Ready For Proofing

The momentum is flowing here in the studio and I've made it all the way to this point with my plate in a mater of a couple days.  For something of this size and detail, I think it's pretty good pace for me!




From this point I'm ready to do a first proof of the plate and then make the necessasary adjustments to values from there.  At this stage I think things are looking pretty good and should only need bumping of tones to get them where I want for the finished print.

Tomorrow I'll start work on another plate which is about 6 times larger than this one~

I'm Back!

I'm Back!

Thanks to a serious onslaught of freelance work, the move into a new home, and a baby.... it's been a good long minute since getting the opportunity to make anything! ;  let alone post about it :)

Anyways,  I'm back in attack for the next 3 months as I prepare for an upcoming exhibition late September.

As of 2 days ago, I've begun the process of preparing the first of a body of print-work I'm expecting to complete for the show.

While the show may or may not be exclusively mezzotint work, I'm staying true to working in this technique to start, and we'll see if thing diverge from there.  This small 4x6 plate is the beginning of what i'm hoping will be a series of  6-10  small prints in the same vein.

I'll be starting in on 4 larger 30cm x40cm plates next week that will follow the same tangent as this print completed earlier this year.



Enjoy!

Boat boy

I began work on the image for my most recent plate this week. I'm still fully developing my ideas for a series of work , but this is the first sneak-peak of what's to come.

New Plate!

After putting to rest an old project and having a successful opening, it's time to move onto new things! I'm looking to start pushing my work in a different direction through the winter and into the warmer months.

Working in Mezzotint will continue to be at the root of my creative process. With only a small number of artists actually out there and using this technique I've found it challenging to troubleshoot when things aren't going according to plans. I feel like I'm always learning new things with each project, and making new discoveries about bettering my process.

I was recently given this amazing book by artist and author Carol Wax about Mezzotint, and it's more or less the only book out there on the subject. If there were a bible for the technique, this would be it! It's been instrumental in helping me along the way, particularly as if late.

I'm currently experimenting with better ways to prepare the surface of my plates and really minimize the physical impact and strain it has on my body. I think I'm making great strides! Here's what I've found:

1. Rocker MUST be sharp! Also, Sharpen often. Below us a picture of the sharpening jig I made which has the rocker hook onto a mount and pivot from left to right across the sharpening stone at the same angle as the teeth of the rocker blade. Works like a charm!

2. Pressure MUST be consistent. I added a sharpening stone as a weight to my rocking pole to keep pressure constant and consistent... And it saves me on putting strain on my body!

3. Be precise about rocking directions. 0 deg, 15 deg , 30 deg, 45 deg.... And so on until a full rotation of the plate has been made.

As I take these considerations into account for prepping this plate, I'm seeing some real results which I think will really serve to help make the final print a great success! Below is also a picture of the plate texture that i'm creating.

Finally!

So i finally nailed it! After 3 laborious attempts at completing this print I finally got a good proof and I'll now print the edition. I'll leave it at that... What a relief!

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