Keith Carter (b. 1948), Luna, 1996, copper-plate photogravure with chine-collé, 15 1/2 x 15 inches, private collection. © Keith Carter and Flatbed Press, Austin, TX. Image: E. G. Schempf.
Frank X. Tolbert˛ (b. 1945), Lady with a Tail, 2003, woodcut with hand-coloring, 48 x 35 3/4 inches, private collection. © Frank X. Tolbert˛ and Flatbed Press, Austin, TX.
James Surls (b. 1943), Night Vision, 1991, woodcut, 24 1/2 x 71 inches, private collection. © James Surls and Flatbed Press, Austin, TX.
Julie Speed (b. 1951), Ad Referendum from the series “Bible Studies Suite,” 2005, polymer direct gravure and hand-coloring, 22 7/8 x 18 1/8 inches, private collection. © Julie Speed and Flatbed Press, Austin, TX.
Laurence Scholder (b. 1942), After, 2007, spit-bite aquatint, 9 15/16 x 7 15/16 inches, private collection. © Laurence Scholder and Flatbed Press, Austin, TX.
Robert Levers (1930-1992), Victory: the Celebration, 1991, soft-ground etching, aquatint, and drypoint, 35 x 47 inches, private collection. © Robert Levers and Flatbed Press, Austin, TX.
Spencer Fidler (b. 1944), Confrontation I, 1993, line etching and soft-ground etching, 35 1/4 x 47 1/4 inches, private collection. © Spencer Fidler and Flatbed Press, Austin, TX.
Terry Allen (b. 1943), Rage, 1996, etching with collaged fabric, 29 3/4 x 29 1/2 inches, private collection. © Terry Allen and Flatbed Press, Austin, TX.
How did the artist do that? The combinations of techniques and innovations introduced in contemporary printmaking can make the process behind a print mystifying. Simply looking at it may not be enough, even for the most seasoned of printmakers.