Masterclass: Mezzotint with Stuart Brocklehurst

Description

Masterclasses are back! Why not join printmaker Stuart Brocklehurst on our first ever mezzotint workshop here at WYPW and explore this beautiful intaglio process?

An engraving technique made popular in the eighteenth century as a means for reproducing portrait paintings; mezzotint–from the Italian mezzo (“half”) and tinta (“tone”)–works by holding halftones in subtle gradations of light and shade, rather than lines to form the image. Creating prints with soft gradations of tone and rich velvety blacks, attendees of this two day workshop will work on pre-rocked (by hand rather than mass produced) copper plate, to design, engrave and print a small mezzotint image.

Your tutor: Stuart Brocklehurst

Experience level

Whist you may not have produced a mezzotint prior to this workshop, some experience of printmaking and specifically intaglio printmaking is advisable.

What’s included?

All course prices include basic materials such as inks, paper, tools and equipment. A pre-rocked (by hand) copper plate will be used during the workshop and is included in the cost.

What do I need to prepare beforehand?

For the purposes of the workshop students should have some preparatory drawings prepared. The plates used measure 70mm x 100mm so it would be useful to work the preliminary drawings to this size. Unique among intaglio processes, mezzotint prints are worked from dark to light. Any work done on the plate creates tones moving through progressively lighter greys to white. With this in mind, rather than working in pencil on white paper it may help to make preliminary studies in white crayon on black paper. Carbon paper for transferring designs on to the plate will be provided.
Students should bring their own drawing materials etc and may use their own scrapers and burnishers if they have them but a selection of tools will be made available for use during the workshop

Itinerary :

Day One

• Students shown a portfolio of original mezzotints and given a demonstration in the use of the rocker and manner of rocking the plate to prepare the mezzotint ground.
• Students are the taught the correct handling of scrapers and burnishing tools used to alter the mezzotint ground.
• Using their own designs students are helped to transfer the image on to the plate and guidance given in starting to engrave the plate.
• Towards the end of the first day students will be shown how to ink and wipe their plates and print a first proof to check progress.

Day 2

• Students are coached through the engraving process using first proofs as a guide to where further work is required on the plate in preparation for printing second state proofs later in the day.
• Exploration of inking and printing of plate.

Covid-19 :

We continue to have everyone’s safety as our main priority here at the workshop and as a result of the pandemic some precautions remain. Added measures to keep you safe include:

• All courses working with reduced numbers or alternate spaces to aid greater ventilation and social distancing.
• Requesting that everyone in communal areas of the workshop, if able, continues to wear either a face covering, mask or a visor.
• Hand sanitiser provided on entry and additional cleaning measures in place.
• Minimising shared equipment or materials wherever possible.

Full guidance on our Covid-19 policies and risk assessment can be found on our website here.

What’s next?

After attending this course you can join our workshop as a member and continue to use our facilities to make and develop your own work. The sooner the better, as the longer you leave it the more you are likely to forget! If you join up within one month of attending the course you will receive a £5 discount. Find out more about the benefits of membership here: https://www.wypw.org/shop/standard-membership/

Cancellation Policy:

• If you have to cancel:

If you are unable to attend your booked course, we may accept the fee paid as payment towards a place on the same or another course that takes place within the same financial year (running 1 April-31 March) following the originally booked event. Such a transfer will be on condition that we are informed in writing of your intentions four weeks prior to the originally booked event. Bookings can only be transferred once.

• 16-12 weeks before the course: 50 % of the fee will be retained by WYPW
• Less than 12 weeks before the course: 100% of the fee will be retained by WYPW
• Please note that full payment is required for non-attendance on a booking that has been transferred.

If you have any further questions about our cancellation policy, please contact us on info@wypw.org  

• If we have to cancel:

West Yorkshire Print Workshop reserves the right to cancel or re-arrange courses if there are insufficient participants enrolled to run a viable course or for other unforeseen circumstances. We will do our best to give those who have already enrolled at least one weeks’ notice of cancellation. In such circumstances you will be offered a free transfer to another course date or a full refund of fees paid.