Chine Colle Prints

I printed a range of chine colle prints, mostly based around the tree block I have used for my mono and lino print developed from designs and ideas previously explored in this post. I printed my block onto fine paper, turned it over which gave me a reverse image then applied this as chine colle. It was hard to chine colle such a large piece of fine paper so precisely.

This was the more successful print, I tried to balance the image by adding leaves at the bottom but these did not adhere well. I really like how the trees overlapped.

I tried to trap a fern leaf under the tissue paper in this print but this was not successful. The extra adhesive on the leaf made the ink smudge.

This simpler design was more successful. The tree with no leaves was already printed, hence it is behind the chine colle papers I applied while printing the palm tree. I like the depth this created but could have put more thought into the composition. I wanted to create the illusion of mist surrounding the trees, this was partly successful.

This print was the simplest and most successful. I overprinted the palm tree with new tree block and just added dark paper at the bottom to represent ground and balance the block. I think this composition works well.

This print was a mono print that I collaged over when exploring papers and adhesives. I then printed and added more paper as chine colle and some small highlights with foil. By using multiple layers I was able to build up a lot of depth. I noticed in this print than the more absorbent papers print thicker, darker lines. The dark blue in the fore ground is a bit too dark unbalancing this slightly.

I tried a different block for this print. I wanted to keep it simple as the print itself has so much texture. This is a bit unbalanced, the green could have been shorter. I think this is a good example of when using the rule of thirds would have created more balance.

In this project I did not cut a new block as I felt I had many unexplored options with my tree block that I began when developing the design. Because I began this design with mono print it had already gone in a range of directions before I got to this stage and I wanted to see how far I could take it. Now I understand this technique I could plan a design confidently using this technique.

Chine colle ideas

My first practices of chine colle were a bit frustrating. I explored the papers and cellulose adhesive I plan on using though collaging over my less successful mono prints. I also tried cutting a large piece of tissue and applying foil behind small slits. It was too complicated, the paper folded up and I couldn't get the foil in the right place. What I did learn was that the ink behaves differently on different paper. I practiced some prints on some fine papers to get an idea which would print well and which would be too absorbent and bleed or not absorbent enough and not take the ink well.

I printed my block on very thin paper and found it showed through so well on the other side I had a reverse image I could use. This gave me the idea of layering the image over itself for my chine colle prints, I will need to extend the lino block for this to work, I will get funny embossing. I used my acetate drawing flipped over and laid over some prints to try out some layouts. This is extending ideas I had in my sketchbook of varying the composition of this print.

I got interesting results. The ones I like better are

I need to add something in the bottom left to balance this, perhaps a 3 rd impression of transparent ink layered over? Chine colle colored paper? chine colle leaves? mono print background? I could use leaves to create textured background.

This needs something bottom right to balance it, chine colle leaves? Large piece of paper for 2nd tree, whole width, no edges, bottom edge hidden by darker paper section.

I also laid the acetate over some prints that could be developed:

I like the simplicity of this, the acetate reflection is distracting in the photo. The textured blue could be a mono print, the chine colle tree would be torn edges and blended to create a soft edge. Or, use a palm tree block from a previous assignment and keep this base print, add some chine colle as small detail or texture. This could be a pair of prints, two trees.

The two trees could be a palm and the other new block, trunks together or apart over mono print of leaves, with chine colle leaves over, I have dried leaves brought back from England. This would be interesting with Saudi leaves to add.

This blue print may have been printed with water based ink, chine colle may not work well. Try printing tree over the top with some chine colle detail, perhaps at the bottom to balance it.

Chine Colle Research - Brenda Hartill

I have been reading the book Collagraphs and Mixed media Printmaking which contains examples of many artist's using chine colle. In particular the author, Brenda Hartill, gives detailed instructions and examples.

Inferno I 

Collagraph 

Image Size 66 x 55cm

She gives a range of suggestions for using papers, such as creating a frame by pasting a whole block of different colored paper over the base paper, or enhancing features of the image. She describes using this to vary and edition and give particular detail on using metal leaf. She uses large areas of metal leaf, not just the small highlights I imagined this technique would be suitable for, and they appear to adhere without the support of other layers of paper:

Red Fire II, collagraph; paper 76x56cm, image 50x40cm copper

A similar image is demonstrated printing in the book and the large area of copper is the only chine colle element. In my experiments I have found it very hard to get foil to adhere without other papers supporting it as suggested in the Printmaking 1 guide. 

The large metal leaf elements make new elements in the image rather than enhance a composition in a more subsidiary way which is a more adventurous approach to chine colle than some other examples I have seen.

More Linocut over Monoprint

In my combination mono/lino prints my initial explorations revolved around depicting water in monoprint. I tried a range of compositions and source images studying reflections and ripples in paint before recreating this as multilayered monoprints. I explored additive and reductive techniques and exaggerated colours to create vibrant skies and seas and muted them to create moody moonlit scenes.

 I then contrasted this with a stark leafless winter tree in the fore ground. I traced a couple of tree designs onto acetate and laid them over my monoprints and found that the more realistic tree looked out of place on my more experimental monoprints. I developed the design of the tree to make it less realistic, to allow it to fit in a more impressionistic landscape. This gave me the freedom to develop my monoprints in a range of directions, and still maintain some unity between the two components of the image.

I tried to develop these prints a bit by varying the composition. I added a second block in this first print. I created a reductive, loose mono print for the background, giving the effect of the moonlit sea knowing it will be mostly covered but the two blocks. . To create this I did not use traditional registration, I placed the blocks on the paper in the right position then turned all over, unfortunately they moved slightly, this meant the print was slightly blurred.
 

 I also tried offsetting the block to alter the composition. I had to mask off part of it to maintain a white border around the print. This was a simple way to create a new image and gave a different perspective on the mono print as more of it was visible, it became more of a focal point.

I have created an interesting range of prints for this project

When viewed together they show a range of ideas and techniques that I think shows depth of exploration for this project.

First Linocut Over Monoprints

My first series of prints of lino over mono prints were mixed in their technical success but on the whole I was pleased with how the images worked together.

Here is my proof of my block.

The texture of the paper showed through on this print, possibly more pressure would have helped here. Also, the blocks started the same size but the paper shrank so the lino block is now bigger.

This print could have been clearer.

Registration problems again.

I think the two layers work well together because the mono prints are quite loose and free and do not compete with the block.

Next steps, try to vary the composition through using the block in different ways. I have another block I may combine with this.