Stars over Orr (Litho class #3)

Lithography stone, (ie that big limestone chunk) before printing on Wednesday. Since I'd never printed a litho stone before, I had no-idea how this would print or if it would even print. 

Ink roll up area w/paper and and timpan.

It took a couple of prints before I got the pressure and amount of ink right, but it was pretty interesting. This is how it printed. I really liked how the marks in the sky (made with a big old bent paintbrush; it's bristles had all separated out) ended up, and that the lines from the dip pen printed also. 

I printed an edition of 5 and then levigated the etch on the stone so I'll be starting a new image next week. So far I've changed my idea about 3 times so I'm going to sit down an plan it out this weekend. The name of this print is "Stars over Orr" because its loosely based on the Guild Wars 2 areas with the ruins and gigantic stone arches.  

As for the series on constellations (I'll decide on a good name soon!), this is my idea for Virgo, though the clothes might change a bit before it makes it to plate.

Life drawings & Etching update!

So despite the weather's desperate attempts to prevent me from getting to life drawing last Thursday , I still managed to get there if a bit late. The rest of these will go up on my facebook page but heres a couple that I quite liked. 

As for print work, I've started the first of two (perhaps more than two) plates for a new series of prints based on Zodiac characters and the constellations that their 30° divisions of space as seen from earth. Starting with Libra (the sign rather than the constellation), in his cloak are the constellations of Lupus, Ophiuchus, Scorpio, Virgo, Hydra, Serpens Caput and Centaurus. Somewhere else on his figure will be the astrological notation for libra ♎.   

First, I drew up some quick thumbnails and silhouettes in my sketchbook, did some research on the constellations in each sign's domain and tried out different poses and places for the star field to be placed- on the cloak, hair, skin, shawl, dress etc.

Then after drawing it up in Photoshop to my liking, I printed it out A6 size (same as the copper plate) and traced it onto the plate with the needle. Then, as shown in the image above, I laid down a light rosin aquatint and stopped out all the areas I wanted to remain clean with varnish- the background, the mantle and the constellation points.

5 minutes of etching later, the plate was ready for another round of stop out varnish. 

And after 2 printing proofs this is where it's at. I'm quite happy with the result though I should have let the aquatint be stronger on the cloak since it isn't quite as graphic as I expected. Next week I intend to re-aquatint it so that this time I get a light shade over the figure as well as the cloak, and also to deepen the tones in the star field. The 2nd print will be Virgo but more on that next week.

Dragon Age Inquisition comes out pretty soon, so I channeled my excitement for the game into trying out the official artwork's beautifully stylized Tarot cards. It was a fun exercise and in the future I might be tempted to include more abstract shapes within my work.


And finally, I've got some prints available to buy in the Belfast Print workshop Gallery , should you be in the city and want to see some of my older prints. There are several artist proofs and unique prints (non-edition ed) that I will be adding to my Etsy shop in the coming weeks so look forward to that! :)

-Sam

Printing and back in business!

Since coming back to Northern Ireland and completing my degree, it's taken me more time than I'd like to get back to working on projects and drawing but things are starting to settle down now. My formal graduation ceremony will take place in a couple of weeks back in Middlesbrough. Sadly, my laptop has been off with Dell for 5 weeks since the start of October for repairs and my digital painting practice has been suffering. On the other hand, I'm back 100% at the weekly life drawing classes and a new stone lithography class run by the Belfast Print Workshop.

Over the next five week's I'll be able to document my (likely eventful) journey of learning Stone Lithography and on through with my plans work in progress shots for a new series of etchings based on constellations and the zodiac signs.  I'll be taking whatever prints and odd pieces I have left in my drawer here at home down to the gallery at BPW to try and get something for them, rather than let them waste away in my studio, and others will soon appear in the etsy shop link to the top right of this page (how very exciting!).

Now for a visual catchup of some of the kind things I've been drawing (and making!) in the last couple of months!

-Sam