Drypoint, the art of scratching a shiny surface with a pointy thing, seemed to me to be an easy form of printmaking because I can draw with said pointy thing, and I don’t need to use any chemicals or excessive equipment. Honestly, though I thought I should give it a try, I really thought I wouldn’t like drypoint because every time I heard the word “drypoint” I imagined nails on a chalkboard, and most of the prints labeled as “drypoints” seemed less rich and subtle than the etchings that I admired. I was wrong. Nikki Barber informed me that people often misuse the word etching (a chemical process) because it sounds better than drypoint (a scratchity process), and many of the prints I had thought were etchings were actually mislabeled drypoints.

 

In drypoint, the scribe (that’s the pointy thing) digs lines into the plate. Each line has a burr, like a pile of dirt next to a fresh ditch. I have the option of making a clean clear line (no burr) or digging into the plate to make a big burr. The burr holds extra ink, making a soft velvety area around each line. This, to me, is delicious. So while the word “drypoint” brought up ideas of awful nail-on-chalkboard scratching, and yes that is an accurate description of the sound, the actual prints can be soft and subtle and textured, crisp and clean, or (my favorite) a combination of both. Nikki also showed me how the process of wiping the ink has a lot to do with the final result. Plate tone, line variance, and lifting techniques can to a lot to change the look of a print. https://youtu.be/jlbTvgdEXqs I did some scribing on copper, and some on plexiglass. I enjoy the look and feel of the copper plate (and doesn’t it look classy?) But to my surprise, the prints on plexi looked about the same as the prints on copper. I had also thought that copper would make more prints, but turns out I was wrong again. Copper might make a couple more, but really each plate can only make about ten prints before the burrs have all been pressed out and the plate is done. Only ten prints! I thought these suckers could be printed indefinitely. I see now how precious they are. The act of printing them makes them fade away, each one lighter than the one before, each hand-wiping of the ink as individual as a painting. They really are originals. https://youtu.be/S4CTGrS3Qxs I think I might be approaching 20 different (and rather pretty) drypoint images for Some Pretty Paintings, my solo show at Smith & Vallee Gallery in January. The drypoints are printed in collaboration with Nikki Barber and are printed in editions – between 3 and 10 prints per image.

I’ll post one artwork per day through December. Please share and enjoy these images.

If you’d like to have one of these original drypoint prints for yourself or a friend, they are only $125, and you can have it in time for the holidays. Contact me if you’d like me to save one for you.

See you in January!
Ruthie V. [divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default” custom_height=”30

Some Pretty Paintings         

A collection of figures and flowers in paintings and prints

Show opens January 5, 2019
Show up through January 27th
Artist Talk Saturday, January 5th (3:30-4:30pm)
Opening Reception to follow (5-7pm)

Smith & Vallee Gallery
5742 Gilkey Ave, Edison
(360) 766-6230
Open Daily 11-5
www.smithandvalleegallery.com