Multiple-stone lithography
by Lois Hoefert Aring
A thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF APPLIED ART
Montana State University
© Copyright by Lois Hoefert Aring (1963)
Abstract:
Many phases of lithography were experimented upon and discarded be-for the idea of printing from
several stones onto a single sheet of paper was conceived. The print produced in this manner is larger
than any created by most graphic art methods, so could be seen effectively at a distance. It is
conceivable, then, that lithographs produced by this method could be of value for decorative purposes.
Arranging several average-sized stones to produce such a print enables any artist to create large
lithographs on stone independent of physical limitations. A single limestone of the same proportions as
the prints done for this thesis would weigh between two and three hundred pounds. This would make
the execution of lithographs of a comparable size impossible in a private studio or classroom not
equipped with a lift.
Metal plates were not considered satisfactory substitutes for stone because of the many problems
encountered in their use.
The larger size of the multiple-stone lithograph also enables an artist to experience new techniques and
creative freedoms as well as utilize all methods previously found to originate images on conventional
-sized stones.
Much experimentation was done to find designs which would be pleasing aesthetically and could be
printed in sections. Problems in registering, overlapping, and printing were encountered and
satisfactorily solved, Multiple-stone lithography was found to be a time-consuming but interesting and
effective way to create large decorative prints with a minimum of physical effort. MULTIPLE-STONE LITHOGRAPHY
by
LOIS HOEFERT ARING
A t h e s i s submi tted t o the Graduate F a c u l t y in p a r t i a l
. f u l f i l l m e n t o f the requi rements f o r the degree
of
MASTER OF APPLIED ART
Approved:
H e a d , / Maj or Department
'I
Cha^/man, Examining Commi t t e e
Dean,
Graduate D i v i s i o n
MONTANA STATE COLLEGE
Bozeman, Montana
December,
1963
iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I wish t o express my a p p r e c i a t i o n to the f a c u l t y o f the School o f
Art,
Montana S t a t e C o l l e g e ,
ceived.
Mr.
Cyril
f o r the guidance and i n s t r u c t i o n
H. Conrad f o r p a t i e n c e and under st anding,
DeWeese f o r encouragement in p a i n t i n g ,
t i n ue d f a i t h , and a s s i s t a n c e ,
I would a l s o l i k e
parents,
Mr.
Mr.
Robert
and Miss J e s s i e W i l b e r f o r con­
deserve my s p ec i a l
thanks.
to convey my deep and s i n c e r e g r a t i t u d e to my
and Mrs. A r t h u r C. H o e f e r t ,
and to my husband, Mr.
I have r e­
John A r i n g ,
couragement and f o r the s a c r i f i c e s
to my s i s t e r ,
Miss Lynn Hoefert,,
f o r t h e i r const ant i n t e r e s t and en­
they have made on my b e h a l f .
L. H. A.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
TITLE PAGE . . .
VITA .
........................
.............................................. .
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.
,
...
. . .
LIST OF FIGURES.. ." . . . . .
,
ABSTRACT . . . . . . . . . .
. , I
Il
v
vi I
INTRODUCTION . . . ...................
I
THE HISTORY OF LITHOGRAPHY .
.4
A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESS
7
MULTIPLE-STONE PRINTS.
. . .
LITERATURE CONSULTED . .
. .
17
36
LIST OF FIGURES
Fi gur e
Page
1.
Original
Col or L i thogr aph . . .
2.
P r e l i m i n a r y Li thogr aphs . . . .
. . . .
3
3.
O rigin al
. .
....
6
4.
Gr i ndi ng the S t on e............................
. . . . .
10
5.
Drawing the
. . .
. . . .
10
6.
Etchi ng the Stone. ............................
. . . .
10
7.
T r a c i n g and R e g i s t e r i n g ....
.
.
. . . .
10
8.
Rolling
. .
. . . .
14
9.
P l a c i n g Paper f o r A P r i n t -
. . . .
.14
Crayon L i t h o g r a p h .
Image .
. . . .
Ink Onto the Stone.
Frontispiece
•
10.
Ope ra ti ng the Press .......................
. . . .
14
11.
P u l l i n g the P r i n t . . . . . . .
. . . .
.14
12.
O riginal
. . . .
16
13.
P r i n t Showing R e g i s t e r Marks.
.■
. . . .
19
14.
Stages o f a M u l t i p l e - S t o n e P r i n t
. . . .
19
15.
Compos i t ion I . .....................................
. . . .
23
16.
Composition
. . . . . . . .
. . . .
23
.................................
. . . .
26
. . . .
26
. . . .
29
....
29
. I 7.
Tusche L i t h o g r a p h .
LI.
Compos i t ion I I I
18.
Composition
19.
Composition V .......................
,20.
. .
I V . . . ............................
Composition V
. .
.
I
21.
Composition V l l
. . . . . . . .
22.
Composition V I I I .
............................
,
.................. 32
.............
32
. vi
Fi gures
Page
23.
Composition IX.
. ...
24.
Compos i t i on X .. .
. . .
...
.
. ................................. .................................... 35
................................................... . .
.
. . . . .
35
ABSTRACT
Many ph a se s , o f l i t h o g r a p h y were experimented upon and di scarded bef o r the idea o f p r i n t i n g , from s ever al stones onto a s i n g l e sheet o f p^per
was concei ved.
The p r i n t produced in t h i s manner is l a r g e r than any
c r e a t e d by most g ra p h i c a r t methods, so could be seen e f f e c t i v e l y a t a
d i s t a n c e ; . I t is c o n c e i v a b l e , then, t h a t l i t h o g r a p h s produced by t h i s
method could be of. v a l u e f o r d e c o r a t i v e purposes.
A rr a n g i n g s ev er al a v e r a g e - s i z e d stones to produce such a p r i n t en­
a b le s any a r t i s t to. c r e a t e l a r g e l i t h o g r a p h s on stone independent o f
ph y si c al l i m i t a t i o n s .
A s i n g l e l imes tone o f the same p r o p o r t i o n s as the
p r i n t s done f o r t h i s t h e s i s would weigh between two and t h r e e hundred
pounds.
Thi s would make the e xe c ut io n o f l i t h o g r a p h s o f a comparable s i z e
i mpossi bl e in a p r i v a t e s t u d i o or classroom not equipped w i t h a l i f t .
