Week 2: New inks and paper
My first prints didn’t have good ink transfer to the paper, and I that caused the ink to never dry. I read more about Akua inks, which are soy-based and water soluble. They act a little differently than the oil inks we used at Wellesley. They are definitely much easier to clean up, and for that alone I’m glad to use these here.
I ran a bunch of monotypes with different paper soaking strategies and pressure on the press to find what works, and I started getting the hang of it. It seems like any amount of dampness is needed (drastic improvement from dry paper), but I did not notice much difference from a quick dip vs half hour soak. The papers that were only dipped quickly were noticeably more rigid on the second layer, so I have to see if that affected the ink curing at all.
Next time, I will try mixing inks with the modifiers we have to see how they react.
They are starting to come out the way I would like
And some failed tests
Inspired by some prints from my printing books at the library.
Today I started trying to build textures and create a feeling of space. I think the second one is too representational, and I will focus on layering less defined textures to build up the image next time I’m in the studio. I’m still experimenting with the press and paper dampness to get soling ink transfers.
What I’m listening to
- My friend Zach’s podcast with dasha nekrasova, I’M SO POPULAR
- We Will Always Love You - The Avalanches, somehow I completely missed the release
- A friend of a friend’s phd dissertation on Trans students in Engineering Education (link)