lithography research

Lithography uses simple chemical processes to create an image. For instance, the positive part of an image is a hydrophobic, or "water hating" substance, while the negative image would behydrophilic or "water loving". Thus, when the plate is introduced to a compatible printing ink and water mixture, the ink will adhere to the positive image and the water will clean the negative image. This allows a flat print plate to be used, enabling much longer and more detailed print runs than the older physical methods of printing (e.g., intaglio printing, Letterpress printing).

Lithography was invented by Alois Senefelder in Bohemia in 1796. In the early days of lithography, a smooth piece of limestone was used (hence the name "lithography"—"lithos" (λιθος) is the ancient Greek word for stone). After the oil-based image was put on the surface, a solution of gum arabic in water was applied, the gum sticking only to the non-oily surface. During printing, water adhered to the gum arabic surfaces and avoided the oily parts, while the oily ink used for printing did the opposite.

Lithographic crayons and pencils are manufactured in a range from very soft and greasy through to being very hard and dry. As a consequence mark-making is potentially limitless and they can be used to great effect to develop drawings of varying character. Considerable detail and full range of tone from the subtlest grey to the densest black can be achieved. Rubbing crayon which is commonly applied to the surface of stone using rag may also achieve soft smudgy atmospheric effects similar to that found in charcoal drawing and a good example of its use can be seen in the print Quotidian by Donald Furst.

The liquid drawing ink known as tusche is favoured by many lithographers as it will dry and reticulate on the surface of the stone in the most astonishing manner, creating exaggerated web-like patterning on the surface of the stone.



Here is a very good tutorial on how to create a lithographic print.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHw5_1Hopsc

research: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithography
http://www.spgw.co.uk/characteristics4.html

artists:
rex ray: http://www.globalgallery.com/search.php?af=rex+ray

Sarah June Change: http://www.globalgallery.com/enlarge/25031/

Robert Rauschenberg: http://www.globalgallery.com/enlarge/89764/

Impasto | Love Will Set Me Free

thick paint (impasto) research

     There are many different techniques used in order to achieve thick paint, but impasto is one technique that is used most often. This technique allows one to make a thickly textured paint that almost gives a three-dimensional appearance. It leaves visible brush strokes in the finished painting, and in most cases, the brush strokes are more important than the subject matter. Impasto is usually painted on a canvas, and if you look on the side of the painting you can usually see globs of paint sticking out from the canvas. Also, from the front of the painting, the impasto paint is highlighted by natural light in the room. Most impasto paintings are expressive and abstract works of art.

     Oil paint is most commonly used when achieving the impasto painting technique, due to its thickness and slow drying time. But, it is also possible to paint with the impasto technique using acrylic, watercolor, and tempera. Tempera needs a thickening agent because of it is thin in nature. 

• When thick layers of pigment are left to dry slowly, wrinkling or cracking of the paint film may occur. To avoid this, use a fast-drying alkyd medium or one specially designed for impasto work. These mediums thicken the paint without changing its colour, expedite the drying process and make the paint go further. Excessively oily paint usually makes it awkward to achieve highly textured impasto brushstrokes. In such a case, squeeze the paint onto absorbent paper and leave it for a few minutes. The paper will absorb the surplus oil lending the paint a stiffer consistency.
     
• Flat bristle or synthetic brushes are ideal for impasto work, because they hold a lot of paint. Load your brush with plenty of colour and dab it onto the canvas, working the brush in all directions, thus creating a sculptural texture.
    
• For extra texture, mix sand and sawdust with oil paint to create a highly impastoed surface. You can also make expressive marks by scratching into the wet paint with a palette knife, the end of a brush handle or any sharp tool.
     
• If your oil painting becomes clogged with too much paint, the surplus can be removed when still wet by a technique known as 'tonking'. Simply place a sheet of newspaper, toilet-tissue or other absorbent paper, onto the overloaded area and gently smooth with the back of your hand. Then peel off the paper, lifting the excess paint with it.
     
• Once your impasted layer is completely dry, you can glaze over it with a thin film of paint mixed with a glaze medium. However, in order to prevent cracking, the glaze medium must contain more oil than the layers underneath.

research:

http://emptyeasel.com/2007/07/26/what-is-impasto-thick-textured-paint/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impasto

http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/painting/impasto-technique.htm

artists:

VAN GOGH- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh. Vincent Van Gogh was one of the pioneers in using the impasto technique to create an expressive work of art. He used thick layers of paint and relied on the strokes to speak the expression he was trying to achieve. I've always admired his work and the expressive nature they take on. To see his works of art, go here: http://www.vangoghgallery.com/

RODERIC O'CONOR- http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/irish-artists/roderic-oconor.htm Roceric O'Conor was a Francophile, an exponent of Post-Impressionism, and one of the greatest Post-Impressionists in the history of Irish art. O'Conor spent more of his life in France than any other Irish painter and unquestionably belongs to the sunny 'Post-Impressionist' world of the turn of the century. Inspired and engaged by the use of colour, his bold colors and color combinations give his work the stamp of true individuality. To look at his works of art, go here: http://www.google.com/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=roderic+o'conor&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=tlpZTe-pOom-sAORlIGdDA&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=5&ved=0CEIQsAQwBA&biw=1024&bih=910&safe=active

