wordquilt: Writing on stone

Mar 19, 2013

Writing on stone

A couple of weekends back I attended a collage workshop with Amanda Wilke at LeMoyne. She taught us how to do lithography. I don't see much future in it for me. But whenever I say that, sometime hence there you'll find me, immersed in what I first rejected. So I paid attention to Amanda.
After she showed us, we did it ourselves.

Once I took a printing class -- for an entire semester I studied ... well ... something about making magazines and newspapers out of paper and ideas. Some info I stored; most I shed. But I do remember that lithography means writing on stone. OK, now you've got me, Amanda. Can't do that with my iPad! Amanda assured me there are no stones involved. Any flat surface will do, so long as you can put greasy ink on top of it. The greasy ink prints, while the rest of the surface, being kind of wet, rejects the ink. That's the general idea of lithography, isn't it, Mr. Gutenberg? Oh, that's not your thing, Mr. G? Listen to Amanda then:

Lithography (Wear gloves)

Materials: glass, oil paint, gum Arabic (art supply store or order a big one from Graphic Chemical online), stand oil (I forget where you buy that -- probably an art store.)

1. Find a high-contrast image.

2. Make a copy of the image on a printer that is not ink-jet.

3. Brush gum Arabic over the image.

4. Sponge off the gum Arabic. Be gentle so it doesn't tear.

5.    Mix oil paint with stand oil to get it runny enough to coat the brayer. This is not always necessary. It depends on conditions, such as temperature and humidity. Your oil paint might work all by itself.
6.    Spread the ink on a piece of glass that has tape around the edges so you don't cut yourself. And "work" it until it is right for the brayer.
7.    Ink the brayer.