Art Education Lessons
Square HOME Square PRINTMAKING
Printmaker:

Introduction to Lithography
by Angelise Sutherland
 
                                               

            Printmaking has been around for centuries. Prints in the form of reliefs can be traced back as far as Ancient Egypt where the pictures were carved into wood and made into stamps (SITE).  This type of art transformed over the years and developed different branches of the same art form. One of these “branches” turned into lithography
            Lithography is derived from the Greek words “λιθος” (read lithos) meaning rock and “γράφω ” (read grapho) meaning writing. The concept of lithography is just that.  Today, lithography is most commonly used in printing just about any smooth surfaced
Printmakers that use this method will normally take lithography stones (normally created from limestone) or zinc plates. These plates will normally be roughened or brushed before the printmaker begins the etching process.  The printmaker normally will take a needle tool and follow where they want the dark places to be. Then the etched stone (or plate) is covered with a photosensitive solvent. When the plate begins to sizzle or bubble they printmaker will know that it has begun the dissolving stage. Once the bubbles slowly halt they will know that the plate is ready to be taken from the solvent liquid and ready to start printing. Sometime the printmaker will choose to go through with a “second etching” but it isn’t necessary.
Continuing with this procedure, the printmaker (after rubbing the stone down) will take the stone or plate that has been etched, soaked in the solvent, and rubbed down and immediately ink it using a flat surface to get the ink to cover the surface completely.
The process of inking is also very important. In Printmaking: History and Process, printmakers are encouraged to apply a strip of ink to the top of the plate and allow the roller to travel into the strip and to pick up some fresh ink every three or four impressions. Another method mentioned was to apply ink directly to the roller.  After the ink is spread out evenly over the entire plate the printmaker will wipe off any excess ink (meaning any of the ink that isn’t in the etched out sketch, so the majority of the ink on the plate normally). The wiped off plate will need to be kept damp with a sponge or a damp cloth before printing the first proof. Then the printmaker will place a sheet of newsprint down, then the paper and the plate on top. Then they will place a blotter (normally a thick piece of material) on top of the plate and roll it through the press.
Once the print has been run many printmakers will use the same plate to rum many more prints consecutively. Some may even change the ink color so as to run colored prints to add pizzazz to their collection.
There are many other forms of lithography, however I only focused on one technique to this printmaking form. To conclude, I mentioned what lithography is most common for as well as explained the process to the printmaking process of running lithography prints.

 

Works Cited
Page, Gloria. Art Stamping Workshop: Create Hand-carved Stamps for Unique Projects on Paper, Fabric, Polymer Clay and More. Cincinnati, OH: North Light, 2006. Print.
Peterdi, Gabor. Printmaking : Methods Old and New. New York: Macmillan, 1980. Print.
Saff, Donald, and Dely Sacilotto. Printmaking: History and Process. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1978. Print.

ff



f

f


Lost Art Student © | All rights reserved