Edinburgh Printmakers Summer School 2008

Week 1: 21 - 24 July 2008 >
Digital Imaging and Printmaking

Week 2: 28 - 30 July  2008 >
Acrylic Resist Etching

Price per week is £330 which includes all materials. There is a discount for those wishing to attend a class in both weeks, £620 for 2 weeks.

Courses run from Monday - Thursday 10 am - 5 pm with Friday being an optional free untutored day to complete any printing.

Each course is also accompanied by comprehensive notes and a free associate membership of Edinburgh Printmakers until October 2008

Our summer school for 2008 comprises two separate courses. Participants may choose to attend for one or two weeks and there is a discount for attending both.  Each class lasts for 4 days allowing ample opportunity to learn each process and then explore it’s creative possibilities in a more advanced way.  

Small class sizes, maximum 8 participants, ensure that there is ample opportunity for hands-on participation and guidance from our tutors. The summer school offers a great opportunity to spend four days making prints in our well equipped spacious workshop with attentive instruction from our experienced tutors. As the class runs from Monday to Thursday, participants can use the Friday to finish off any printing etc in the studio although this day is not tutored. In past years, our summer schools have been attended by artists from all over Britain and abroad with many people choosing to stay in Edinburgh and continue working in the print-studio for a week or two after the course. Printmaking specialists and beginners alike can be accommodated by each class with personal tuition developing each individuals area of interest.

How to book >
Accommodation, Download pdf >

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Week 1: 21 - 24 July 2008
Digital Imaging and Printmaking
Course Tutors: Alastair Clark, Gillian Murray

Digital imaging and Printmaking will explore the fusion of old and new. Initially exploring ways of using Adobe Photoshop software to manipulate and prepare images for output to acetate. The course will concentrate on the practicalities of creating work digitally with a view to printing acetate separations for either screenprinting or lithography. The acetates will then be exposed to plates and screens and used to explore the images further using traditional hands-on printmaking techniques. There will be some exploration of combining layers made digitally with hand drawn (autographic) separations and ample opportunity for people to spend time with either digital manipulation or printmaking.

Previous experience: some basic experience of Adobe Photoshop is required, plus some previous experience of a light sensitive printmaking process is useful ie screenprinting/ photo-litho/ photec. Please note, Etching will not be covered during this course.
 
Course Topics

Introduction to digital imaging

• Inputting: scanning, digital camera, web images
• Understanding image size and resolution, constraining file size and proportions
• Modes, changing to greyscale 
• Adjusting tone with levels, curves and info box
• Saving files. File types, compression

Creating separations

• Adjusting tonality to compensate for difference in images on screen vs paper
• Other tonal controls- dodge, burn, unsharp mask
• Dot sizes and patterns- Looking at dot pattern examples on acetates
• Bitmap mode- diffusion dither, bitmap dot patterns
• Printers, Ink Jet, Laser printer, Imagesetter, other output options

Multiple separations

• Working with layers
• Approaches to creating multiple separations using layers and channels
• Screen angles and avoiding moire patterns
• Selecting and printing individual layers and channels
• Printing out acetates, defining dot patterns

Printmaking

• Relative dot sizes and patterns for use in different printmaking process
• Preparing and exposing images for screenprinting and lithography
• Printing digital separations, registration methods
• Colour proofing, creating alternative colour variations
• Combining digital separations with autographic stencils

Image specifications*
Participants may wish to prepare and bring digital images on CD, USB stick or mac format zip. Adobe Photoshop files, Adobe Illustrator, JPEG files  and Digital camera images on CD  are all acceptable. Files should be 160 dpi or higher at  28 x 42 cm as the printed image size will be approx A3.  If in doubt bring larger files and we can scale them.
PC format zip and floppy disks are not compatible with our Mac system.

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Our aim is to encourage a more experimental approach to etching & intaglio.  The course will explore the use of water-based acrylic resists and etch processes (including photo-etching) that can make the whole process both safe and enjoyable!  Beginning with a full examination of new photo-etch processes, we will further develop the images using a range of acrylic resist etch techniques.  Latterly we will examine printing techniques and the inks available.

We begin by looking at how these techniques have developed and how they relate to traditional photo printmaking processes.  Finally our aim will be to integrate what we have already learnt about photo-etch technique with the various techniques of acrylic resist.  This will allow us to further manipulate the imagery and develop ideas and themes.
Topics include:

• Creating etching/intaglio plates using the photo-polymer processes. We begin by looking at the options available to us for creating “positives”, from simple and direct techniques of drawing to digital solutions.  
• Introduction to Polymer films.  We will find out about the different products available and compare and contrast the results achieved.
• Exposure & Development - how to determine the correct exposure.  We begin by learning how to test the polymer and how to determine a successful exposure.  Development procedures will also be demonstrated.
• Photo-etching techniques - using the polymer as an acid-resist.  Using the polymer as an etching resist, we will demonstrate etching techniques and discuss the various chemicals and materials used.

