New Prints: Handmade & Magi @ Gallery Hijinks Blog

Written by Jillian December 16, 2010

Chris Blackstock just released two prints on our online store TODAY. These original prints are made in the traditional fashion of lithography and are an edition of 12 each (although there are only a few for sale). The prints are 11″ x 15″ on Reeves printing paper, titled and signed by the artist.

Handmade print by Chris Blackstock

Magi print by Chris Blackstock

At first glance the print might seem similar to a graphite drawing but the process of creating a lithograph is much more complex. Lithography was invented by Alois Senefelder in Bohemia in 1796. In the early days of lithography, a smooth piece of limestone was used (hence the name “lithography”—”lithos” is the ancient Greek word for stone). After the oil-based image was put on the surface (usually applied using a wax litho crayon), a solution of gum arabic in water was applied, the gum sticking only to the non-oily surface. During printing, water adhered to the gum arabic surfaces and avoided the oily parts, while the oily ink used for printing did the opposite.

The printing process is arduous and can take a few hours just to make a few prints. All the printing is hand done and rolled through a press that applies 1200 pounds of pressure onto the limestone block. If there is any debris on the stone it can cause the stone to split in half.

Here are some detail shots exhibiting the complexity of Blackstock’s work. These prints are priced at $50 each, a steal. Feel free to come to the gallery to see them in person or order online here. Click on image to see high rez.