Continuing the series of regular reports documenting the production process of the first and second issues of my artist book/comic Blotting Paper: The Recollected Graphical Impressions Of Doctor Comics, Chapter 1: The Ingurgitator and Chapter 2: A Blot On His Escutcheon, this post describes more aspects of the use of printmaking in the image-making process, including the creation of landscapes of subconscious terrain.

Dark glade-first impression. (Monoprint-© 2008 Michael Hill)

As documented in an earlier production report Doctor Comics finds himself in a heavenly yet shadowy and vaporous landscape as a result of an intense dream experience. In an attempt to express the inky, murky and stickyy feel of this etheric landscape he must traverse in search of an exit a series of monochromatic monoprints has been utilised.

Dark glade-second impression. (Monoprint-© 2008 Michael Hill)

This landscape can be seen more clearly, sequentially, as more light is added by means of a longer exposure to each successive image. Despite the extra light he still finds it hard to trace his way through.

Dark glade-third impression. (Monoprint-© 2008 Michael Hill)

These prints were made using an etching process with a novel method of printmaking that involves exposure of the design drawing to a light sensitive plate via sunlight that marks the lines on a gelatin coated metal plate. The plate is then rubbed with a stiff brush under running water to carve the lines, so to speak. This process is known as solar plate etching.

Dark glade-the etching plate following exposure to sunlight and wetbrush. (Design-© 2008 Michael Hill)

The inky black lake scene (Monoprint-©2011 Michael Hill)

A deliberate ‘blotting’ effect was obtained from pressing a saturated inked block onto highly absorbent paper for a scene from the second issue. After the printing, the paper had to be peeled from the block quite carefully to avoid tearing due to the combination of the wet inked areas and the paper’s very soft and fibrous tissue texture.

Proposed cover or insert (Monoprint-©2011 Michael Hill)

This unused print, above, from the first issue remains a possible inclusion as a cover or insert in the second issue.

Fish tail print (Monoprint-©2011 Michael Hill)

Tails and fins of a cooked fish were inked and printed for some images used in Chapter 1. This approach was inspired by the Japanese sosaku hanga printmaking method in which inkable flat objects were employed as ‘blocks’ as an alternative to woodblocks. The resultant graphic effect is shown in the print above and photos of the image-making process involved in making that print, below.

Printing the fish tails (Photos by Louise Graber)

Proposed back cover print (Monoprint-©2010 Michael Hill)

Another unused print, above, from the first issue is a possible inclusion as a postcard insert in a subsequent issue. It was constructed from a combination of woodblock and object printing.