First steps on copper plates
Aquatint is used for creating tones and it’s composed of fine particles of rosin or asphalt.
3 Days
Etching & Aquatint
First steps on copper plates
Learn the basics about line drawing & painterly intaglio printmaking. No previous knowledge is required.
3 Days
Soft Ground Etching
Soft Ground + Ziegler method
You can develop a composition through lines, textures and tones. The artist draws on a piece of paper and when the paper is lifted, it removes the wax where the pencil pressed. We will show you how to make imprints of other things besides a pencil, like leaves or other thin objects with texture.
You will also learn how to print multiple color plates with a perfect registration.
2 Days
Transferring images
Transferring copies
You will learn how to transfer copies (line drawing and high contrast black and white images) onto copper plates.
3 Days
Aquatint Variations
Previous knowledge of intaglio etching is required
Sugar lift Aquatint
Painterly effects, expressive and dynamic strokes
You can draw straight to the plate by using brushes and other tools, playing with the thickness and fluidity of the line. This method give rise to spontaneous and varied results.
3 Days
Toner aquatint
Get into a wide range of tones, textures and shadows
The toner powder creates a microdot pattern like an irregular grid. This technique consists of manual creation of watercolours with brush, to get a wide range of tones, textures and shadows.
3 Days
White ground aquatint
This course brings us to one of the slopes of the aquatint technique which involves drawing the image on the plate with soap to get variations of tonal values, at once, from the clearest to darkest, playing with wash effects.
5 Days
Complementary courses
Soft Ground
(complementary course to any Intaglio course)
Texture addition
Use the soft ground technique as a complement to make your plates richer.
1 Day
Spit Bite Aquatint
(complementary course to any Aquatint course)
A delicate wash effect
We can show you how to bite the plate unevenly, by creating a soft tone on the background.
1 Day
DIRECT TECHNIQUES ON COPPER (non toxic methods)
Drypoint
Drawing straight on a plate, without acid
First steps on copper plates
Drypoint is created by using a tip to scratch the surface of the metal. Drypoint is done without acid, drawing directly on a copper plate. It requires a certain skill for inking the plate properly.
2 Days
Mezzotint
From solid black to midtones and highlights
Mezzotint is a direct technique where a metal plate is scratched so that it prints solid black. Midtones and highlights are then scraped and burnished back into the plate to create the image.
2 Days
PRINTING PROCESSES
Intaglio printing process (Basic)
This workshop is aimed to learn the professional printing process step by step. Learn the tips from our master printers.
1 Day
Intaglio color printing. Multiple plates registration system (Advanced)
Learn advanced intaglio printing processes, including“Chine collé”, Inking “a la poupée”, Multiplates, Roll-up. Let’s print multiple plates with a perfect registration system.
3 Days
Chine collé
Chine collé can be used in contemporary printmaking
adhering a thin paper under the ink during the printing process. As a result we obtain a richer image in textures and chromatics.
3 Days