Roses, Drypoint on grey Rives BFK, 8″ print on 14×11″ paper, 2016
These roses were a thoughtful summer gift from Kelly Gargour, a painter at the League. They were a soft pink, profuse blooms on prickly arching stems. They started dropping their petals immediately, so temporally delicate. Their smell filled the room, fresh and sweet. I carried them back and forth from my apartment to the school so I could enjoy them as much as possible before they were gone.
Roses, Drypoint on white and grey Rives BFK, 14×11″ paper, 2016
What is Intaglio?
Simply put, there are two basic types of printmaking: prints made from the ink on top of the carved plate’s surface (like woodcuts). Woodcuts are a type of relief prints. The second type of printmaking is made from incised plates that are inked, then wiped off, leaving the ink in the crevices (like drypoint engravings). These are Intaglio prints. Drypoint is a type of intaglio.
For drypoint, after the plate is scribed, the entire top of the plate is covered with ink. The ink is then carefully removed, often with pieces of newsprint, and stiff cheesecloth. The process of wiping the ink takes time, between 15 to 45 minutes per print, and the wiping has a lot to do with the final result. Plate tone, line variance, and lifting techniques can do a lot to change the look of a print. Thankfully, Nikki Barber has been handling this part of the process for me. We talk about each print, to be sure I’m getting the results I want. She’ll darken some areas, lighten others. You can see the difference in the petals on the table, we left those with some plate tone so they’re a gentle gray.
Plate Tone?
One of the things I enjoy in these prints is the plate tone. Plate tone is a light haze of ink intentionally left on the surface of the plate which creates delicate areas of tone or shading. For highlights such as the pedals of a flower, the plate tone can be lifted off, creating a soft glow effect. Nikki experimented with various lift up methods, causing the pedals to glow, and the jug to appear slightly round or slightly flat.
Roses, Drypoint on white Rives BFK, 8″ print on 14×11″ paper, 2016
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.
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)
I know the rain is dreary, especially when our moods are pulled by pandemic, isolation, news. But the rain has rinsed the pollen from the air, and for that I am thankful. In class on Tuesday, Fran O’Neill shared a few of her favorite landscape paintings. She showed the Van Gogh above, one I haven’t …
If you’ve taken a class at the League you’ve received a friendly email from Lendy Hensley, our school’s provost. If you’ve been fortunate enough to have been in a class with Lendy, you know she’s the queen of making you feel fun and friendly, instantly at home. Lendy is the behind-the-scenes force that made the …
Thanks to those of you who sent me notice that the bees living on the roof of Notre Dame survived the fire. They got a bit drunk and sleepy, but they’re fine. I feel better. Thank you. From the BBC: Notre-Dame’s smallest residents have survived the devastating fire which destroyed most of the cathedral’s …
Previously I posted four masterwork studies drawn by Fran O’Neill and I challenged you to identify them. I don’t have a good memory for names, but I did recognize the works in a general way, and I was impressed when you named all but one. I admit I didn’t recognize the landscape but the scene …
Some Pretty Paintings: Roses
Roses, Drypoint on grey Rives BFK, 8″ print on 14×11″ paper, 2016
These roses were a thoughtful summer gift from Kelly Gargour, a painter at the League. They were a soft pink, profuse blooms on prickly arching stems. They started dropping their petals immediately, so temporally delicate. Their smell filled the room, fresh and sweet. I carried them back and forth from my apartment to the school so I could enjoy them as much as possible before they were gone.
Roses, Drypoint on white and grey Rives BFK, 14×11″ paper, 2016
What is Intaglio?
Simply put, there are two basic types of printmaking: prints made from the ink on top of the carved plate’s surface (like woodcuts). Woodcuts are a type of relief prints. The second type of printmaking is made from incised plates that are inked, then wiped off, leaving the ink in the crevices (like drypoint engravings). These are Intaglio prints. Drypoint is a type of intaglio.
Inking a Drypoint Plate
Plate Tone?
Roses, Drypoint on white Rives BFK, 8″ print on 14×11″ paper, 2016
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.
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
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I know the rain is dreary, especially when our moods are pulled by pandemic, isolation, news. But the rain has rinsed the pollen from the air, and for that I am thankful. In class on Tuesday, Fran O’Neill shared a few of her favorite landscape paintings. She showed the Van Gogh above, one I haven’t …
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If you’ve taken a class at the League you’ve received a friendly email from Lendy Hensley, our school’s provost. If you’ve been fortunate enough to have been in a class with Lendy, you know she’s the queen of making you feel fun and friendly, instantly at home. Lendy is the behind-the-scenes force that made the …
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Thanks to those of you who sent me notice that the bees living on the roof of Notre Dame survived the fire. They got a bit drunk and sleepy, but they’re fine. I feel better. Thank you. From the BBC: Notre-Dame’s smallest residents have survived the devastating fire which destroyed most of the cathedral’s …
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Previously I posted four masterwork studies drawn by Fran O’Neill and I challenged you to identify them. I don’t have a good memory for names, but I did recognize the works in a general way, and I was impressed when you named all but one. I admit I didn’t recognize the landscape but the scene …