Metal p l a t e s were not consi dered s a t i s f a c t o r y s u b s t i t u t e s f o r stone be­
cause o f the many problems encountered in t h e i r use.
The l a r g e r s i z e o f the m u l t i p l e - s t o n e l i t h o g r a p h a l s o enables an
a r t i s t t o e xp e r i e n c e new techniques and c r e a t i v e freedoms as w el l as
u t i l i z e a l l methods p r e v i o u s l y found t o o r i g i n a t e images on conventi onal s i z e d stones.
Much e x p e r i m e n t a t i o n was done t o f i n d designs which.would- be
p l e a s i n g a e s t h e t i c a l l y and could be p r i n t e d in s e c t i o n s .
Problems in
r e g i s t e r i n g , o v e r l a p p i n g , and p r i n t i n g were encountered and s a t i s f a c t o r i l y
s ol ved, . M ul t ip-1 e r st o ne l i t h o g r a p h y was found to be a time-consuming but
i n t e r e s t i n g and e f f e c t i v e ^ w a y to c r e a t e l a r g e d e c o r a t i v e p r i n t s w i t h a
minimum:of ph y si c al e f f o r t .
INTRODUCTION
Li thogr aphy
s ever al
is a c r e a t i v e process Which i nvolves the mastery o f
associated s k i l l s
such.as e t c h i n g . a n d p r i n t i n g , the stone.
for ds s t i m u l a t i n g t e c h n i c a l
c he mi s tr y o f the process
problems l ac k e d . b y many o t h e r a r t media;
its elf
is i n t e r e s t i n g .
necessary to produce a l i t h o g r a p h y o f any s i z e ,
enjoyable,
It af­
Some ph y si c al
but t h i s ,
too,
the
l ab or is
can be
because the f i n i s h e d , pr oduc t gi ves a g r e a t sense o f accomplish­
ment and s a t i s f a c t i o n .
During the f i r s t
t h r e e months o f t h i s study much time was spent
g a i n i n g e x pe r i en c e and a knowledge o f the medium.
l i t h o g r a p h s were executed,
Many p r e l i m i n a r y c o l o r
some o f which can be seen I n . f i g u r e 2.
A par­
t i c u l a r problem i n v o l v i n g c r e a t i v e e x p e r i m e n t a t i o n and the development o f
technical
sought.
procedures not p r e v i o u s l y s t ud i e d a t Montana S t a t e Col lege was
Such a problem!Would not o nl y be o f s i g n i f i c a n t v a l u e to the ex­
p e r i m e n t e r as a c r e a t i v e endeavor, b ut . woul d p ro v id e those i n t e r e s t e d
lithography with material
for further
investigation.
Some-, work was d on e .wi th c o l o r and t r a n s p a r e n t o v e r l a y s ,
but t h i s
di d not prove t o be e f f e c t i v e due to the c h a r a c t e r o f l i t h o g r a p h i c
Much f i n e r
r e s u l t s a re a t t a i n a b l e
in
ink.
in t h i s d i r e c t i o n . in the medium o f .
serigraphy.
Cot ton,
an e f f o r t
printing.
r a y o n , . and v a ri o us o t h e r f a b r i c s were used t o p r i n t upon in
to f i n d out how l i t h o g r a p h y would adapt i t s e l f , to t e x t i l e
I t was. hoped t h a t such t hi ngs as napkins ,and c u r t a i n s could be
decor ated in t h i s way.
The p r i n t e d f a b r i c s were washed, and i t was
2
a p par ent a f t e r f o u r or f i v e washings w i th . a.mi ld d et er gent , t h a t the ink
would.fade.
Several
stones were p r i n t e d
in succession on a p i ec e o f c l o t h
to s i m u l a t e a c u r t a i n . d u r i n g t h i s e xpe ri ment .
l a r g e p r i n t s executed by using, s ev er al
From t h a t came the idea o f
a v e r a g e - s i z e d stones combined to
form one image.
<
F e l i x Brunner w r i t e s :
. Graphic a r t is the a r t : o f . s m a l l - s i z e d p i c t u r e s .
I t is
p r i m a r i l y intended to be viewed a t the d i s t a n c e from hand to
eye.
U n l i k e f l a t a r e a s , l i n e s become i n d i s t i n g u i s h a b l e a t a
distance.
For t h i s reason gr aphi cs a r e u s u a l l y kept I n . a p o r t ­
f o l i o r a t h e r than hung on w a l l s . I
The i m p l i c a t i o n t h a t g r a ph i c p r i n t s were n e c e s s a r i l y small
consti­
t u t e d a c h a l l e n g e to demonstrate t h a t l a r g e l i t h o g r a p h s . w e r e f e a s i b l e .
They, would i n v o l v e new and i n t e r e s t i n g problems in l i t h o g r a p h i c proce­
dures which had not been p r e v i o u s l y e xpl or e d a t Montana S t a t e Col lege.
M u ltip le -s to n e lithography,
experimenter with
as i t . s h a l l
be c a l l e d , would a l s o p ro v id e the
i n v a l u a b l e c r e a t i v e expe ri en ce s and t e c h n i c a l , knowledge.
^B runner, F e l i x , A Handbook o f Graphic Reproduction Pr ocesses,
Hasti ngs- House, P u b l i s h e r s , I n c . , New York 22, New York, 1 9 6 2 , pp. 3 1- 3 2.
Fi gur e 2.
P r e l i m i n a r y Li thographs
THE HISTORY OF LITHOGRAPHY
The p r i n t i n g process known. as l i t h o g r a p h y was di scov er ed by. a
Bavar ian p l a y w r i g h t , A l o y s : S e n e f e l d e r ,
found f a v o r
by a cc i de n t: in 1798. . I t f i r s t
in Germany where i t was used m ai nl y as a means o f p i c t o r i a l
r e p r od uc t io n and i l l u s t r a t i o n , ^
The e a r l i e s t f i n e a r t l i t h o g r a p h s done in
t h a t c ount ry were produced by A d o l f von Merizel.
His work e x e r t e d a t r e ­
mendous i n f l u e n c e on the development o f l i t h o g r a p h y as a n . a r t form
throughout Europe.
At t h i s
time t h e . French Re v ol ut i on was o c cu r r i n g and l i t h o g r a p h y
was found to be the p r e c i s e medium needed f o r the r epr oduct i on o f p o l i t i ­
cal
drawings and c a r t o o n s .
