Collagraph and Carborundum Printing Workshop with Elspeth Lamb

Invented in the early nineteenth century in Europe and developed in the USA during the 1930’s to the present day, a collagraph print is essentially made from a plate constructed from card, thin metal or wood using a collage of materials to create a relief texture.

The term collagraph refers to the relief materials assembled on a flat base or plate matrix to form a relief block of different surface levels and textures. This plate is then inked intaglio (below the surface) and colour may be applied by roller on to the raised surface, much in the same way as one would ink an etching plate. Collagraph plates are created by sticking and gluing materials onto a base (card, thin metal, wood) using a variety of materials such as textured paper, fabric or gesso. They can resemble etchings when printed and are much cheaper to produce since they do not require an expensive stock of metal, acids, grounds and stopping out varnish. When the collaged elements are dry the plate is sealed with varnish or acrylic medium and left to dry overnight.

Carborundum prints are made using different grades of carborundum grit by sprinkling it onto a glued, drawn shape or line. Inking a carborundum image gives a beautiful intense black or other colour. Different effects can be achieved by using inks of a different viscosity when inking up the constructed plate. The variety of different effects and variation in texture is infinite depending entirely on how you use a host of different materials such as paint, glue, gesso, fabric and almost anything with textures that is flat enough to not rip the paper when you print with it. The materials you apply to the plate will determine the tone and strengths of the ink.

During this workshop we will look at actual examples of collagraphs then you will build your own printing plates. Once dry, these will be printed onto specialist handmade papers with a variety of colours using waterbased inks on an etching press.

To book, please contact tutor Elspeth Lamb here

Price £185, including materials