Part 4: Project 11 - Making a Test Collagraph Block

 Test Collagraph:

For this first test collagraph and thought about what object might make interesting marks and collected the following items:

• Wool
• Cotton Buds
• Demerara sugar
• Buttons
• Shredded tissue paper
• Pins
• Pencil Shavings
• Dried noodles
• Fine pencil shavings
• Dried Long spaghetti
• Poppers
• Oats
• Bobby Pins
• Thick wool
• Dried rice
• Matchsticks

Items placed into sections of an A3 board and glued down with pva and later varnished with another layer of pva to seal.

Starting to ink the text collagraph.

Prints

I really didn't know how this was going to print, I had read in printmaking books that you shouldn't use objects that were too deep as it would not print very well, so I was concerned that I had picked the wrong things. I chose to use a black water-based ink by Essdee to print this first one. The ink went on really well and after soaking and blotting the paper (Winsor and Newton Cartridge paper) the print came out so well. I was really pleased with how clear most of the objects were and the textures they created.

Being an abstract painter in my personal work, the patterns really appealed to me. I could see them being used for collage papers!

Cotton buds

Long spaghetti and fine pencil shavings

Wool and bobby pins.

**Updated Photo:

Ghost Prints:

I took a couple of ghost prints at the end to blot the ink off the collagraph using Newsprint.

Polyfiller Collagraphs:

The next test collagraphs I made were made with Poly Filler and a triangle card to create marks.

I created three of these, using different marks and tools to create those marks such as the tips of paint brushes to create the circles and palette knives to score and blend. This was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the consistency of the Poly Filler, it was so smooth yet thick enough to create some lovely textures.

Texture Gel Collagraphs:

I bought a couple of different mediums to use as well. I wanted to see the different textures they created and what could be achieved.

This felt like snow, crunchy and very wet. I created lots of interesting patterns in this with an orange stick and palette knife.

Modelling Paste Collagraph:

Modelling paste collagraph plate inked. 

Textures made with a palette knife.

To apply the ink to the collagraph's I made  my own dabbers out of wadding and calico tied together with scrap ribbon. They worked really well!

Prints:

Pollyfiller collagraphs. I experimented with using more than one colour on the last one, which worked really well. Unfortunately the blotting paper I used got stuck to it and ruined it.

These were the prints from the texture gel. I was really disappointed with how these turned out. All the marks and textures I made haven't really showed up. Mostly speckles which as still useful but not what I expected. I think the ink just picked up the highest points which resulted in this speckled look.

These were the modelling paste collagraph prints. I am really pleased with how bold these came out, I will definitely use this in my final collagraph.

**Updated Photo:

Reflection:

Creating these test collagraphs have been really informative as to what can be achieved with different objects and mediums. I found the process quite fun and the printing went a lot better since I swapped my inks to a different brand (Essdee) with larger tubes so I had more ink to use. I enjoyed making the collagraphs much more than other parts of the course, because they allowed me to explore my interest of abstraction further and my interest of pattern and collage. I'm now taking all this information into the next project to create my Collagraph.