Honore# Daumier was the f i r s t
process as a form o f mass communication.
2
to use the
Being a p r o l i f i c a r t i s t ,
a p pr o x i m a t e l y 5 , 0 0 0 l i t h o g r a p h s a re c r e d i t e d t o- hi m which, were c i r c u l a t e d
thr oughout France,
f i n e a r t form.
g r e a t l y advancing the p o p u l a r i t y o f l i t h o g r a p h y as a
Other a r t i s t s
to a chi ev e p e r f e c t i o n . i n
the n i n e t e e n t h c e nt u ry were G a v a r n i , D e l a c r o i x ,
Redon, Goya, and Toulouse-
L a u tr e c , whose m a g n i f I c i e n t p o s te r s were the f i r s t
p o r a t e s ever al
colors.^
No t a b l y ,
the medium duri ng
l i t h o g r a p h s to i n c o r ­
these a re Frenchmen, w i t h the excepti on
o f Goya from S p a i n . .
Arms, John T a y l o r , Handbook o f P r i n t Making and P r i n t Makers, The
M cMi l lan Company, New York, 1934, p. 167 .
2Brunner,
Felix,
op. c ?t . , p.
I 78 .
. 3 j u l i en, Edouard, The Posters o f T o u l o u s e - L a u t r e c , : E d i t ions
Du Li v r e , . M o n t e - C a r l O^ P a r i s Book Ce n te r , I nc,:,% New York, / 19 5 1;
■5
L i thogr aphy was used l a r g e l y , f o r
i l l u s t r a t i v e purposes i n . t h e
Uni ted S t a t e s f o r many y e a r s. '.A few a r t i s t s
merit,
but most work was commercial
c r e a te d some l i t h o g r a p h s o f
in.nature.
During the t w e n t i e t h
c en t ur y the Uni te d S t a t es has grown to be the l e a de r in the development o f
commercial
lithography.
I t has become t h e - f a s t e s t growing process o f
c o l o r r epr o du ct i on and is used e x t e n s i v e l y ,
reproduces w i t h g r e a t f i d e l i t y .
4
It
is economical,
fast,
and
By the u s e . o f o f f s e t l i t h o g r a p h y any­
t h i n g t h a t can be photographed can be p r i n t e d w i t h o u t employing metal
ty p e.
P o st e r s ,
labels.,
books,
Besides the immense commercial
and package's a r e p r i n t e d by t h i s method.
i n d u s t r y i t has developed i n t o ,
is a p op ul a r means o f c r e a t i n g f i n e p r i n t s
graphers s t i l l
today.
lithography
Contemporary l i t h o ­
use stones and b a s i c a l l y the same procedures as those used
by S e n e f e l d e r and the acclaimed l i t h o g r a p h e r s p r e v i o u s l y mentioned.
It
with th is
that
type o f p r i n t m a k i n g ,
this thesis
as opposed to commercial
lithography,
is concerned.
^ Adver ti sement in The, New York Ti mes, September 30,
II.
1962,
Section
is
A DESCRIPTION OF THE -PROCESS
U n l i k e the o t h e r g ra p h i c a r t processes which are e i t h e r
or r e l i e f , l i t h o g r a p h y
on an e n t i r e l y f l a t
is a p l a n o gr ap hi c process.
P r i n t i n g " , which is what
l a t e r changed t o l i t h o g r a p h y ;
or drawing.
Thi s means i t
is dpne
s u r f a c e , p r i n t i n g being made p o s s i b l e by the chemical
p r o p e r t i e s o f the substances employed.
as "Chemical
intaglio
Senefelder f i r s t
it
is in f a c t J
r e f e r r e d to i t
The name was
l i t h o meaning stone, and graphy, w r i t i n g
2
The process is based upon the p r i n c i p l e t h a t grease and w a t e r do
■not mi x.
T hi s r e p u l s i o n o f one f o r the o t h e r
differences
in v i s c o s i t y by Ha y t e r . ^
is e x p l a i n e d
A more complete e x p l a n a t i o n o f why
l i t h o g r a p h y works is found in a book by Ralph Mayer.
theory,
in terms of
According t o t h i s
the a c t i o n t h a t occurs is a d s o r p t i o n — the adhesion o f a l i q u i d ,
gas, o r s o l i d t o the s u r f a c e o f a n o t h e r .
This re la tio n s h ip
is so strong
t h a t the adsorbed l a y e r cannot be washed o f f or d i s s o l v e d , but must be
removed by a c t u a l l y d i s c a r d i n g a l a y e r o f the substance— in t h i s case
stone--by grin d in g .
Ads or pt ion can o n l y occur in m a t t e r whose mole­
cul es form a p a r t i c u l a r p a t t e r n , o r l i n e - u p p a r a l l e l
direction.
They a r e then sai d t o be p o l a r i z e d .
^Seward, . C. A . , Metal
I n c . , . N e w York, 1931, P . 7.
^Barnhart,
New York, 1958.
■
^Hayter,
1962, p. 66.
and in the same
The crayon o r tusche
P l a t e L i t h o g r a p h y , The Pehci I P o i n t s Press,
C. I . , . ( e d . ) , . American C o ll e ge D i c t i o n a r y , Random House,
S. W . , . About P r i n t s , Oxford U n i v e r s i t y Press, London,
8
a p p l i e d to the s tone in drawing cont ai ns grease and causes an adsorbed
l a y e r o f f a t t y aci ds to form underneath.
p o l a r i z e d and repel
The adsorbed f a t t y aci ds are
the n o n - p o l a r i zed de pos it s o f a ci d and gum a r a b l e
a p p l i e d t o the stone.
When a r o l l e r
laden w i t h greasy ink is passed over
the e n t i r e stone the n o n - p o l a r i zed areas which have been t r e a t e d w i t h gum
a r a b l e and a c i d repel the grease and hold w at e r .
The ink is a t t r a c t e d
)
on l y t o the adsorbed l a y e r o f f a t t y aci ds formed where crayon marks were
pIaced.^
The stones used f o r l i t h o g r a p h y a r e v er y f i n e g r a in e d l imestone
composed m a in l y o f c ar bonate o f c h a l k .
