Several weeks ago I created a new collagraph plate which I decided to use as a swap project print. I blogged about the trials here. This week I’ve completed a series of 13 – 12 to swap and 1 for myself.

I thought a lot about colour choices and despite my last post saying I was hankering after further colour experimentation I decided to continue down my original route. I wasn’t feeling the love for blues, purples and greens. I’d previously inked in paynes grey and it wasn’t giving me the dynamism I was after. So I stuck with my three original choices (black, yellow and red) but altered them, from my first trials, within those hues.

Not only do I enjoy experimenting with different print styles but I also like exploring different ink brands, always oil-based. For this project all products are etching inks.

I chose Gamblin Bone Black as my main colour – a really good velvety deep black which covers well and wipes back easily.
Graphic Chemical & Ink Co Diarylide Yellow as my secondary – a very lairy, bright colour. Blends beautifully with black to create an olive green hue which reduces the brilliance but maintains an intensity.
Charbonnel Geranium Red as my point of difference – a cool red, edging towards magenta but not so acidic.

Additional varnishing and reapplying the linework improved the outcome and having ticked my requirements boxes (colour choice, tonal variety, orientation) I set to work to produce my edition.

The longer I worked the more I observed in the design and decided ‘Scribbles’ was a good working title but not for the finished prints. Now I see the outer curvatures as objects I’m looking between towards an opening where I discover the scribbles. Perhaps I’m viewing something through a fish-eye lens, showing distortion of objects.

My notations, once the prints are fully dry, will record this print title as ‘Looking Up’.