TEACH ME DRY POINT. Like I could ask a second year or someone here, but they look at you funny (most of them).
My first question is, now? Over Tumblr?? Because next weekend I am planning to go to one of the portfolio workshops at your school. If you can get us access to a printmaking studio I shall teach you what I know, which is the baby basics of printmaking.
But if you are in favour of a Tumblr response, here is what you do.
I wanted to include images, but I don't know how to do that without doing extra work.
1. Get a sheet to draw on the size you (roughly) want your print to be. It can be plexiglass from home depot, or aluminum, or copper (copper is expensive though).
2. File. The. Edges. Or you'll break either your paper, the press, or both if you're super unlucky. They should be filed to a 45 degree angle.
3. Get a super pointy metal stick and draw your drawing into the plate pretty much as you would do it on paper. Be aware that the different pressure you use causes different lines. You're print comes out opposite to the direction on the plate, so if you want to write on it you scratch it in (super technical terms we use here) backwards.
4. Use a piece of card to spread the ink evenly on the plate. To not get it streaky-mcstreakerton cover the plate with ink in one direction (lengthwise, for example) and then switch to the other direction (ie width).
5. Grab newsprint, or even cheaper, sheets of a phonebook and wipe the ink off the plate using circular motions with the palm of your hand. Take off rings and other jewellery because they'll scratch your plate and ruin it. Keep wiping until there is only ink in the lines you've made in the plate and no finger prints. Wash your hands.
6. Sometime before inking your plate and getting your hands dirty, have your print making/Japanese/etching paper soaking in water.
7. Place your plate face up on the press. Wash your hands again, put your damp paper on top, put the blankets on the paper.
9. Peel of the blankets and the paper and there's your print!
10. Clean your plate well by lifting the ink with oil and then wiping it clean with vinegar. Wash your hands.
11. Repeat steps 4-10 until you like it/can produce exactly the same image several times.
This is granted you have someone set up the press for you (pressure, template ect.), so if you go in with your plate ready and ask a second year how to set up the press, they would probably be more inclined to help you out than if you were starting from square one. Also, there's a bunch of other cool techniques like Chine Colle and double plating to add colour. A lot of it is getting familiar with the process.
