Friday's print

Friday's print, titled Starbucks Lasses. I'm alarmed by the success of this plate, as I had no idea how it would turn out, (well, I had some idea), but didn't think it would have such rich dark tones. I used a cloth to push into the soft wax ground to get a jumper texture, which is quite subtle but you can just about see on the right hand figure.

It is 40x16cm.

Original small drawing

I started to draw the scene, and concentrated on the hilly nature of the view. Then a lady came to have a nosey and so explained what I was doing. After that I decided to move a little down the hill because the view which was most interesting was one I saw every time I crossed the road from the bus stop. Finally, its on paper after 3 years!

Across the road

This is my next project- the view across the road from my flat in London. I'm undecided about whether to do an aquatint or drypoint.

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Aquatint.

Success with the aquatint!

Well, well, well, after wondering why some of my prints had been a bit of a worry with the aquatint, I realised that the attractive speckly effect on them was because of the interference of grease and rosin. So, after a bit of expert guidance I have started gently tickling the plate with Flash Lemon All Purpose Cleaner solution and a big soft brush. Now I'm starting to get accurate effects on my etchings, and lots of stress has been removed.

Both prints: Levens Hall, Cumbria, UK. 30x20cm aquatint

Banners etching gets the watercolour treatment

This trio is from a single etching of Banners Restaurant in London, with watercolour added. It can completely change the mood of an image.

The Treasurers House, York

On a very hot day I went to hide in the coolness of the garden at the Treasurers House, York. I used a Tombow brush pen and a Khadi drawing pad, and tried to draw the scene with different marks, so to keep the variety on the page. This will probably be turned into an etching. The drawing is 48x16cm.

Etching of Banners Restaurant

My latest print, from an original drawing of Banners Restaurant in London. Its a really crazy Jamaican/French/ad hoc sort of restaurant in Crouch End.

The print is 40x16cm. The little prints are done by masking certain areas to get a fragment of the scene. It took me right back to doing pre-photoshop tricks at college in 1990.

Scary pollarded trees

This is a conte pastel drawing of the pollarded willows in Gray's Court, York. The building itself is approximately 400 years old, and has a yard with angular stunted willow trees. As I kept looking they became increasingly sinister and imposing...

The drawing is 48cm wide and will hopefully become an etching.

Back garden trees

The back garden at mum and dad's home.

Embankment etching

This is the latest print, made this week, of the Victoria Embankment Gardens in London. If you follow this blog you might know that this is a favourite spot of mine, between the Strand and the river.

The print is 25x25cm, and has aquatint and some good accidental stippling, probably done with foul bite.

Hull Trains

I've always loved drawings people have made while travelling, so here is my exciting journey on Hull Trains Selby to London.

Small drawing of tree masses

This image was running around in my head for a week, so I decided to exorcise it by putting it on paper...

Yorkshireman

This is a quick sketch of a chap sitting on the bus.

Garden in York

This is the beautiful garden of the print studio. It has a giant pine tree, and lots of rare species apple trees; and not forgetting the 14 chickens and loads of sheep.

Etching

This is a print version of the La Perla cocktail bar drawing posted in May. Its size is about 30x13cm. A little more work will be done to the hands at the bottom left edge, and darkening to the fans in the centre.

London drawings, now in colour

I've just returned from a short stay in London, it was very hot and so spent my time in the shade. These drawings are coloured with watercolour and Neocolour I crayons. I wanted to show the beautiful bright colours of summer in London, especially the unbelievably strong green of the leaves in Victoria Embankment Park.

Primrose Bakery, Tavistock Street, (7mins walk from Victoria Embankment Gardens)

How to find the gardens:

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=530502&Y=180576&A=Y&Z=106

Busy drawing in London

Friday, after enjoying some cake and tea with my good friend Smiljka at the Primrose Bakery in Tavistock Street, Covent Garden.

As it was such a lovely weekend in London, I decided to sit in Embankment Gardens, behind the Strand, and grapple with the huge linden trees. (the musical entertainment was a brass band playing a fantastic medley of all things Cockerney. Bill Bailey would have been proud, they even had the cockney trombone!

Etching process explained, as promised.

Here are my adventures in printmaking explained. Hope you understand it, I've kept it simple but if you'd like to know more feel free to email me.

Nb, I forgot to say that before you put the soft ground (stage 1) you should gently clean the plate with water and a gentle degreaser, such as Flash general purpose cleaner (liquid, not the slightly abrasive white Cif or Jif cream type). It can be done with a clean household paintbrush and water so it has a slight lather to it and make a gentle circular brushing movement across the plate. If you are doing an aquatint the plate needs to be degreased before again in the same way. 

Poppies

This is the fantastic outrageously bright red poppy in the garden. I wanted to get all the different patterns on the flower, and keep it fresh and relaxed. The flowers to the left are about to pop out, bright red petals are squeezing the casing apart day by day.

Final stage of the pear tree etching

This is the end result of the peartree saga posted on this blog.

I'll post some photos of the process next week. It involved:

re-biting the plate to darken some thick lines

covering it in nice poisonous powdered pine sap (called rosin), and nearly getting covered in it myself

trying not to set fire to the studio with a gas jet to melt the rosin

covering it in thick gooey varnish in different stages, to get the different dark areas.

cleaning it with meths, which turns my stomach a bit.

Over all, great fun!