Manchester Art Gallery

Dry point etching is an intaglio printmaking process using acrylic sheets, aluminium or silver card. This inexpensive direct and beautiful printmaking technique can produce simple, strong images with emphasis on the texture and quality of line. Intaglio means incised or engraved – the ink is held in the contours and grooves of the surface of the plate.

The workshop will cover:

• An introduction to dry point etching using acrylic sheets, with a short demonstration of preparing a plate, inking and printing it on the etching press

• Exploring the different ways of mark-making using various tools and methods of creating texture and line

• Working on plates to prepare for inking and printing. Experimenting with different ways of inking and cleaning of the plate to achieve the desired effect

• Inking and printing multiple prints

• Experimenting with adding colour to the prints using the Chine collé method. This is a simple technique which involves adding coloured or printed paper to the print during the printing process

All materials are included in the course, including ink and paper. With the etching press you will be able to print your images up to around A5 in size.

Bring found images or drawings as inspiration to work from.

Booking

Tickets for the workshop are £37 and are available from the Manchester Folk Festival website.

Lucy Gell is a trained graphic designer and illustrator and has worked in animation, including for Cosgrove Hall (she made the Martians in the Tim Burton film Mars Attacks!). She now specialises in various techniques of printmaking and regularly runs workshops.

www.lucygell.com

Manchester Folk Festival

This craft workshop is one of a selection of workshops taking place over the Manchester Folk Festival weekend, led by talented artists
who give traditional crafts a contemporary twist and keep heritage crafts alive.