I make prints;
my favourite method, mezzotint, was invented by one Ludwig von Siegen in Utrecht in 1609, and fundamentally hasn't changed since. A copper plate is roughened with a fine-toothed steel rocker, which is rocked from side to side to make it travel across the plate. Rotate the plate a few degrees, repeat until the whole plate has a random pattern of pits which hold ink then, using steel scrapers,burnishers and oil, remove rough metal thus creating areas of tone by lessening the amount of ink held. The plate is then inked and wiped by hand, and prints are produced using a hand-cranked cast iron Rochat press. It takes me on average 35 hours plus to make each image, I have absolute control over every aspect of the process: I love it- apart from the inking, no chemicals or electricity are involved, and once a plate is rocked I can work on the image on my kitchen table. I'll be putting a couple of my mezzotints up on Deviantart this weekend
( uncle bastard is twanging a dan moi, Sat 6 Nov 2010, 8:53, 6 replies)

I've never heard of this process before.
Somehow, any other method of making images suddenly seems inferior.
(Falstaff's Spiritual Successor, Sat 6 Nov 2010, 9:12, closed)

Well,
they all involve less physical effort- there's none of yer mincing around with brushes and pencils *is kidding* Drawing the image is the easy bit, I must be some kind of masochist.
( uncle bastard is twanging a dan moi, Sat 6 Nov 2010, 10:13, closed)

Sounds interesring
Can you post a link when you have uploaded?
( Terry Oblong There's nobody here but us chickens on, Sat 6 Nov 2010, 10:47, closed)

Linky looky
For a crappy scan of a small one:
unclebastard.deviantart.com/art/Seen-Too-Much-185238165#/d32a9hv
A better scan of an A4 one:
unclebastard.deviantart.com/art/Seen-Too-Much-185238165#/d32aaol
Let me know what you think?
( uncle bastard is twanging a dan moi, Sat 6 Nov 2010, 18:32, closed)

Can't see them
without a deviantart account
( Terry Oblong There's nobody here but us chickens on, Tue 9 Nov 2010, 22:26, closed)

Oh bugger
I didn't know that. I'll try the b3tard uploader...Won't have it, here's a link:
www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5420438&l=becaa301bc&id=557623043
( uncle bastard is twanging a dan moi, Wed 10 Nov 2010, 18:57, closed)