Playing with Lascaux wash resist and Lascaux Soft ground resist

I was making some small plates i.e., 6 x 4 inch ( 15 x 10 cm)  here, to possibly use for the Bimpe prints submission.   


Yellow Proof 
On to the degreased aluminium plate,  I applied some Lascaux wash resist  just to see how it would behave.

I then etched it in copper sulphate mordant.

I have realized that Lascaux wash resist only interacts appropriately in accordance with its performance specifications, on copper.    It does not work on aluminium or on Zinc.  I have tried both.  Although having said, that I didn’t apply an acrylic aquatint spray (which would be the usual procedure ie one would apply it after the LWR was applied to the plate and allowed to reticulate.    (see previous post)

Anyway this is how it turned out.  It was in the copper sulphate mordant for 4 minutes.
I ended up using this background for one of the prints that I chose to submit to Bimpe here's the finished print

Indigo Blue Proof


This plate, was one that I had actually made,  ages ago by gluing sandpaper to mount board. 


 I wanted to disrupt it somehow so tore parts away and then had the bright idea of applying  Lascaux acrylic soft ground to the 'exposed' areas.   After applying a thin coat  with one of my 'pro arte' brushes -  (see earlier post) - its the 5th paragraph up from the foot of the post.


The acrylic 'ground' was allowed it to dry for 12 minutes, at which point it was ready to receive items onto it, to be impressed for the 'soft ground' effect, which of course one can use in collagraph as well as in etching.  This is the great thing about this range of acrylic products.
Actually if you go to the link you see above - you will see just the situation where I inter played a seemingly 'collagraph'  effect directly onto an etched zinc plate in order to resolve the print.


Getting back to this plate  

Pieces of fine wire wool, were arranged over it.   Then I placed some pretty thick transparent acetate and ran it through the press. I like how this turned out.  I am seeing it as a possible background, perhaps not with this dark colour though.

Black Ink Proof

On to some mount board, I applied  Lascaux soft ground ,  I allowed it to dry for 12 minutes and then placed part of a torn up

steel pan scourer onto it,  to impress into the soft ground.

 I placed some  thick transparent acetate , over it and ran it all through the press.

 I think next time I might decrease  the pressure (as per “monoprint pressure”).  If you look closely you might notice that there are differing strengths of the pressure of the indentation - which has me thinking that perhaps on another occasion I will try out doing the pressing by hand and with weights just to see how it goes.

 Pale Blue Needle Proof




This was another impression into Lascaux soft ground.  I actually put the thread through the needle .  Anyways - it nearly came through the card when I ran it through the press with the acetate covering it all.    You might notice that on the upper left is a textural effect which I really like - thats from placing very fine wire wool and teasing the strands apart.  You might also note that there's the effect of pulled away acetate a bit like what you get when kids do those paintings where they fold the paper in two and then pull it apart.  I quite like it though.  I need to have another look in the book by Carol and Robert about the soft ground effect with collagraphs - I mean to see what they used as acetate or whatever, on top of the stuff thats being impressed into the 'soft ground'.
I also need to use pressure similar to that which one would use when putting a monoprint through the press.