Why I choose to do photogravure
Photogravure is a technique that can display digital photographs using printmaking skills. A magical technique that allows you to create patterns on the image without using a mouse or keyboard. Photogravure is a really fun way to do for people who love to use their own hands to create art, to feel the whole process by using their hands.
Photogravure uses a copper plate which is covered by light sensitive gelatin tissue. Use transparency paper to expose the image to the plates. Aquatint screen, which is used with UV light to activate the gelatin tissue on the copper plate, lets the image printed on the transparency paper to expose on the plate. The combination of these things can transfer the pictures onto paper, not with a printer but with a more traditional method.
After the start of COVID-19, the school curriculum began to take classes on zoom. I was very worried that what I learn through this form is not a good way to study, I thought I could use this time to learn something that I have never been exposed to. I started to learn printmaking, but in class, what I learned in class was just ordinary techniques. Learned how to carve on the block and transferred it to paper, but at this time I started to worry that my drawing skills are not as good as other students. I started to think, I am a photographer after all, and I should connect the two techniques I have learned. Later, after two semesters of printmaking study, I went to a printmaker studio to continue my study. During the communication with him, I learned about a technology – photogravure that can print photos using printmaking technology.
In the process of learning this technique that is not used by too many people, I spent a very long time waiting for couriers from various sellers. Keep trying, keep buying materials. After months, I have only learned a corner of the photogravure skill. I don’t know if there are any steps I did wrong, because in various videos on the Internet, they use a slightly different method to expose pictures. Photogravure is a kind of magical existence to me. I always enjoy the process of the copper plate being in the water and gradually showing its patterns. There is no way not to enjoy the moments when the final result is lifted right after being pressed and transferred.
The main reason for choosing photogravure is because I have been very interested in making handicrafts, such as pottery, weaving and so on. In the process of learning printmaking last year, although it was really time-consuming, I really enjoyed every moment of removing the block with the knife. Although the process of carving, blocking and exposing copper plates is long, you can watch it while watching TV series. But what attracted me the most in photogravure was the final result. After ink was applied to the copper plate, it was pressed by the weighted roller. The original textured paper was also flattened, and the ink originally on the copper plate was also transferred to the paper. If you carefully observe the ink on the paper, you can see that the different depths hold the deep and shallow parts.
