During the year of teaching remotely due to the pandemic, I had to reconsider the way I typically would teach printmaking. Because, during remote printmaking instruction, students have only the materials given to them in kits, which can vary because of the budget, and limited working space, I focused on at-home printmaking techniques which were safe, ‘easy’ (comparatively), and inexpensive. I discovered a lot of great techniques, refined my ability to instruct some others which I had already known, and managed to make a lot of art which I am proud to include in my own body of work, outside of simply being demo prints. I’m going to share some I made throughout the year below.
Two of the techniques I became most enamored of are Water Soluble Monotype, and Cliche-verre Cyanotype (as well as Cliche-verre Anthotype). Both are inexpensive and ‘easy’ to do. Easy, of course, if you can get the mechanics right–for WSM the paper has to be perfectly damp, but not too damp, your hand printing pressure has to be firm and consistent (which takes practice), and your plate has to be dry (difficult for impatient students, or for those working at the last minute), and for cyanotype, you have to carefully make your plate, test it, and have enough light to expose it properly. Nevertheless, compared to copper plate intaglio or to any type of lithography, they’re both very easy.
