Waterless Lithography Tutorial

[richterjuez]

Sorry, one last question, when you wash the plate to take off the silicone, just use water? how, warm or cold?

No more questions, I promise ;-) Thanks!!

[anderscj]

Add paint thinner to the silicone until it is about the consistency of maple syrup. I don't think oil based ink will work because it will probably stick to the dried silicone. You might try water based inks but I don't know whether they will work or not.

[richterjuez]

@anderscj

Thanks!! I'll try

[richterjuez]

Hi!! I want to know which proportion do you use when mix the silicone with the thiner?

and is it necessary to use gum based ink? or can I use water based or even oil based?

thanks a lot

[anderscj]

The plate is a standard metal litho plate. I don't think greedy crayons will work...they have to be water-based.

[danaliz22]

that's very cool! what did you use for the plate? and is it posible to draw with greasy pencils, like litho pencils?

thank you!

[waverly87]

I was curious about the markers... can you also use the other colours, to create the positive printing areas?

[TheSisterSerpent]

how long does your plate hold up before the silicon starts to wear off?

basically, how many prints can you pull before the plate starts to break down?

also i got fro, the tutorial that the silicon areas (negative space) reject the ink and the ink gathers where the plate is smooth, which are the areas where your previously drew lines? (this would be like reverse stone/plate litho)

[anderscj]

I don't know how long the plates will hold up. I have never pulled that many prints to find out. Allegedly it will hold up quite a long time (thousands). On your second point you are partially correct. In traditional litho you etch the plate with chemicals that attack the areas where you draw with your crayon. With this process there is no etching. In that sense it is reverse litho but just like traditional litho in this process the ink goes where the drawing was.

[jeweliaann]

Which marker did you use? It looks easier than the omnichrom that I use. Also i would be careful of the words and flip them so in the end they are right side up. I liked your first drawing of the face more than the cartoons at the end. They had nicer markmaking and more feeling

[anderscj]

I used washable Crayola markers.

[zazaleoncavallo]

Great. But how toxic is it to mix silicone and paint thinner...and no gloves used when sponging this solution on?

[anderscj]

You definitely should use gloves. It was an oversight that you didn't see them in the video. Normally I would wear them.

[ClaraNotClaire]

what kind of brand makes gum based ink? when i look it up in google, it seems there is no such thing (although I see that there is such thing...)

[anderscj]

I do not remember the brand name. What I did was I went to a Minuteman Press store and asked them if they could order me the kind of ink that is used in copy machines but in a tin. What I got was a tin of gum based ink that is large enough to last me almost a lifetime. The brand you use will most likely depend on availability.

[dreymand1]

cool tutorial. i have been trying to figure out new easier ways to use printmaking without actually having to go into a studio. i'll definitely try this out, thank you!

[anderscj]

The key is to make sure you get gum based ink. I had to purchase mine from Minute Man Press. They had to special order it. It is the same stuff they use in photocopy machines but comes in a big can.

[Adriloveschinatown]

This was interesting, the music was kind of annoying.

I do waterless and things are a lot different, why were you heating the plate with a heat gun after you drew?

[anderscj]

I don't know the chemistry behind it but when we don't heat it the ink smears. For some reason after heat setting it for 90 sec the image stays long enough not to be smeared by the silicone but not enough not to wash away with water.

[waverly87]

Heat setting can depend on which drawing materials you use. It's experimental, some things work better than others. I use a lot of things: gum arabic (with nib pens for ultra fine lines - NEVER heat set, will burn), omnichrom pencils, toner suspended in alcohol or water (this you always needs to heat-set - looks like traditional touche), ball-point pens, even molasses. There aren't really any rules. Also, you can use traditional printmaking oil-based inks; you don't need to have gum-based.

[otredad]

Hello dude !!!

I wach this video and its amazing. I try to repeat all the steps here in my work place but I cant get anything. Here where I live its impossible to find the gum based ink. I try some experimental formulas but nothing. All the formulas stick to all the plate and sometimes only to the silicone.

Any idea? Help !

[anderscj]

I have had mixed success with traditional oil-based inks but consistent results with gum-based ink.