FRANK AUERBACH- http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/famous-artists/frank-auerbach.htm Auerbach is usually classed as a Neo-Expressionist and is known for his semi-abstract portraits and London cityscapes. Along with Lucian Freud (b.1922) and Francis Bacon (1909-92), Auerbach has become one of the leading figures in post war British art, and is internationally recognised. His paintings display heavy impasto brushstrokes and are built up layer over layer involving scraping and repainting. Employing delicate colour and tone, he creates powerfully evocative and contemplative works. It has been said that if drips are associated with Jackson Pollock (1912-56), and spots with Georges Seurat (1859-91), so gashes of thick paint are associated with Frank Auerbach. His brushstroke and thick use of impasto aligns his work with Expressionism. Over the years he has increased the amount of paint he applies to canvas, resulting in the comments that his painting is more akin to sculpture (with influences of Alberto Giacometti 1901-66 and Karel Appel (1921-2006). More recently the artist has started scraping back some of the paint as he works. His drawings also show an influence of sculpture, in the fact that he layers pages of paper on top of each other, sometimes resulting in as much as half an inch in thickness. To see his works of art, go here: http://www.marlboroughfineart.com/artist-Frank-Auerbach-52.html

dry brush | my teapot collection

dry brush and scumbling research

One of the easiest and most exciting ways for a painter to create light is to use the technique scumbling.

This technique works great with both acrylic and oil paint. In preparation for scumbling start with a dark and dry underpainting. Scumbling is a technique using:

1. A dry brush.

2. A lighter color than the dark, dry surface.

3. Towels to wipe off excess color from the brush.

4. And the skill to deftly drag the brush while applying paint.

You start by taking a dry brush, using no medium, mix a color which is lighter than your underpainting. Then wipe off excess color on a paper towel, leaving a lightly tinted brush. Then delicately drag the brush over the area that you want to lighten.

You don't want to swirl gobs of paint around.

It is important to make this a one shot deal. If you apply too many layers, one immediately following the other, the paint begins to blend - destroying the airy gauze-like look. 

The scumbling technique allows for endless editing, and it can achieve a high level of realistic detail. If you are not happy with your scumbling results, let the canvas dry, paint back over the area in a dark wash, toning it down to the desired effect. After the paint is dry go back and scumble again. And repeat this as often as necessary to get ultimate results. 

Francis Bacon: http://www.leninimports.com/francis_bacon_bio.html

Francis Bacon was well known for his scumbling technique. His work was very dramatic and riveting. I like that he used this technique to achieve the look he wanted. It added depth and a feel that couldn't be achieved any other way besides the scumbling technique. To look at his images of work, go here: http://www.leninimports.com/francis_bacon_gallery.html

Diego Velázquez: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diego_Velázquez

Diego Velazquez was another artist whom often used the scumbling technique. Undoubtedly, Spaniard Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez is one of the most important figures in painting history. His innovative brushwork and direct manner of painting were revolutionary, creating a sense of atmosphere and energy in his work which led to more than one contemporary commenting that while others painted art, Velázquez painted "truth". Since his rediscovery in the early nineteenth century, Velázquez and his method have inspired countless young artists, from Manet and the Impressionists, through Whistler, Sorolla, Sargent, and many, many more. To look at his work go here: http: http://www.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&biw=1024&bih=894&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=diego+velazquez&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=

Dry Brush refers to a watercolor painting technique in which a little bit of painting is put on a dry brush. When applied it produces a scratchy effect. In Dry Brush most of the liquid is taken out of the brush to produce a soft feathery kind of effect. The technique is used to create a variety of textured surfaces such as foliage, bark, stone, clouds etc. In Dry Brush painting the brush is just dipped in water and using a paper towel most of the paint is removed from the brush.

Techniques of Dry Brush painting-

• The Brush should be moved rapidly across the paper
• The paint must be damp
• The brush should be barely filled with paint
• To make the color go faster in sideways very light touch should be employed.
• Dry Brush technique utilizes no water or medium other than paint to wet the brush.

Andrew Wyeth: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Wyeth

Andrew Wyeth was a realist painter using the technique dry brush. Museum exhibitions of Wyeth's paintings have set attendance records. 

He was one of the best-known U.S. artists of the middle 20th century, and was sometimes referred to as the "Painter of the People," due to his work's popularity with the American public.

To look at his work, go here: http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&q=andrew+wyeth&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1024&bih=894&safe=active

research: http://www.artinstructionblog.com/watercolor-drybrush-technique-by-ottorino-de-lucchi

               http://newberryworkshop.com/Tutorial/scumble/scumble.html
               http://www.learntoart.com/index.php/archives/painting/dry-brushing/

                 

silk screen | mother hen