Mountains o f B a v a r i a . ^
I y,
They a re q u a r r i e d
in the Jura
Grey or bl u e and y e l l o w l imestone occurs n a tu r a l -
the grey o r bl ue being somewhat s u p e r i o r due to hardness and less po­
rosity.
Four stones,
numbers E 119,
E 106,
E 120, and E 12k,
bel onging to
the Montana S t a t e C ol l ege School o f A r t , were used f o r t h i s study.
a re grey in c o l o r , weigh a p p r o x i m a t e l y 50 pounds a p i e c e ,
13,
I S i by 13,
18 by 14 ,
and 18 by 14 inches,
They
and measure 17 by
respectively.
Zinc and aluminum p l a t e s a r e consi der ed to be s a t i s f a c t o r y s u b s t i ­
t u t e s f o r stone by some contemporary p r i n t m a k e r s .
these metals
A p l a t e of e i t h e r of
is p r o p o r t i o n a l l y l i g h t e r than a stone and can be more e a s i l y
t r a n s p o r t e d and handled.
Zi nc or al uminum can. be o bt a ine d
in sheets of
^various s i z e s so i t would be p o s s i b l e to execute p r i n t s as l a r g e as the
^Mayer, Ralph, The A r t i s t s 1 Handbook o f M a t e r i a l s and Techniques,
The V i k i n g Press, New York, 1941, pp. 351, 4 3 5 -4 4 4.
Inc.,
^Wengenroth, Stow, Making a L i t h o g r a p h , The S tudi o P u b l i c a t i o n s ,
New York, 1936, p. 8.
9
press bed used would a l l o w .
According to most l i t h o g r a p h e r s ,
di sadvantages o f metal p l a t e s o v e r r u l e these f a c t o r s .
the metal makes i t d i f f i c u l t
however,
the
The d a r k e r c o l o r o f
to p e r c e i v e v al ues and c o n t r o l
contrast.
No
scr api ng techni ques can be employed in drawing nor can c o r r e c t i o n s be
e a s i l y made upon the completed image.on l y
in l a r g e c i t i e s ,
Metal p l a t e s a r e g r a in e d by machine;
or by sending them t o . a
l i t h o g r a p h i c supply house,
can these p l a t e s be r eg ra in e d and r eadi ed f o r a second drawing.
e xpensi ve.
Many p r i n t ma ke r s have found drawing on a metal
They are
p l a t e to be an
unpl eas ant e xp e r i e n c e and not to be compared to the f i n e t a c t i l e q u a l i t y
o f stone.
A p a r t i c u l a r sequence o f steps must be f ol l ow ed in the p r e p a r a t i o n
o f a l i t h o g r a p h i c stone b e f o r e
it
among a u t h o r i t i e s on the s u b j e c t ,
t h a t which w i l l
be di scussed.
is p r i n t e d .
Some d e v i a t i o n can.be found
but most f o l l o w a procedure s i m i l a r to
The a c t i v i t i e s
o u t l i n e d here a re those
f o l l o w e d in c r e a t i n g the l i t h o g r a p h s de sc ri be d in t h i s t h e s i s .
F i r s t the stone is ground down t o remove the top l a y e r c o n t a i n i n g
grease from the p r evi ous
smoothness
(Figure 4 ) .
image and to gi v e
it
U n l i k e metal p l a t e s ,
the d e si r e d degree o f
a stone may be resur faced
e a s i l y and e co no mi c al ly and hundreds o f times b e fo re i t can no l onger be
used.
metal
Gr i ndi ng
is done w i t h powdered carborundum,
d i s c known as a l e v i g a t o r .
grain sizes,
running Water, and a
Carborundum can be bought in several
determined by the standard mesh through which i t . w a s s t r a i n e d .
The f i r s t g r i n d i n g
is done w i t h a coarse g r a i n ,
remove b o t h . s tone and grease.
u s u a l l y #120,
to r a p i d l y
I t can then be ground w i t h #180 g r a i n f o r
F i gur e 6.
Etchi ng the Stone
F i gur e 7.
T r a ci n g and R e g i s t e r i n g
an average s u r f a c e t e x t u r e ,
#320.
The f i n a l
or i f a smoother one is d e s i r e d , w i t h . #220 or
grinding o f a l l
stones used f o r the e x p e r i m e n t a t i o n on
m u l t i p l e - s t o n e p r i n t s was done w i t h #180 g r a i n carborundum.
tended to save time and a c t as a c o n t r o l measure to a i d
This was i n ­
in the comparison
of p rin ts .
The I e v i g a t o r is a s t e e l
wei ghi ng 2 3 i pounds.
It
in di ame te r arid
Care must be taken t o keep the g r i n d i n g
over the stone so t h a t the s u r f a c e w i l l
minimum o f t h r e e to f o u r g r i n d i n g s
g r a i n a stone.
inches
is moved r a p i d l y by a r o t a t i n g handle in a c i r c u ­
l a r moti on, c o u n t e r c l o c k w i s e .
even a l l
d i s c about e i g h t
be c o mp l et e l y f l a t .
\
A
is necessary to p r o p e r l y clean and
The edges must t h e n . be rounded— f i r s t w i t h . a
rasp,
then
w i t h a pumice s t o n e - - t o p r e v e n t damage t o the paper duri ng p r i n t i n g and to
guard a g a i n s t the f or ma t io n o f i n k d e p os i t s as the i n k is a p p l i e d .
Prepa­
r a t i o n o f the stone f o r drawing r e q u i r e s from 15 minutes to h a l f a n. hour ,
depending upon i t s c o n d i t i o n and the t e x t u r e d e s i r e d .
The stone must then
be fanned dry or leaned s e c u r e l y in a d u s t - f r e e p l a c e u n t i l
i t has
thor oug hl y d r i e d .
Fi gur e 5 shows the c r e a t i n g o f an.image on the stone , which is the
second s t ep.
This may be done by drawing, on paper w i t h a l i t h o g r a p h i c
c ray on. and t r a n s f e r r i n g . i t to the stone in the pr ess ,
d i r e c t l y on the stone.
■thography",
mentation,
or i t may be done
The f i r s t method is r e f e r r e d t o as " t r a n s f e r I i -
6
the second as "crayonstone l i t h o g r a p h y " .
A f t e r some e x p e r i ­
the crayonstone method was found t o be more p l e a s i n g and more
^Arms, John T a y l o r ,
op. c i t , , p.
