We know from experience that once the course goes ‘live’ you will want to begin to create plates immediately and if you are completely prepared there will be nothing to hold you back. If you are having difficulty finding anything on the list, contact Robin & Annie and your fellow students immediately.  Either Robin & Annie or someone in your part of the world will be able to help you find what you need.

Watch the video to familiarise yourself with the list. You may already have some of these items.

We use Staedtler Lumocolor Omnichrom Pencil to create the image. Try to get as many different tones and effects as you can. Treat this plate as an experiment and see how far you can push the Omnichrom. This pencil is very useful for tones.

Gouache, or poster colour is a water-based artist paint containing gum Arabic and pigments. Images can be created by pressing items painted with gouache onto the surface and painting the gouache directly onto the surface. Treat this plate as an experiment and see how far you can push the gouache. Try using the Omnichrom pencil for fine lines. You can also scratch into the dry gouache.

 

Sharpies are one of our favourite ways of creating an image.  Sharpie pens give you a strong graphic line compared to the Omnichrom pencil. There are a few other pens suitable for the process such as Microperm pens and Staedtler Lumocolour pens.

We use Acrylic floor polish or High Flow Acrylic paint in 2 different ways to make an image.
1. Acrylic media using a dip pen
2. Acrylic media combined with crayon
3. Acrylic Spray and crayon.

In this section we create interesting random marks using heat. Using acrylic media and spray we create tonal variations.

Ballpoint pens give you a very fine line, if you like doing detailed drawings a ballpoint pen is a perfect tool.
In this demonstration we will show how to print the plate onto chine collé.
The fine lines in the image below were create using a ballpoint pen.

Toner is the powder used in laser printers and photocopiers, it is composed of carbon which is melt-mixed with a polymer. Toner wash will create painterly variations and can be easily manipulated on the plate. Toner is available from printer cartridge outlets.

In this section we apply toner with a brush and dip pen. Toner lets you create random marks.

In this lesson we show you how we make an exact copy of the key plate for each colour plate. Printing is simple – plates are the same size and placement of the various colours is perfect.

In this Masterclass we put everything together and create prints combining several techniques on the key and colour plates. With a focus on the process of colour plate printing.
Masterclass A
This is Annie's take on a Matisse woman with a guitar, made up of 6 plates and a stencil.

Masterclass B This is Robin's print 'Somewhere on a Greek Island'  it is made up of 7 plates.