Beginners Plate Lithography

One day course 10am-4pm

Saturdays

10am – 4pm

Always wanted to try out stone lithography? Who could blame you!

This printmaking process gained popularity as the first one that allowed artists to naturally paint or draw directly onto a grained metal plate to create an image. With all its endless possibilities, it gets our vote!

How it works:

• You’ll draw/ paint onto a grained aluminium plate with a greasy substance (i.e. litho inks and crayons/pencils)
• The stone will be moistened with water. The parts of the stone unprotected by the greasy paint will soak up the water
• An oil-based ink will be rolled onto the plate. All the greasy parts of the plate will pick up the ink, the wet parts will not
• A piece of paper is pressed onto the plate. The ink transfers from the plate to the paper – voila!

What to expect in this workshop:

• A day long introduction to aluminium plate lithography
• Drawing and painting on the plate with greasy litho crayons and ink, each participant will see the process from beginning to the end print!
• Get the chance to experiment with this wonderfully expressive process
• Try out the collaborative plate where each participant gets their section to draw. The plate will be etched and printed on the day. Sections will be cut out to create a set that each guest gets to keep
• All materials and hot drinks are included. Just bring along some images or objects as inspiration

Put simply, plate lithography is all about drawing and painting onto aluminium plates that have a specially prepared surface and making prints from them. It’s an old-fashioned, hands-on method of printmaking and has been popular with some of the best…Pablo Picasso, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Henry Moore – just to name a few greats!

As lithography is so versatile, in this workshop everyone’s welcome to give it a go and enjoy the process. If you’re a graphic designer who wants to shake off the screen, a painter who wants to explore a graphic medium, or someone who wants to scratch a creative itch – lithography is ideal. To get you started, make sure you bring some images to work from, or have your sketchbook on hand. By the end of the workshop, you’ll have created some wonderful prints to take home and show off to all your friends.