The dampening and inking of the stone is repeated until the entire image is thoroughly inked. The oil-based ink adheres to the greasy area of the image and is repelled by the damp parts of the stone. Ink is then applied to the stone with a roller. To provide a base for inking, a layer of asphaltum is then buffed onto the entire surface of the stone and allowed to dry.īefore the stone is ready for inking, it is dampened with water, which is absorbed only in the blank areas. The original drawing is then wiped away with a solvent, known as lithotine, which leaves a ghost-like trace of the image on the stone. At the same time, the solution ensures that the blank areas of the stone will absorb water and repel printing ink. The chemical reaction between the solution and the stone fixes the greasy image that is drawn with the oil-based lithographic crayon. Gum arabic, or a combination of gum arabic with a mild acid solution, is then brushed onto the stone. A layer of powdered rosin is rubbed onto the stone, followed by a layer of powdered talc. Once the design is complete, the stone is ready to be processed or etched. Potentially prints from a run of 10 are going to be more expensive than a run of 300.Lithography is a planographic printmaking process in which a design is drawn onto a flat stone (or prepared metal plate, usually zinc or aluminum) and affixed by means of a chemical reaction.įirst, the design for the lithograph is drawn directly onto a polished slab of limestone using an oil-based lithographic crayon or ink. It's not often that you will see a No.1 become available if it's from a major name. Think beyond the big names - many unheralded artists produce memorable art via this method.Ī signed and numbered lithograph is potentially more expensive but - just like a book - it's a thrill to own a signed piece of artwork from an artist you admire. Learn why one lithographic is more important than the next one. Visit museums and galleries and look for prints of significance. Research the artist - did they allow the creation of numerous lithographs or just a handful? This will affect price and scarcity.

The choice is huge - abstract art, birds, animals, portraits, pen-and-ink drawings. Many of the great artists have created lithographs including Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Edvard Munch, Edgar Degas, Joan Miró, Francisco Goya, Eugène Delacroix, Grant Wood, Jasper Johns and David Hockney.Īs always with books, buy and collect the prints you love rather than accumulate to make money. Leading artists worked with leading printers and it became a staple of fine art printing. The 19th century saw the lithographic process become established after a period of experimentation and learning, but lithography really took in the 20th century with Paris leading the way.

1965 Jean Capdeville Derriere le Miroir Lithograph

Lithograph fine art