159.
.12
a p p l i c a b l e to the problems di scus sed. , he rei n.
One m u l t i p l e - s t o n e l i t h o ­
graph done by the t r a n s f e r method has been i ncluded and can be seen in
Fi gur e 19.
Poor r e s u l t s were o bt a ine d because the r e g i s t e r i n g ,
and i nk in g processes were much ha rder to c o n t r o l .
Drawing is most e a s i l y
done w i t h commer ci al l y pr epared l i t h o g r a p h i c crayons, p e n c i l s ,
l i q u i d substance c a l l e d tusche.
The l a t t e r
e tchi ng, ,
and a
is a p p l i e d w i t h pen or brush
and can more c l o s e l y resemble p a i n t i n g than drawing ( F i g u r e 1 2) .
Crayons
and p e n c i l s a r e a v a i l a b l e
number
f i v e hard,
etc.
in s ever al
hardnesses--number one s o f t ,
These media a re composed o f grease and wax and conta in
l a m p b l a c k . t o e nabl e the a r t i s t
to v i s u a l i z e tonal q u a l i t i e s w h i l e drawing.
An example o f a c r a y o n . l i t h o g r a p h c a n . be seen on page 6.
Experiments were
made-With o t h e r greasy substances such as l i p s t i c k , bacon gr ease, Cr i sco,
t
and V a s o l i n e, but these were found t o - b e l ess s a t i s f a c t o r y than the com­
m e r c i a l l y pr epar ed drawing m a t e r i a l s .
Etchi ng the stone i s . t h e t h i r d step
(Figure 6 ).
Thi s
is done-wfth
n i t r i c a c i d and gum a r a b l e s o l u t i o n simply to p r e v e n t the areas not drawn
upon from p i c k i n g up i nk.
sensitizer,
E tchi ng.does not e a t away, but a ct s as a de­
p e n e t r a t i n g the s u r f a c e and c a r r y i n g the gum a r a b i c deeper
i n t o the stone.
Thi s pr ov i de s the adsorbed l a y e r necessary f o r the-,re­
p u l s i o n o f grease and a b s o r p t i o n o f w a t e r descr ibed e a r l i e r .
ard e tch is composed o f one ounce gum a r a b l e
n i t r i c acid.
The stand­
in s o l u t i o n and 2.5 drops o f
The amount o f a c i d used may v ar y depending upon the f i neness
o f the drawi ng,
the te mpe rat ure o f the room, and the stone i t s e l f .
l i t h o g r a p h e r s a chi ev e the s t r e n g t h etch they d e s i r e by t e s t i n g
Most
i t on one
13
c o r ne r o f the stone- b e f o r e a p p l y i n g
i t t o the drawing.
b l o t t e d w i t h absorbent ne wspr i nt pa per , d r i e d ,
The e tc h is
and a ll ow ed to stand a t
l e a s t s i x hours b e f o r e p r i n t i n g , begi ns.
Commercial
lithographic
i nk,
a v a i l a b l e ,both in b l a c k and i n . c o l o r s ,
can be o b ta i ne d a t l i t h o g r a p h i c supply s t o r e s .
s tiffe r
The b l a c k
is somewhat
than the c o l o r e d inks and o f t e n r e q u i r e s t h i n n i n g w i t h . l i t h o ­
g r a ph i c v a r n i s h .
Gr ound.glass can be added to col or ed
ink.to s tiffe n
it
to the pr ope r c o n si s t en c y f o r p r i n t i n g .
A smooth-surfaced paper ,
printing
lithographs.
is best f o r
Any paper w i t h a nap or c o at i n g tends to come o f f
on the stone under pr e s s u r e .
w i t h an obvious weave,
g e n e r a l l y not c l a y coat ed,
An i m p r i n t . i s
l e f t on the stone- by p a p e r s .
so they too should be avoided.
F i r m l y woven c ot ton
c l o t h such as p e r c a l e was found, t o be-a f a i r s u b s t i t u t e f o r paper , but
c r e a t e s an e n t i r e l y d i f f e r e n t e f f e c t because o f i t s g r e a t e r absorbency.
Most a u t h o r i t i e s
recommend dampening the paper b e fo re p r i n t i n g to s of te n
the f i b e r s , but dry paper was found to be s a t i s f a c t o r y f o r some designs.
Printing
o f f with water,
is done on a l a r g e hand-pr ess.
t h e n . t h e crayon image is removed w i t h t u r p e n t i n e through a
c o at o f f r e s h l y a p p l i e d gum. arabl e s o l u t i o n .
dry,
then washed agai n w i t h w a t e r .
damp a t a l l
F i r s t the etch is washed
times b e f o r e a. p r i n t
A sponge is used to keep the stone
is p u l l e d .
inked w i t h a l e a t h e r - c o v e r e d r o l l e r ;
The s u r f a ce o f the stone is
the pa per , a b l o t t e r ,
f i b r e - b o a r d or "tympan" a r e pl aced on top.
press and the p r i n t
The stone must b e - a l l owed. to
and. a heavy
The stone is run t h r o u g h . the
is. removed and pinned on a b u l l e t i n board to dry.
15
Four steps o f the p r i n t i n g . p r o c e d u r e a r e p i c t u r e d on page 14.
o f p r i n t s made o f a p a r t i c u l a r
from ten to f i f t y o r more.
image is c a l l e d an e d i t i o n ,
The number
and may range
E d i t i o n s o f mul t i p l e ^ s t o n e l i t h o g r a p h s done in
c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h t h i s paper were s m al l .
Demand f o r the use o f the pr ess,
pl us the e x t r a expense and time involved, , made l a r g e r e d i t i o n s
impracti­
cal .
Li thogr aphs o f more than one c o l o r a r e p r i n t e d by the.same methods.
A stone Is drawn upon and etched f o r each c o l o r s e p a r a t e l y ,
Fi gur e I
is an o r i g i n a l
lithograph p rin te d
)
in two c o l o r s .
then p r i n t e d .
MULTIPLE-STONE PRINTS
■Because o f the c o mp l e x i t y o f o r g a n i z i n g one v i s u a l
o r f o u r s e p ar a te s u r f a c e s ,
small
in p r e p a r i n g a m u l t i p l e - s t o n e
was an i mpor ta nt f a c t o r
the choi ce o f l a r g e ,
concept on t h r e e
drawings were executed as the f i r s t step
lithograph.
