Collographs

A collograph is created by building up a collage materials on a single block so that it has a range of textures on the surface (though the surface should not be raised more than a few millimetres since printing would then become difficult).

Here are some materials ready to apply:

I used string, layered card, bubblewrap and those funny wotsit-shaped foam thingies (yes, that's a technical term) to create the collograph below:

I also coated the whole thing lightly in PVA glue to ensure everything was held down in place, and to create a layer between the materials and the paint I applied afterwards... Once the collograph was painted, I made a single print on A3 paper:

Unfortunately the result was not that great. The bubblewrap worked fantastically, and I can also clearly make out the patterns made by the string. The 'wotsit-shaped foam thingies' also made an interesting mark on the page, but could have perhaps been coated in more paint.

Sadly the letters did not show as I'd hoped. This may have been because the paint dried quickly on them and did not make a mark, and/or the layer of cardboard was not deep enough to match the depth of the others materials. (I have a hunch it was the first reason.)

I'm not sure if I'll be making any more prints from this one, or even if I'll make another collograph, since we are now moving onto a new project. However if I do, I will know to be more generous when slapping on the wet paint.