Topics include:

• Safer mordants for biting metals.  We will examine the alternatives to using hazardous chemicals such as nitric acid, how to prepare the chemicals and relevant health & safety and environmental issues.
• New products/new processes.  We begin with an introduction to acrylic resists.  How to make your own resists and how they compare with commercially available products.
• Acrylic Hard Resist - a new type of etching ground.  We experiment with methods of applying the new etching resist and techniques of drawing and finally how to bite the plates. 
• We will also demonstrate various acrylic etch techniques:
• Alternative lift ground - positive mark making.  Here we try out alternatives to the "sugar lift" process, enabling us to paint and draw positive marks.
• Open Bite - negative mark making.  Using acrylic resists, we see how easy it is to make strongly bitten shapes and textures that fully explore the sculptural potential of etching.  
• ‘Wash Ground’ / ’Wet Ground’.  We find out more about the acrylic resists, creating tone and texture, producing effects similar to traditional "soft ground" etching.
• Acrylic Resist - Aquatint made easy.  The technique of aquatint re-invented - aquatinting becomes safe and easy using acrylics.

After the final printing of the plates, we will discuss as a group the processes used in the course and assess the resultant prints.  This will be the time for problem solving and finding out how to benefit and progress from our initial experiments.   We will provide fully detailed notes on the techniques, as well as detailing all health & safety and environmental issues.  Also listed are all the materials needed and how to source suppliers.  

Tutors

Alfons Bytautas is the Senior Etching Technician at Edinburgh Printmakers. He has been instrumentally involved with researching and developing safer working methods using acrylic resist etching and photopolymer techniques.  Working as master printer in etching at Edinburgh Printmakers, Alfons has printed numerous editions with well established artists giving him a wealth of experience from which class participants can draw!

Alastair Clark is the Assistant Director at Edinburgh Printmakers. He has worked as lithography specialist, collaborating with artists and producing all Edinburgh Printmakers published lithographs for the past ten years teaching stone and plate lithography courses plus teaching printmaking at Edinburgh College of Art.  More recently his work combines digital imaging, lithography and screenprinting.

Gillian Murray is the Screenprinting specialist at Edinburgh Printmakers, running this busy area of the workshop she is an experienced teacher taking all our screenprinting classes and often works collaboratively with invited artists as part of our print publishing programme. Both screenprinting  and collagraph are at the heart of her prints which combine vivid colour with organic imagery.

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To find out more about a course in our summer school or to book a place contact:
enquiries@edinburgh-printmakers.co.uk
 +44 (0)131 557 2479

Making a Booking
To book a place on one of Edinburgh Printmakers’ (EP) education courses full payment must be made in advance. This is due to our courses being heavily subscribed.
 
Once your place has been confirmed by Edinburgh Printmakers’ staff payment can be made in three ways:
 
By cheque made out to Edinburgh Printmakers and sent to:
Course Bookings
Edinburgh Printmakers
23 Union Street
Edinburgh
EH1 3LR
 
Remember to include details of what course you are doing, including dates and costs, and your full contact details.

Or by card by telephoning 0131 557 2479. Edinburgh Printmakers accepts: Amex, Delta, Electron, Maestro, Mastercard, Solo, Visa, Train.
 
Or in person at Edinburgh Printmakers, Tuesday- Saturday 10 am- 5.30 pm

On receiving payment we will send you a receipt and a list of what to bring. We are happy to provide you with an invoice for your accounts if necessary
 
If you need to pay by international bank transfer please contact Edinburgh Printmakers’ for further details:
enquiries@edinburgh-printmakers.co.uk
telephone 0131 557 2479.
 
Concessions
Concessions are given to: unemployed; students; senior citizens, and claimants. Courses are for 16 years and upwards. To book as a concession you must provide proof of status.
 
Reservations
Reservations for courses are only available for participants from educational institutions and / or those who are seeking funding from third parties for course expenses. A reservation can be held for a maximum of one month prior to the course start date.

Cancellation
Occasionally due to circumstances beyond our control EP may have to cancel courses and we reserve the right to do so with a minimum of one weeks notice prior to the start date. Full refunds will be given for any courses cancelled by EP.

Terms and conditions for refunds
For cancellation by course participants, full refunds will be given to those cancelling one month prior to the course start date. If cancellation notice is given two weeks prior to the course start date EP can only guarantee to refund 50% of the original cost of the course. No refund can be guaranteed if less notice is given. In this instance EP course fees may be refunded at EP’s discretion, only if we are able to fill your place. To help us do this it is important to let us know as soon as possible that you will be unable to attend.

Associate Membership
The summer school includes a free associate membership of Edinburgh Printmakers for approximately six months, allowing you to put into practice the skills you have learnt on the course. As an associate member you will still be required to pay session fees each time you use the studio. Artists staying for a week can alternatively pay the visiting artists fee.

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