The Block

Here are a couple new ones I’m working on…

These are 2 remote controlled military robots that are in production and in use today. The top one is a SWORDS and can be weaponized in different configurations. The bottom one is an backpack sized Unmanned Aerial Vehicle by Honeywell. The UAV is remote controlled or programmable eye in the sky that is unarmed.

I’m both fascinated by and terrified of these things. On one hand, they are just really cool - in the same way that a guy might be attracted to action movies, loud motorcycles or the latest technological gadgetry. On the other hand, these are real things that exist and operate today in real war zones. They are also real things that you may find helping out with domestic security jobs - I know of one US city that is using this UAV to keep an eye on crowds at public events.

My process, at present:

• Get an idea
• Do a few studies
• Pick a size to work with and cut a block from 1/2″ birch plywood
• Draw key image on the block using charcoal or soft pencil
• Cut key block
• Proof key block
• Envision the print in color, do color studies
• Proof and transfer key image to another block
• Mix oil based ink according to studies or other references. Oil based relief ink
• Proceed with all colors, except black, from that single block - reduction style. All printing is done with a small plastic disk baren from Japan.
• Decide what info to remove/cut away from key block
• Print key block over the colors
• Done

Here is the 2nd state. Not much different from the 2nd state (not posted) - just another pass on the background aquatint. I think I’m going to take a break from these and finish some woodcuts I have started. I am planning at least 2 more Minotaur related etchings.
A few weeks ago I drove up to Green Hill Center in Greensboro to see the Bill Fick curated show PRINTED! It was great, you can read about it here. The intaglio stuff was pretty incredible. Lots of mezzotint. Seeing all that was inspiring, but makes me think I should stick to woodcuts for a while! It was great to see so many interesting and accomplished printmakers from NC represented. I wish I could have made the opening.

I always hate to finish a print and not feel like it is a little better than the last one. That was the case here. The first image is the second attempt at color mixing and printing. I’m glad I took the time to reexamine the colors and the overall approach. I’m much more satisfied with the redo. I guess that is what they call learning the hard way. I’m trying to move toward a richer image with a little more nuance, if not more detail.

Slightly off topic, but etching is cool too, right? This is the next installment in the Minotaur series. If you are not familiar with the tragic and bizarre story of the Minotaur, you can google it. As with the first Minotaur etching, Ill be adding aquatint to tame the overall busy/muddiness of it. I have 4 pieces planned in this series.

Here are the results of the previously mentioned print.

In addition to the stamp patterning, I’ve made an effort to have the non-image area remain completely clean. Sometimes I like to allow some atmospheric cut wood texture to print, but sometimes it just looks messy. I have started cutting blocks out with a jig saw to address this issue. I first got the idea by seeing pictures of Bill Fick printing his mangled floating heads at http://evilprints.com/. Then I saw the couple from Tugboat Printshop do a demo on youtube. At that point, it finally sank in and I started to cut my blocks out too. A band saw would be better than a jig saw, but I’m not sure I can justify getting a bandsaw for that single purpose.

The other thing that is helping me print cleaner these days is remembering to spray laquer my blocks before inking so I can simply wipe away and stray ink with a paper towel. Not exactly rocket science, but it wasn’t obvious to me.

In one block I’m currently working on, there is a shirt that has a butterfly pattern on it. I decided to cut a little stamp from an eraser. I used the stamp to create the shirt pattern on the block. To cut the eraser I used an exacto knife and my main v-gouge. For ink I used a little hobby store stamp pad. The cut butterflies are all somewhat uniform, but with slight variations from the cutting. I think it will be pretty cool!

Check out the the great interactive exhibition to go along with the MOMA’s real world show of Lucian Freud’s etchings. It has always amazed me how he “paints” with line. I’m also taken by his ability to pack so much tension and awkwardness into one image.

http://moma.org/exhibitions/2007/freud/home.html

Here is another round of aquatint. I think Ill leave it alone and move on now. I’m glad I did this print because it reminds me that I can move pretty quickly on these small etchings - a nice break from the more labor intensive woodcuts. I’m planning to do a few more of these Greek mythology etchings.

Here is the 2nd state. I added an aquatint background. 5 minutes in the ferric chloride did a lot more than I expected, but I like where it is going. I think I’m going to try one more round of aquatint to put a some sort of really dark shape behind the figure. I like that patterning is emerging from the darkness. I see that a few layers can really make things richer. I’ve always been one for the simple, direct and stark. When that approach succeeds it serves me well, but when it fails, it usually fails pretty miserably.