Shattered after a full day on a photopolymer course at Swansea Print Workshop. Today, we focussed on experimenting with mark-making on Truegrain, then constructing a drawing on Truegrain, doing a testplate and then exposing a final plate ready for inking and printing next week. Here’s the test plate and the first proof. It’s a complicated process involving a series of 6 exposures resulting in 9 areas of different exposure times. I liked the effect in the bottom right hand corner and used that setting to expose my main plate. It’s a great technique for artists who like to draw.
I had a couple of minutes to spare, so did a quick scribble of one of my fellow printmakers inking up her plate behind the old Radcliffe etching press.
scribblah 
The plate looks very similar to another product called Solarplate I’ve used here in the US. I’m curious if you’ve used other light sensitive products before with your work and if Truegrain is now your favorite?
I’ve used a photosensitive liquid to make screens and a similar one to coat copper plates for intaglio, but not been too happy with either. I’ve used Mark Resist [I think it might be Mylar in the USA] and I quite like it, especially with conte and graphite. It’s a lot cheaper than Truegrain so I need to do some comparisons.
I can imagine that sad day in the future when you pass away and arrive at the Pearly Gates. “Are you coming in?” says St Peter “or going to spend all day sketching me and the Gates?”
hahaha I think I’m more likely to be standing outside the gates of hell! 🙂
And when Satan takes your sketchbook away from you? Absolute torture!