Carborundum Photo Collagraph Workshop

In this innovative workshop, you’ll learn how to use digital images (or your own drawings on polyester film) to create a carborundum collagraph. This vastly expands the creative possibilities for carborundum printmaking, in which plates are normally created by painting with acrylic medium and adding carborundum grit.

This technique uses a light-sensitive film adhered to screenprinting mesh (often referred to as “EZ film”). This film is exposed to a positive transparency in a light exposure unit, and any unexposed film is washed out with water. To make the plate, Akua’s Carborundum Gel is pushed through the holes in the exposed mesh onto clear acrylic plates, which are then inked up with Akua Intaglio (or other suitable ink) and printed on an etching press on dampened paper.

To see this process in action, watch Akua’s video on YouTube and focus on the section titled “Making the Plate” (starts at 1:50):

The photo stencil being used in the video above can be purchased ready made, but it’s expensive. In this class, you’ll learn how to create your own stencils at a fraction of the price.

You’ll create up to four plates: three created from your digital images, and one from drawing directly on polyester film. Images that work best with this process are black & white line art, graphic designs, and high-contrast photos and silhouettes. (This is basically screen printing with a thick gel, so consider what might work well on a t-shirt!)

This process has the advantage of converting flat graphical images into interesting textured prints. Plates created with line art can be printed over a background print (see photos for ideas). You can further edit your plates with the addition of drypoint lines and painterly marks.

While this technique relies on a combination of techniques and materials, none of the steps are difficult and the drying time for each step is fast. Printed handouts will cover each step in detail, with a supply list for all materials.

About Your instructor

Trish Meyer, is an experimental artist, printmaker and calligrapher with a background in graphic design. Trish employs a wide range of techniques including collagraph, lithography, mokulito and photo processes, with a blend of calligraphic marks and hi-tech digital imagery.