The shape o f the stones used
in c r e a t i n g many o f the composi tions,
bl ocky areas and geomet ric shapes.
influencing
Drawing d i r e c t l y
on the stones promoted a f reeness o f l i n e and t e x t u r e r e s u l t i n g f r o m : the
medium i t s e l f .
Fi nal
techniques s i m i l a r
brushes
in wi de,
concepts o f l argeness were consi dered which advanced
i n . s t y l e to p a i n t i n g .
f r e e str ok es on s ever al
Tusche was a p p l i e d w i t h l ar ge
compositions.
In other s crayon
was used in much.the same way; both techni ques intended to e x p l o i t the
s i z e o f the drawing s u r f a c e and f i n a l
d r a wn . i n f i n e r d e t a i l ,
image.
Compositions
I V and I X.were
but w i t h the same concepts o f l argeness a n d . f r e e ­
dom.
Designs were c r e a t e d not on l y as an a r t i s t i c e xp e r i e n c e but to ex­
per ime nt w i t h the method being used as much as p o s s i b l e .
Secti ons were
arranged in a v a r i e t y o f formats t o p r o v i d e s u f f i c i e n t knowledge of. how
each could be r e g i s t e r e d and p r i n t e d .
Compositions were chosen■in which
the s e l e c t i o n s would o v e r l a p c o n s i d e r a b l y or jus,t touch.
Some ov er la p was
necessary in most cases to promote c o n t i n u i t y , , but i t was h e l d . t o a m i n i ­
mum to u t i l i z e as much o f each s t o n e ' s s u r fa d e as p o s s i b l e .
drawing techni ques were employed,
scraping,
and s p a t t e r i n g .
i n c l u d i n g crayon, p e n c i l ,
Various
tusche,
Col or was used s p a r i n g l y because o f the added
time and work i nvol ved in producihg a many-colored p r i n t ;
if
t h re e stones
18
were needed to a chi ev e the d e s i r e d dimensions,
t h r e e more would have to be
used f o r the a d d i t i o n o f one c o l o r to the e n t i r e design ( F i g u r e 1 5) .
some p r i n t s ,
as in Composition V l l l
on page 32,
the e f f e c t o f several
c o l o r s was achi eved by using one s tone f o r one c o l o r ,
t h i r d fo r another,
one f o r a n ot he r ,
a
efc.
R e g i s t e r marks,
on a l l
In
u s u a l l y . u s e d on l y f o r c o l o r p r i n t s ,
had to be made
m u l t i p l e - s t o n e drawings to i nsure the e xa c t r e l a t i o n s h i p o f one
s e c t i o n t o the n e x t .
By p l a c i n g small marks (+)
cor ner s o f the stone,
i t was p o s s i b l e to a l i g n p e r f e c t l y s ever al
o f the drawing in any d i r e c t i o n
(Figure 14).
in diagonal I y opposi te
secti ons
This was done a f t e r the
stones had been etched and d r i e d so- t h a t a l a r g e p i e c e o f c l e a r p l a s t i c
could be pl aced over the s tones f o r p l a n n i n g .
The design.w^s tr ac ed Onto
the p l a s t i c from one stone i n c l u d i n g r e g i s t e r marks, a s . p i c t u r e d
7,
in Fi gure
The p l a s t i c was pl aced so t h a t the d e s i g n . f r o m . t h e f i r s t stone c or ­
rectly
r e l a t e d to t h a t o f the s e c o n d , a n d one' r e g i s t e r mark was tr ac ed on­
t o i t from the p l a s t i c .
In t h i s way two s t o n e s , or s ec t io ns o f the de si gn,
could be made to share one mark.
formed.by t r a c i n g . f r o m a l l
stones,
p l a s t i c onto p r i n t i n g paper ,
t ion.
the r e g i s t e r marks were t r a c ed from the
c ut t o the dimensions o f the f u l l
Holes were then c ut in i t
p r i n t i n g pr ocedure.
A f t e r the complete design had been
composi r
to show the r e g i s t e r marks dur ing the
A paper punch, was used whenever p o s s i b l e ,
. q u i c k e r than c u t t i n g t h e - s t a n d a r d t r i a n g l e s w i t h a r a z or b l a d e.
being much
By t h i s
method as few as f o u r holes could be used f o r a p r i n t composed from f o ur
stones
( F i g u r e 13) .
Fi gur e 14.
Stages o f a M u l t i p l e - S t o n e P r i n t
20
Al I p a r t s o f p l a n n i n g the design and p r e p a r i n g the paper had to be
c a r e f u l l y studied,
as the stone p r i n t s
t h e . r e v e r s e o f the a c t u a l
drawing.
P r i n t i n g on l a r g e sheets o f paper posed a problem because the press bed
could o nl y f a c i l i t a t e
s h e e t s . 28 Inches w i d e when e x a c t l y c en t e r e d ,
Long
p r i n t s such as those in Figur es 17 and. 18 had to be p r i n t e d so t h a t the
paper could hang over the end o f the press bed.
tightly
The paper had to be
r o l l e d and f a s t e ne d w i t h p a p e r c l i p s w h i l e p r i n t i n g the l i t h o g r a p h
in Fi gur e 23.
These l a r g e sheets o f paper were c a r e f u l l y pl ace d on the
stone to p r e v e n t p o s s i b l e smudging.
C u t t i n g and bending the paper a t the
edges o f the stone dur i ng p r i n t i n g a l s o had to, be p r ev ent ed;
t h i s would
d i s t i n g u i s h one s e c t i o n o f the design from the next and r u i n the p r i n t . .
The p r ess ur e b a r ,
stone,
t h a t p a r t o f the machine which d i r e c t l y presses on the
had to be l a r g e enough to cover the e n t i r e
the stone.
Several
image b ut s m a l l e r than
s i z e s a r e a v a i l a b l e t h a t can be i n s e r t e d
i n t o the
machine.
M a t t i n g the m u l t i p l e - s t o n e l i t h o g r a p h s f o r vi ewi ng by the Examining
Committee was done in the t r a d i t i o n a l
manner.
Heavy, p e b b l e - g r a i n e d mat-"
board was s p e c i a l - o r d e r e d by the As soci at ed S tudents'
State College.
