Palazzo Roller coaster - you won't ride but it makes you crazy
Thanks to Art Paper, I had the great pleasure to test the PALAZZO graphic and watercolor block "Pavilion of the Mountain Railway". I am delighted with it. This paper is intended for all types of workshop graphics, both convex and concave. This paper is also perfect for work in techniques combined with, for example, watercolor.
The graphic and watercolor block "Pavilion of the Górska Kolejka" is a graphic paper with 100% cotton content, with a weight of 300 gsm. Its high grammage meets the expectations of even the most demanding graphic designers. After the matrix is reflected, the paper does not crack, its structure remains intact. Even during long soaking, e.g. 20 minutes in water, before making a print using the dry needle technique, the paper is in perfect condition and the prints are accurate. I can even say that compared to another leading brand of graphic paper (which is much more expensive), Palazzo is much better in terms of quality, it opens up a wide range of possibilities for the graphic artist. The prints made on it are much better, the paper enhances the value of the work. The only disadvantage may be the small size if we want to reflect larger formats, e.g. linocuts. Therefore, I look forward to the launch of larger block sizes and large sheets.
On the other hand, if you normally print a dry needle in A4 format, as I did in the test, you will be delighted! 12 sheets A4: 2 colors - 8 sheets white, 4 sheets ivory. This is another advantage of this paper. I used sepia-colored graphic paint on the presented works printed on ivory. See what the working climate has created. Thanks to this paper, we can give our work a specific atmosphere, mood, move the recipient into our reality and let him feel the emotions related to the topic presented. This dry-type shows the Republic of Myanmar, specifically the ancient town of Bagan, to which I was invited in 2019. It is an extremely mystical place where we can find thousands of pagodas. This work is very important to me, it tells my travel story and takes us to a world that is so distant and so close at the same time. As you know, an extremely bloody coup is taking place in Myanmar right now. All of Europe is silent and blind to the cruelty that is taking place there.
My Art Screams!
Here is a short video after making 1 print.
Thanks to the PALAZZO graphic paper, you can not only experiment with different graphic techniques, but also this paper will give you more possibilities to manipulate it, which will further develop your artistry.
What's more, 100% cotton fiber content and modern production technology give the paper high color stability and durability. Yes, yes, cotton and how much! Again, compared to other leading brands of paper on the graphics market, the PALAZZO Pavilion of Górska Kolejka is definitely a winner thanks to 100% cotton. The paper is very absorbent, does not deform after drying, does not soften or fray after multiple layers, retains its original density, while the colors retain their intensity for a long time. The presented works were made in the dry-cut technique. Dry print, otherwise known as the dry needle technique, is a graphic technique of gravure printing. It consists in making a drawing with a steel needle directly on a smooth, polished surface of a metal plate, without etching. The needle carves furrows in the metal, and the cut metal forms a kind of chips on both sides, which, when reflected next to the engraved lines, retain the paint, giving the print soft tones of velvety black. Suchorite as an independent graphic technique did not become popular until the middle of the 20th century. 19th century. I am very pleased with the end result. The work presents Sobieski Street in Rybnik in the 20s.
Below you can see a short video of the process of imprinting a matrix made in a dry needle.
The block can also be used for any art work, not only for graphics, but also for working with watercolors, gouache, tempera, charcoal, sanguine. I decided to combine the dry needle technique with watercolor. Evaluate the effect for yourself. Which version do you like more? Classic dry engraving or colored with watercolor?
In another work entitled On the branch, I used the cyanotype technique. If you want to know more about this technique, I refer you to my previous blog post Combining painting and photographic techniques where everything is explained step by step.
The PALAZZO Pavilion of the Mountain Railway is acid-free, so that the work done remains in good condition for a long time, which is extremely important for both the creator and the recipient.
In the next approach to the Palazzo paper for graphics, I decided to test it in terms of relief printing, namely linocut. Linocut, as the name suggests, is cut in linoleum. It is easy to process and resistant to damage, and it is possible to engrave in all directions. To develop the matrix, chisels, knives and other tools that enable cutting the material are used. Unfortunately, due to the structure of the paper, I do not recommend it for linocuts as the prints are inaccurate. The paint does not enter the paper evenly. On the example of my linocut, it does not affect the aesthetics of the work because it creates the illusion of water. However, if we wanted to obtain the perfect blackness of the print, it is impossible due to the structure of the paper.
