Welcome to the Bracken Press PRINT-workshop website

Intaglio (etching, drypoint, aquatint)

& block printing & wood engraving  

(lino-prints, surface printing) & letterpress


Established 1974.

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Etching & Aquatint  2 Day Course

9.30 a.m. - 6.00 p.m.

Day 1


A brief introduction to the process, with examples.

Cutting the plate to size.

Preparing the plate ( hard ground).

Laying the ground.

Smoking the ground.

Transferring your design to the plate.

Making your mark on the plate.

Etching the 1st lines in Nitric Acid

Gradation of line and how to achieve them.

Stoping out the design.

Cleaning and bevelling the plate.

Preparing the paper for printing.

1st proof.

2nd proof.

Cleaning the plate prior to aquatint.

Laying the aquatint.




Day 2.


Examples of aquatint.

The principles of aquatint

Stoping out your design.

Gradation of bite.

Liquidity & fluidity.

Proofing your plate.

Corrections.

Burnishing

Drypoint.

Preparing your paper for printing.

Mixing your inks.

Editioning your print.

Positioning the print / registration


Care of your finished prints.

Drying the prints.




Included in the course fee:-


A comprehensive list of

current suppliers of materials.

Etching plates

Printing inks and consumables


 

Once you have completed a course at Bracken Press Print - workshop and you want to continue with your printmaking projects and you do not have ready access to any printing equipment you will be welcome to use the facilities at Bracken Press Print- workshop on a daily fee basis with materials charged at cost.


Several artists already make use of the facilities at Bracken Press to either edition more prints of an existing image or to create new images.  








Due to forthcoming commitments there will be no courses in 2024






Rochat Etching Press.


Bed size 26 x 48 inches.

Purchased in 1977.


Design based on 1840 press, cast iron, manually operated, prints copper engravings, intaglio (etching) plates, also can be used to print colographs etc.


Rolling action; as the wheel is turned the press bed moves between two rollers. Plates have to re inked after every impression by hand.


Manufactured by Harry Rochat who is still making them and recently has manufactured a brand new Albion type press, the first for over 100 years.


This introductory course will introduce you to etchings with hands on experience. Traditionaal etching techniques of hard and soft ground will be explored.

At the end of the  two days intensive course you should have printed several proofs of your design and a limited edition of at least 10 prints which you will have printed to take home with you.