Sheets measuring 40 by 60 inches,
were r e q u i r e d to mat s ever al
St or e o f Montana
not n o r m a l l y stocked,
o f the l i t h o g r a p h s e f f e c t i v e l y .
The p a r t i c u l a r m a t e r i a l s and procedures used in e x e c u t i n g each o f
the m u l t i p l e - s t o n e l i t h o g r a p h s f o r t h i s t h e s i s are o u t l i n e d on the
f o l I owing pages.
21
COMPOSITION I
Figure 15
Stones:
t h r e e ; numbers.E 119,
Technique:
E 120, and E 124.
tusche and crayon drawing,
r e - e t c h e d through i nk dur ing
printing.
Etch:
25 drops n i t r i c a c i d to one ounce gum a r a b i c s o l u t i o n ;
re-etch,
a p p r o x i m a t e l y 75 drops n i t r i c a c i d to one ounce gum a r a b i c s o l u ­
tion.
Ink:
black;
Materia):
raw sienna t i n t and t r a n s p a r e n t , w h i t e .
four p r i n t s on.cotton percale,
s i x on damp Basingwerke paper,
two on 80 pound P r i n t f l e x paper , one on gl azed c o t t o n ,
and t hr ee
on damp w h i t e wrapping paper.
Edit i oh:
16 p r i n t s .
Dimensions:
15 by 34 inches.
P r i n t i n g procedure:
seven p r i n t i n g s ;
t h r e e s e c ti o ns p r i n t e d
bIack.
t h r e e s ec ti ons p r i n t e d
in raw s ie nna ,
in bl a ck ,
and one o v e r l a p p r i n t e d , in
\
22
COMPOSITION I I
Figure I 6
/
S t one s:
t h r e e ; numbers E 119,
Technique:
Etch:
Ink:
E - ] 2 0,
and E 124.
tusche and crayon drawing,
s p a t t e r e d tusche.
25 drops n i t r i c a c i d to one ounce gum a r a b l e s o l u t i o n .
brown.mixed from chrome y e l l o w ,
from V e r m i l l i o n
Material:
red,
rose red, and c p b a l t b l ue ;
rose r e d , - z i n c w h i t e ,
and t r a n s p a r e n t w h i t e .
s i x p r i n t s on damp.36 pound w h i t e l ed ge r paper ,
pound P r i n t f l e x ,
red mixed
f o u r on 80 pound P r i n t f l e x ,
f o ur o n . 60
and two on.damp w h i t e
! wrapping paper.
Edition:
16 p r i n t s .
Dimensions:
14 3 / 4 by 32 inches.
P r i n t i n g procedure:
di agonal
four p r i n t i n g s ;
overlap p rin te d
t h r e e s ec t io ns p r i n t e d
in red.
in brown, one
23
Fi gur e 16.
Composi t ion I I
24
COMPOSITION I I I
Figure I?
St o n e s :
f o u r ; numbers E-106,
Technique;
Etch:
Ink:
E 119,
E 120,
and E 124.
'fuseHe and crayon drawing.
30 drops n i t r i c a c i d to one ounce gum a r a b i c s o l u t i o n .
b l a c k w i t h v i r i d i a n green and t r a n s p a r e n t w h i t e added.
M aterial:
t h r e e p r i n t s on damp Basingwerke paper ,
12 on 80 pound.
P r l n t f I ex.
Edition:
15 p r i n t s .
Dimensions:
16? by 372 inches.
P r i n t i n g procedure:
green.
four p r i n t i n g s ;
f o u r s ec t io ns p r i n t e d
in b l a c k -
25
COMPOSITION. IV
. Figure 18
S tone s:
t h r e e ; numbers E 124,
T e c hn i qu e :,
Etch:
Ink:
crayon and p e n ci l
E 119, and E 120.
l i n e drawing.
15 drops n i t r i c a c i d t o one ounce gum a r a b l e s o l u t i o n .
green mixed from v i r i d i a n green,
chrome y e l l o w , and z i n c . w h i t e ;
y e l l o w mixed from chrome y e l l o w and t r a n s p a r e n t w h i t e ,
y e l l o w and v e r m i l l i o n
M aterial:
chrome
red,, and chrome y e l l o w and v i r i d i a n green.
f i v e p r i n t s o n . 32 pound w h i t e l e d g e r ,
f i v e on 80 ,pound
P r i n t f Tex.
Edition:
10 p r i n t s .
Dimensions:
16 by 37 inches.
P r i n t i n g procedure:
section
s i x p r i n t i n g ' s ; , t h r e e s ec ti ons p r i n t e d
in y e l l o w ,
one in y e l l o w - o r a n g e ,
in green, one
and one i n . y e l l o w - g r e e n .
26
Fi gur e 18.
Composition IV
27
COMPOSITION V
Figure 19
S t one s:
three;
Technique:
Etch:
numbers E 119,. E 120, end E 124.
textural
crayon drawing on pa pe r,
t r a n s f e r r e d to stone;
25 drops n i t r i c a c i d to one ounce gum a r a b l e s o l u t i o n a p p l i e d over
"I n k ..
Ink:
black.
Material:
t h r e e p r i n t s on damp w h i t e wrapping paper,
P r i n t f I ex,
Edition:
t h r e e on 80 pound
and two on damp Bas ingwerke.
eight p rin ts .
Dimensions:
15? by 34^ inches.
P r i n t i n g procedure:
three p r i n t i n g s ;
t h r e e s e c t i on s p r i n t e d , in bl a ck .
Because of problems a r i s i n g from the desi gn,
t h i s p r i n t was uns uc ce ssful .
etch,
and r e g i s t e r i n g ,
.
28
COMPOSITION Vl
Fi gur e 20
Stones:
t h r e e ; numbers E 124,
Technique:
crayon,
pencil,
E 120,. and E 106.
and. tusche drawing;
s p a t t e r e d tusche;
s cr a pi n g.
Etch:
Ink:
30 drops n i t r i c a c i d t o one ounce gum a r a b l e s o l u t i o n .
black.
(
M aterial:
Edition:
Japanese Aazen paper.
11 p r i n t s .
)
Dimensions:
15■by. 48- inches.
P r i n t i n g procedure:
t h r e e p r i n t i n g s ; t h r e e s e c t i on s p r i n t e d ^ i n . b l a c k .
29
Fi gur e 19.
