LITHOGRAPHY: PRINTING FROM STONE
Lithography explained
Lithography is one of the most beautiful techniques in which handwork and craftsmanship play a prime role. Drawings on a stone are made with greasy material such as crayon or ink. When prints are made, the wet stone is rolled in greasy printer’s ink; only the parts which have been drawn with greasy material absorb the greasy printer’s ink and are printed onto the paper. For this procedure to succeed, the stone has to be ground into a flat surface. There are artists who both draw and print themselves. However, the work of the stone printer being so complicated, the artist usually draws on the stone and leaves the printing to the specialised printer. Close co-operation is of the utmost importance.
Internationally renowned Ernst Hanke
Marion van Nieuwpoort and Poen de Wijs worked with Steindruckerei Ernst Hanke (Ringgenberg, Switzerland). Poen and Marion made the drawings directly on the stone. They were present when the prints were made, decided on the colours and the sequence of the printing sessions. In between printing sessions, the necessary alterations to the stone were made. Ernst Hanke and his assistants prepared the stones, performed various chemical treatments, wetted and dried the paper and operated the press. The printer Ernst Hanke is internationally renowned for the high quality of his prints and above all for his specialization in realistic art.
