Collagraph Printing

I love the ease of printing my collage papers with collagraph printing. Like collage, layers of paper or matboard are used in creating a printing plate. Easy recycling projects with few tools. I use acrylic gel mediums to create texture, stencils, and even carving into the board.

Here I go step-by-step on a plate of the Chiracahua Mountains in Arizona. The plate is roughly 8.25 inches by 12 inches long. I use a Sissux Plus diecut tool for my "press" even though it wasn't made for this.

I'm still earning and experimenting, but am so delighted with printing. A childhood dream of mine! A wooden spoon, a press, or hand held bamboo baren makes for fun printing. This printing process can be done for cards, art pieces to be handpainted with watercolor, or collage paper. The sky is the limit!

 

textured printing plate of matboard and fibers glued and varnished

 

colored inks brayered onto plate

 

first print pulled is dark and full of ink, but i love it!

 

prints hang to dry on a clothesline attached to the back of my art table

 

ready to assemble the mountain print as collage to this art piece. Layers and steps, steps and layers!