Adventures In Drypoint, redux

Back in July I promised a drypoint etching on this blog (thought I’d forgotten, eh?). Well, here it is! I promise, I deliver–even if the delivery comes 7 months later. But hey, this is why my readers have to faithfully keep checking in on my little blog. You never know what you might find next, amiright?

Ok, down to business.

“Lora 2” – drypoint etching on Stonehenge paper & Akua inks. ©Katie Kath 2023.

One of the reasons why this post was so long in the works was because after an initial failed attempt (and two sore wrists later) at doing a drypoint print sans printing press, I was simply fed up with how limited my printmaking sessions could be without an etching press to do the job.

I’ve been dabbling in various printmaking methods for years–mostly linoleum and woodblock prints, which are pretty forgiving when it comes to hand-pressing–but I have always ended up disgruntled from constantly being hobbled by the nature of the beast: hear me out! There are some printing techniques that are, in my opinion, unachievable without a press, especially if you want to save your wrists and your sanity (and since I’m a mother and I’ve already lost half of my sanity I would like to keep the rest of it, thank you very much!)

The finished sketch of “Lora”, ready to be engraved into plexiglass.

Pictured above are a few process shots from my first attempt to hand-press this etching. Even when using thin Japanese kozo paper, which works quite well for block prints, the print came out blotchy and uneven. Comparing the etching plate (left) to the final print (right), you can see how so much of the ink was still left on the plate, even after intense rubbing with the baron AND a metal spoon.

So, I bit the bullet and finally did what I’ve been wanting to do for years: I bought a small press from Blick.

Meet my new baby, Little Mr. 906.

Is it a Takach press? Only in my dreams. (Oh, how I lust after those presses!) But let me tell you, this little beauty has turned out to be quite the gem with a fairly inexpensive price tag. Last evening I tore some nice, thick Stonehenge paper, let it soak a bit, and ran three prints through the press and so far this bad boy does deliver. Behold!

I decided to tint the last one with some colored pencils after the print dried overnight because, why not? The worst I could do was screw up a print, and obviously I can now make many more without the fear of sore wrists hanging over my head.

I think I’ve definitely fallen head over heels for that little blue press. I cannot wait to do more printing! As always, stay tuned.

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The Chicken Saga Pt. 14

He really did go out there late at night in his work clothes to catch a chicken.

Something Other Than

I had a realization yesterday afternoon that just about shook me to the core.

I was toying around again with the idea of going back to a personal project I had shelved more than a year ago, (more on that to come), and had even hauled out my watercolors to start painting, when a distinctly and increasingly uncomfortable feeling began creeping up my spine. As I watched the painted sections dry, a sudden awareness came into focus like a developing polaroid: I no longer like to work in watercolor the way I have been. The worst part? I can’t remember a recent time when I did.

“Ol’ Paint, the Dapple Hobbyhorse” – ©Katie Kath 2022. Do not use without permission.

For an artist whose current career has been built on a certain medium, this is akin to waking up one morning and suddenly realizing that you have been in a souring relationship for many years and despite your numerous, desperate attempts to save it, it has, in fact, gone permanently south.

And, like many relationships that fall apart, there have been obvious (ignored) signs along the way. So many signs that you feel like a total idiot for not recognizing them in the first place. (Or, perhaps, it was the refusal to recognize them).

I’m not saying it’s time to chuck, along with my brushes, every single tube of Daniel Smith and Winsor & Newton out the window, but this is a sure sign I need to step back, scrub out my old painting palette, reevaluate, and ask myself some questions. Maybe I need to expand my current color palette? Maybe I need to try some dyes? Maybe I need to take a seriously long break from watercolor altogether.

The long and short of it is, the current situation of this “relationship” needs to drastically change. I don’t know what it will look like in the end, but for now, there’s a road ahead of me and I have to travel it.

Does It Make A Good Drawing?

“Two Girls Seated” charcoal, pastel – © Katie Kath 2022. Do not reproduce without permission.

Often, the most bland photographs make for the best drawings. (Likewise, the best photographs make the worst drawings. No one looks good in a drawing when they are smiling. EVER. And I stand by that!)

Take this one, for example.

As I said in a prior post, it is best to draw from life–especially if you aren’t very familiar with drawing the human figure–but this is not always possible once you step outside of art school. People generally have very little time or patience to sit for long periods of time like a paid model is willing to do.

This picture was just a snap shot, one of those you take with your phone that you’ll likely completely forget about soon afterwards. However, it stood out to me in a way that all of the other smiling family portraits did not. The composition of the figures, the positioning of the limbs and fabric (ok, I added the stripes. Artistic license.) and the contemplative look on both girls’ faces screamed to be turned into a drawing.

I’m glad I did.

Neocolor Nite

“Bather – neocolor crayons and charcoal

I love using Neocolor crayons because 1. I have an absolutely MASSIVE amount of them, thanks to a gift from a dear friend, and, 2. because they are considerably less messy than soft pastels.

I don’t really mind a messy art evening, but after a long day the prospect of cleaning up large amounts of paint-dust and little finger-printy bits that have been accidentally stamped everywhere by yours truly isn’t a very enticing one. Maybe one of these evenings I’ll be feeling some soft pastel love, but not tonight, I’m afraid.

Although this one did turn out much tighter than I’d really have liked, what I wanted to focus on most was playing around with color. So: I had my fun, mission accomplished. Consider this blog entry posted.