Lithography: Intermediate and Advanced
Adult Class | FULL
Lithography ~ (invented in 1798 by Aloys Senefelder) This form of printmaking is based on the simple physical law that oil and water will not mix. Lithography is a planographic medium. The stone or plate from which the print is made is completely flat. The artist uses a greasy drawing material to make an image on this surface; the surface is then chemically treated so that only the drawn image will accept the printing ink. The undrawn areas of the stone (by virtue of the same etch) will accept water. The non-image area must be kept damp with water while rolling ink onto the image area (drawing) in order to yield identical impressions. Although the solution used for this is called an “etch”, its effect is not to bite into the stone (as in an etching made on a zinc plate), but only to separate chemically the image and non-image areas.
What you will learn:
1. The physical preparation of a litho stone including leveling and graining.
2. Traditional and non-traditional dry and wet drawing techniques for use in stone lithography.
3. The basic, chemical principles behind stone lithography and stone processing for printing.
Start the term with these supplies:
• Korn’s Litho Pencils, Nos. 1,2,3,4,5 (1 each)
• Korn’s Litho Crayons, Nos. 00,0,1,2,3,4,5 (1 each)
• Korn’s Lithographic Rubbing Ink
Note: Stones” litho drawing materials may be substituted for “Korn’s” litho materials.
• Watercolor brushes
• Small bamboo shaft brush (no metal parts) for etching stone
• Pack of single-edged razor blades
• Etching needle (or similar)
• Etching scraper (or a curved blade X-Acto, or pocket knife)
• Roll of masking tape (1” wide)
• Straight pen & nib (for tusche line drawing)
• 3M Sponges, fine pore (I’ll explain)
• Ball of fine steel wool (#0000) ask me
• 2” wide (or >) soft brush (to keep stone clean while drawing)
An assortment of rag content printing papers; I recommend:
• Arches Cover White and Buff (22”x30”)
• Rives BFK White, Tan, Cream, etc. (22”x30”)
• Newsprint: 18”x 24” to suit proofing & printing needs (replenish as necessary)
• 1” flexible-blade putty knife
• You will need a shop apron or lab coat.
Local Suppliers:
• Artist & Craftsman Supply, #267-861-6008, 307 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
• Blick Art Materials, #215-545-3214, 1330 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Catalogs/ Mail Order/ Web:
• Renaissance Graphic Arts, Inc, #215-357-5705, #1-888-3398, E-mail: pat@printmaking-materials.com, 69 Steamwhistle Drive, Ivyland, PA 18974
• Graphic Chemical and Ink Co.: #1-800-465-7382, E-mail: GraphChem@aol.com
• Takach Press, Inc, (on-line catalog)