Composition V
Fi gur e 20.
Composition V I
30
COMPOSITION Vl I
Figure 21
S t on e s:
t h r e e ; numbers E 124,
Technique':
Etch:
Ink:
E 120,
and E 106.
tusche p a i n t i n g .
30 drops n i t r i c a c i d to one ounce gum a r a b i c s o l u t i o n .
bl u e mixed from c o b a l t b l u e ,
zinc white,
transparent white,
and
I
..black;
green mixed from v i r i d i a n green,
chrome y e l l o w ,
zinc.white,
1
and transparent white; brown mixed from Vermillion red, rose red,
cobalt blue, and transparent white.
M aterial:
Edition:
damp b l a c k c o n s t r u c t i o n paper.
eight p rin ts .
Dimensions:
18^ by 28 inches.
P r i n t i n g procedure:
s e c t i on s
f o u r p r i n t i n g s ; one s e c t i o n pri nted. , in b l u e ,
in green,
and one o v er l a p
in brown.
two
. 31
COMPOSITION Vl I I
Fi gur e 22
S t one s;
t h r e e ; numbers £ 124,
Technique:,
crayon, p e n c i l ,
E 120,
and E 106.
and tusche drawing.
Etch:
25 drops n i t r i c a c i d to one ounce gum a r a b i c s o l u t i o n .
Ink:
raw sienna t i n t and t r a n s p a r e n t . w h i t e ; green mixed from v i r i d i a n
green,
zinc white,
. verm illion
m illion
Material:
Edition:
and chrome y e l l o w ; p u r p l e mixed from rose red,
red, c o b a l t b l u e ,
red,
rose red,
buff detail
and z i n c . w h i t e ;
red mixed from Ver­
and raw sienna t i n t .
paper.
11 p r i n t s .
Dimensions:
2 7 i by 20^ inches.
P r i n t i n g procedure:
six printings;
two s ec t io ns p r i n t e d
mi xt ur es o f raw sienna and t r a n s p a r e n t w h i t e ,
green,
one s e c t i o n
in p u r p l e ,
in green w i t h red added.
in d i f f e r e n t
one s e c t i o n . i n
one section^ in red, and one sec ti on
Fi gure 21.
Composition Vl I
Fi gure 22.
Composition V l l l
33
COMPOSITION ;IX
Figure 23
Stones:
two; numbers E 120 and E 12k.
Technique:
Etch:
pencil
l i n e drawing.
10 drops n i t r i c a c i d to one ounce gum;a r a b ic s o l u t i o n ;
r e- e tc he d
over i n k . w i t h 20 drops n i t r i c a c i d to one ounce gum a r a b l e s o l u ­
tion.
Ink:
black.
M aterial:
Edition:
Basingwerke paper.
10 p r i n t s .
Dimensions:
32^ by 24 inches.
P r i n t i n g procedure;
four p r i n tin g s ;
fouh s ec t io ns p r i n t e d
in.black.
)
34
COMPOSITION X
Fi gur e 24
Stones:
three;
Technique:
Etch:
numbers E 120,
cr ayon. and p e n c i l
E 124,. and E 106.
drawing;- l a r g e
35 drops n i t r i c a c i d to one ounce
20
Ink: '
drops n i t r i c a c i d to one ounce
tan mixed from b l a c k , . c o b a l t b l u e ,
tusche shapes.
gum a r a b i c s o l u t i o n on
gum a r a b i c s o l u t i o n on crayon.
raw sienna t i n t ,
V e r m i l l i o n red,
. rose red, and z i nc w h i t e ; bl ue mixed from c o b a l t - b l u e ,
and z i n c w h i t e ; brown mixed from b l a c k ,
. red,
M aterial:
Edition:
tusche;
cobalt blue,
tan m i x t u r e ,
Vermillion
and. rose red.
20 pound bond paper .
12 p r i n t s .
Dimensions:
2 5 i by 27? inches.
P r i n t i n g procedure:
section
three p r i n t i n g s ;
in t a n ,
and one s e c t i o n
one s e c t i o n p r i n t e d . i n b l u e , one
in brown.
Fi gure 23.
Composition IX
Fi gure 24.
Composition X
LITERATURE CONSULTED
Arms, Johir T a y l o r , Handbook o f P r i n t Making and P r i n t Makers, the Mac
M i l l a n Company, New York, 1934.
Arnold,
Grant, C r e a t i v e Li thogr aphy and How to Do I t ,
P u b l i s h e r s , New York, 1941,
Harper and Br ot her s
Brown, Bol ton, L i thogr aphy f o r A r t i s t s . U n i v e r s i t y o f Chicago Press,
Ch i cago, 1930.
Brunner, F e l i x , A Handbook o f Graphic Reproduction Pr ocesses, H a st i n g s House, P u b l i s h e r s , I n c . , New York, 1962.
Graphic A r t s , Girden C i t y P u b l i s h i n g Company,
1936.
Haytel",
Inc.,
Garden C i t y ,
S. W., About P r i n t s , Oxford U n i v e r s i t y Press,
London,
New York,
1962.
Heller,
J u l es , P Mntmaking Today, U n i v e r s i t y o f Southern C a l i f o r n i a Press,
Henry H o l t and Company, New York, 1958.
J u l i en,
Edouard, The Posters o f T o u l o u s e - L a u t r e c , E d i t i o n s Du L i v r e ,
M o n t e - C a r l o, P a r i s Book Ce nt er , I n c . , New York, 1951.
Mann,
F e l i x H . , 150 Years o f A r t i s t s Heinemann L t d . , London, 1953.
Mayer,
L i t h o g r a p h s , 1 80 3 - 1 9 5 3 ,. W i l l i a m
Ralph, The A r t i s t s ' Handbook o f M a t e r i a l s and Techni g ue s , The
V i k i n g Press, New York, 1941.
New York Times. September 30,
1962.
P e t e r d i , Gabor, P r i n t m a k i n g , Methods Old and New, The Mac M i l l a n . Company,
New York, 1959.
Seward,
C. A . , Metal P l a t e Li thogr aphy f o r A r t i s t s and Dr aftsmen, The
Pencil P o i n t Press, I n c . , New York, 1931.
Wengenr o th , Stow, Making a L i t h o g r a p h , The S t u d i o , P u b l ( c a t i o n s ,
New York, 1936.
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