The first trials at a photogravure image.
Two hands together. 11×8″. Two colour Photogravure.2025.
The Durer hands have been in my ambience since childhood. As a small A5 print they have accompanied me for all these years as something important as a drawing and some form of spiritual aspiration.
The praying hands in this print are my own. Photographed in a mirror, converted to a digital file to be edited in preparation to be transferred directly to a photopolymer plate. It is then exposed to UV light, developed in water and cured in sunlight before hand inking and printing on paper.
The Printing Process
Rather than mono printing with the warm red black used on the previous hands print series, the background is a blue green mixed to reflect the hand made blue paper of the Durer inspiration.
The final outcome. video courtesy Anderson & Loe
Background to the Durer drawing, on his hand made blue paper.
À la poupée
The technique used to make the two colour prints is À la poupée. The two colours are achieved by inking a single plate with two inks. the background blue first and the black second. Below are some useful links to the process and history.
A la poupee: demo
A la poupee : “with a doll’ or dolly printing: https://russborough.com/printing_tech/a_la_poupee.html
History: https://historyrevisited.com.au/a-la-poupee-pierre-joseph-redoute/
Direct to plate photo polymer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvwQV90QE-k&t=21s
Cone editions direct to plte calibrated . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZrV_y14Df4
A la poupee wiki. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/À_la_poupée
Early solarplate : https://ncsw.org/blog/2017/6/7/the-birth-of-polymer-printmaking
Dan welden demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X346IoA2af0
https://www.revshirleymurphy.co.uk/post/the-story-of-the-praying-hands-painting
A second trial is embarked upon.
Using the same plate a return to the warm black monotone technique.
The Printing Process
