CLASSES
The Firestation regularly runs workshops and courses in printmaking. This is the place to learn basic skills or update your knowledge. We have three types of courses
- Regular classes for a small group of students
- Intensive classes for individual tuition to fast track you to where you want to be
- Special classes hosted by visiting artists
Regular Classes
Etching-
Introduction to Etching
Members $270 non-Members $295
The fundamentals of etching, including aquatint, dry point, sugar lift and chin-colle.
Working from your own ideas, you will experiment with image, tone and mark-making to extend the visual possibilities of etching.
Fridays 10-1pm with Margaret Manchee Four week course
Wednesdays 6:30 -9:30pm with Marisa Corral Four week course
Beginning date: 1 December
Intermediate Etching
Members $270 non-Members $295
This course builds on existing knowledge of etching and focuses on expanding this skill base. It is also perfect for those who can remember the basics but who need a refresher in other, more advanced techniques.
This course is an excellent choice for those whose creative appetite has been whetted by The Firestation’s Intro to Etching course
Fridays 10-1pm with Margaret Manchee Four week course
Begining 3 December
Wednesdays 6:30 -9:30pm with Marisa Corral Four week course
Intensive Classes
Intensive One-on-One Etching Course for Beginners
You will be introduced to the fundamentals of etching as well as a wide range of techniques. Alternatively, the program can be tailored made to suit your needs. Working from your own ideas, you will experiment with image, tone and mark-makings to extend the visual possibilities of etching.
Day 1
Plate preparation: filing & degreasing
Hard ground & smoking the plate
Soft ground
Roulette tools
Intaglio printing – setting the press & registration
Day 2
Aquatint
Spit-biting
Roulette tools
Crayon Resist
Colour inking
Viscosity and plate tone
We provide 3 copper plates, 2 sheets of BFK print-making paper, etching ink, tarlatan, butcher paper and ferric chloride.
Please bring: Ideas, apron and gloves (ideally disposable vinyl gloves)
$395 for 2 sessions of 2.5 hours.
Intensive One-to-One Advanced Etching Course
Your own personal tutor can improve your techniques and knowledge of the etching processes. Specialised tuition in specific areas to develop your own interests can be especially tailored to suit. For example, spit biting, spray aquatint, chine collé techniques.
We provide 3 copper plates, 2 sheets of BFK print-making paper, etching ink, tarlatan, butcher paper and ferric chloride.
You provide: Ideas, apron and gloves (ideally disposable vinyl gloves)
$365 for 2 sessions of 2 hours
Intensive One to One Intermediate Printing on to Fabric
Teacher: Rhett Kilner
This short course is for printmakers who want to expand their knowledge and skills into the field of printing fabric, instead of the traditional paper. Suitable materials are linen, silk and cotton based materials, Tshirts etc.
This technique can produce some exciting multicoloured artworks or dynamic black and white prints that can be used for homewares, furniture upholstery, tea towels, etc or even framed.
Oil based etching inks are used to print on fabric, then cured and heat set. The prints will not wash out of the fabric. True colours are represented.
Requirements: Students are required to bring their established Etching plates and/or previously printed templates, i.e. linocuts, woodcuts, engravings, drypoints etc. Please also bring the fabric you wish to print. It is easiest to learn on cotton based fabric, but it is possible to print silk, polycotton, lace, linen, lycra etc. (If unsure, please contact the Firestation Manager). The material needs to have been ironed flat.
$245 for three-hour session, including materials
Special workshops
I Love Letterpress (Typesetting and Printing) with Allan Dabscheck
Allan served a 5 year Apprenticeship as a Hand Compositor in
He qualified as a compositor, and attended further schooling to become a Letterpress Machinist. He has valuable skills in Composing, Graphic Arts, Foil Stamping, Design, Advertising, Labels, and Printing in general.
INTRODUCTORY COURSE
One night a week 6.30–9.30pm for 3 weeks
Students will gain a broad insight into this craft and learn about inks, papers and printing machines, and they will gain a clear understanding of how a design becomes the final product, whether a book, letterhead, label, show card or advertising on billboards.
Members $210 non-Members $235
INTERMEDIATE COURSE
One day intensive workshop 8am – 5pm
Students will enjoy an in-depth experience in this craft and learn about inks, papers and this unique printing and taught in-depth operation of a 100+ year old treadle operated hand-fed printing press.
Members $315 non-Members $340
Bookbinding & Artists Books with Joss Farmar-Bowers
Joss Farmar-Bowers is a professional book binder. Trained in the
Saturdays 10am–3.30pm 1 day workshops
Members $150 non-Members $175
Pamphlet Bindings in a Slip Cover
Make a series of small books which fit into a slip cover. Insetting an illustration into the cover is an option which will be offered.
Japanese Single Sheet Bindings
There are a limited number of bindings that utilise single, rather than folded sheets of paper and in this workshop we will look at three decorative Japanese bindings. This is a good workshop for absolute beginners.
Quick Quarter Leather Binding
This book has hard covers and opens flat which makes it an ideal journal or sketchbook. With leather binding and a marbled or Japanese chiyogami paper cover it is a simple but attractive binding.
Concertina Binding
This binding uses a long strip of paper folded into a cover. There are various options for the structure of the cover. Joining the paper strips and insetting a picture in the cover is one option.
Coptic Binding
This binding was first used in the 2nd century AD and continued to be used for hundreds of years. It is still an excellent way of making a book with 200 pages (100gsm paper). The structure, which is clearly visible, gives the book its individual character.
Itajime
Itajime is a method of folding and dyeing paper. The colour and pattern combinations are endless. The papers can be used in bookbinding, collage or hardened with varnish.