Cricketts Inky Art Blot

My 5" x 7" keyhole print has been made using photopolymer printmaking, or solarplate. I used sanguine and black ink to print, then used muted watercolours to tint it. I will probably make 20 in total, one down... The print is called "XXV. A Slight Glimpse Of San Francisco" and relates to Phileas Fogg retiring to his railway car in chapter 25 of Around The World In Eighty Days on his arrival to the West Coast of the USA. I adapted this to show Lady Penelope retiring for the evening after dinner. Here is a clip showing a solarprint workshop with Dan Weldon.

I have been starting off a copper plate for etching. In the past I have always used other metals and always used traditional but toxic methods. Acids and feathering have been my method for exposing the plate for a good bite. I have been happy with the results, but I have not enjoyed the headaches, sore hands and eyes etc. I am learning more about non-toxic techniques to print and will be experimenting with salts for the plate exposure. I am also going to learn about using an alternative to the powder aquatint. Over the weekend I worked on a sketch for the plate and prepared the plate for the image. The first difficulty I found was that without a rosin coat on the plate, I could not really see where I had scratched. I am allergic to pine, so it is a good thing for me to not use the rosin, however, I might need to find a ground that is dark to work into as I am disappointed that I can't see the details.