LITHOGRAPHY

Lithography is a method of printing that uses a plate of limestone with a smooth surface. Lithography is based on the principle of mutual repulsion of oil and water and uses chemical processes to create an image. It uses oil or fat and gum arabic to divide the smooth surface into hydrophobic areas which accept the ink, and hydrophilic areas which reject it and thus become the background. During the printing process, the stone is kept wet with water. Naturally the water is attracted to the layer of gum and salt created by the acid wash. Printing ink based on drying oils is then rolled over the surface. The water repels the greasy ink but the hydrophobic areas left by the original drawing material accept it. When the hydrophobic image is loaded with ink, the stone and paper are run through a press which applies even pressure over the surface, transferring the ink to the paper and off the stone. In multicolour printing of art prints a separate stone is used for each colour and a print goes through the press separately for each stone. Each sheet of paper then goes through the press five or even more times. Everything is being done manually. Lithography was invented more than 200 years ago and at that time the majority of colour printings was made by this method (including, about a century later, Alfons Mucha´s posters).

Jana Vacková has been applying herself to lithography since 1994. At first she worked in the lithographic studio in Malá Street, Pilsen. When this studio stopped its activities she started cooperation with art typographers of the lithographic studio in Říční Street, Prague. The subjects of her art prints are very often motifs of nature, stones, trees, seas and animals. Recently she has been creating the cycle „Houses“ in which she expresses her philosophy of life. Jana also deals with small and occasional graphic art as art prints for various anniversaries, such as wedding cards, New Year cards and ex libris. Besides lithography she is also engaged in typographical printing, mainly in the wood block printings and linocuts.

CYCLE OF HOUSES

AFRICA

STONES, TREES, SEE

ANIMALS

CARPETS AND CHILDREN´S GRAPHICS ART

MOTIVES OF CITIES

LINO-CUT

Aktualizováno: 1.2.2015

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