chine collé

Chine-collé is a special technique in printmaking, in which the image is transferred to a surface that is bonded to a heavier support in the printing process. One purpose is to allow the printmaker to print on a much more delicate surface, such as Japanese paper or linen, which pulls finer details off the plate. Another purpose is to provide a background colour behind the image that is different from the surrounding backing sheet.

I use it to double the fine lines in many of my prints which creates an out of focus shimmer – not unlike a 3d image.

This was part of a series of prints about the Japan Tsunami – all of my work is about a shift in nature through intervention – so the process allows me to craet a shift through the drawing that can only be achieved in Printmaking.

I use this in different ways in many of the pieces.

 

Ghost Box – Is a dyptic that uses the process to repeatedly disintegrate the image – movement and passage/ The piece on the left is overprinted twice directly onto the page with black first then yellow – the second plate is the ghost image of the first plate then overprnted once more using very fine gampi japenese paper to allow me to shift the image firther- it also creats a slight sheen on the print.

In this print i have used a photo which has been enlarged and photocopied many times – with all its imperfections / and chine collé on the second etching with Gampi paper.

Coloured circles

 

preparing hand coloured japanese gampi circles for printing.

 

200,000 ( version 1) In this print i shifted the image by 3 inches to the extent of the paper – and double printed and then chine colléd over the top with a hand tinted rose circle.

 Floriholle – uses a complete sheet of purple chine collé that covers the entire image – this was so that i could print onto black paper with colour.

Making Geometry of a waterfall 

step 1 – washing off sugar lift on round plate step 2 – painting directly onto plate through the sugar lift areas with acid.

 

 step 3 finished etched plate step 4 Inked plate ready to print step 5 -preparing chine collé with rice glue  heating large  round plate – inked with white ( which  sticks to the black paper )

Finished Print with chine collé circle on black somerset.