The Painterly Print, a Monotype Workshop at my studio October 24

THE PAINTERLY PRINT:    MONOTYPE  WORKSHOP with Kate Demke  $85

October 24, 2009 9 am – 5pm (We will break for lunch)

Theresa Haberkorn’s studio - 2810 Wilderness Place Suite C Boulder, CO

To register email theresahaberkorn@gmail.com or call Theresa 303-819-1901

This one-day workshop is designed for each artist to learn and explore the technical possibilities and range of choices in monotype printmaking, emphasizing the creative and innovative applications in a hands-on experience.  A huge variety of materials and surfaces and multiple techniques will be demonstrated in both water-base and oil-base mediums.  Techniques include additive, subtractive, stencil, mask, transfer, a la poupee’, chin colle’, single and multiple plate printing, viscosity printing, and embossment, as well as others. 

Each participant will have time to create their own water-base and oil-base print using supplies provided by the workshop.  There will be multiple prints from the artist’s collection to use as examples (both successful and not) and hand-outs. 

The range and possibilities of this medium are limited only to the imagination.  Come join us in a fun-filled day and discover the “painterly print”.

Kate Demke received her Master of Fine Arts with honors from Western Michigan University in 1987 and her Bachelor of Fine Arts, Summa Cum Laude, in 1984 from Rockford College, Illinois.  She taught and headed the printmaking department at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts for twenty years, and also taught printmaking at Western and a district honors high school program.  As a printmaker and pastel artist, Ms. Demke has had numerous national solo and group exhibitions. She is represented by Synchronicity Gallery, Glen Arbor, MI, and is in several permanent collections.

Registration Guide for Woodcut Printmaking

My student Debby's wood block in the registration guide

In college, I didn't learn how to register paper properly when printing wood cuts, so over the years, I've tried various methods I saw in books, and modified them for my own use. Through trial and error, my registration system has evolved to this current version. I hope this will be of help to other printmakers looking for a way to register their prints.

• A piece of thin but sturdy drawing paper is used as a base for the guide. It should be slightly larger than your wood block to accommodate the guide.
• Build the guide on the upper right hand corner. The woodblock is 1/4 inch thick, the same thickness as foam core. If your wood is thicker, build up layers of foam core or mat board to reach the same height as the wood.
• Place the wood block on the base paper, and draw a mechanical pencil line around it. Glue down strips of foam core as stops for the wood block outside of this line. Make sure they are placed at a perfect ninety degree angle, and fit snug against the wood block. If there is any wiggle room between the guide and the block, the registration will most likely be off when printing.
• Next determine how much margin you would like between the image to be printed and the edge of the paper. In this photo, it was 2 1/2 inches at the top, and 1 1/2 inches on the side. The dimensions were a little strange in order to maximize one large sheet of paper cut down for four prints.
• To make the paper stop, glue down foam core strips overlapping your margin line. Draw the margin line on the foam core strip, making sure it is a perfect ninety degree angle, and is lined up with the corner of the wood block stop. On the outside of this line, glue a strip of mat board. When printing, the edge of the printing paper will push up against these stops to keep it in place.
• This system requires the paper to be cut with a straight edge at a ninety degree angle. If a torn edge on the paper is desired, make the paper margin much larger than needed, and tear it down to size after the print is dry. A torn or deckled edge would not work well with this system since it has such an irregular edge.
• To use the guide, place it on the press bed, place the inked block in the corner of the wood block stop, and then gently place the paper against the paper stop, carefully lower down on the block, and run it through the press.