The UnderPressure Fine Art Web Site.The UnderPressure Fine Art Web Site.Welcome to Stone Lithography.
The work to the left is entitled, "Cuke Man." The work to the right is entitled, "Trail of Tears, Oklahoma."
The work to the left is entitled, "Melons at the Market," and was done on buff paper. The work to the right is entitled, "Fifth Floor View, Renaissance
Center in Detroit."
The works above are: to the left, a work entitled, "Veggie Man," and the work to the right is a drawn litho from the painting, and is also entitled, "Crabtree Falls."
Following are the two works that were done in the Queen of Hearts Series. They were drawn as stone lithos, and were later hand-colored for emphasis colorizing. The first one is entitled, "Queen of Hearts: The Revelation." The second is entitled, "Queen of Hearts: The Awakening." The second work is not shown in the black drawing stage. The third work was done as a large oil painting, and can be found by clicking here.
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My background in lithography started when I was involved in undergraduate studies at the university. Donald Sexauer was a printmaking instructor at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. Inspired by his work, I made printmaking my major and studied lithography under him while there. Later, I studied graduate printmaking and painting at that same university. When I decided to finish my Master's degree at the University of Colorado in Boulder, I specifically studied lithography, and in fact, digital litho and photolitho. My mentor there was Clinton Cline, as it was he who implemented and instructed the alternative and digital styles of lithography at CU in Boulder. I switched between stones and plates while there, and learned the pros and cons of each.
Stone lithography started sometime around1798 (see this web site: http://www.crateart.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21). There are lots of web sites and books that explain how and why it got started, so I won't spend a lot of time getting all of that information in this web page. It is interesting, and reading about Aloise Senefelder will help you understand more about the subject. Take the time to see a few sites or read about it.
I have a couple of good sized stones, and I like drawing on those stones. Drawing on a stone is different than drawing on any type of plate out on the market. The plates have a tooth, and they do well in that they resemble stones in application. They process a little bit different than a stone. I have to keep my litho pencils in a freezer to use them and keep them sharp, and more so when I use a plate (the plate is metal, and heats the litho pencil up, blunting the tip). When drawing on a stone, the stone is usually a little cooler than the room temperature, and because of its thickness, doesn't get warm easy. Litho pencils will stay sharper longer. Lots of lithographers like to go back into the plate, scrap away some of the image, etc. This is much easier to do on a stone than a plate.
For any given image, I might use up to 10 passes (10 colors), and these can be done on stone, plate, or a combination of both. Let me be clear about plates versus stones. I draw, and I draw alot. Drawing becomes something you do often, and, in that process, you create habits. For example, drawing with pencils, I favor certain numbers of pencils. I become familiar with certain papers, and weights and textures of papers become important to my style. With lithography, it works the same way. Lithographers in a university setting will often set aside one or two stones they prefer. They learn to levigate the stone with a certain number of passes and grits. They draw with particular patterns, and hardnesses of litho pencils. The habits they learn allow them to assure success every time they use a stone to do an image. When I say a stone is better than a plate, it is a statement resulting from my own habits, likes and dislikes, opinions, etc.
So this page is dedicated to Stone Lithography, and on this page you will see me make an image with a stone from the first step to the last step. Keep in mind that if you have had some instruction in lithography, I might or might not do it exactly the same way you have been taught. If you realize that it is just a matter of opinion, then I would like you email me and suggest that I try your way. If you think I am clearly wrong in the way that I do it, definitely email me and set me on the right path. Either way is a win-win situation, in my opinion: msanders@rmcad.edu.
1. Check the stone for flatness.
2. Levigate the stone for evenness of grain.
3. Recheck the stone for levelness and flatness.
4. Wash the stone off.
5. Dry the stone.
6. Make a gum margin around the stone.
7. Cover the stone to keep it ready.